Alessandro C.
Google
We’re regulars at Heaney's, usually about once a month for Sunday roast or dinner, and when my mum visits from Italy every couple of months, coming here for dinner has become our little tradition.
That’s why it’s such a shame to say our meal two nights ago was genuinely underwhelming.
The opening snacks set the tone: a simple broth served in a cup (fine, but not particularly delicious or memorable) and the usual cheese-and-onion tartlette.
Nothing wrong as such, just not the thoughtful, exciting start we’ve come to expect.
The trout was decent, but again fell flat. It was let down by noticeable pieces of hard, dry herbs (rosemary?) that felt like they’d been left in by accident, which distracted from the dish rather than adding to it.
The beef was well cooked but the overall dish was dry.
Dessert was the biggest disappointment. The sesame ice cream simply wasn’t good, and we love Japanese sesame ice cream, so this isn’t a bias against the flavour. The orange element underneath was probably the best part, but overall it didn’t come together.
We don’t know what happened, but the whole evening felt a bit lazy and improvised compared with the restaurant’s usual standard. We’ll be back next month (we’re loyal, and we really want it to be great again) and we’re hoping to find the previous level of care, creativity, and polish that’s kept us coming back.
The waiters and service was exceptional as always. What happened in that kitchen on Friday 13 Feb evening?