Stephen P.
Yelp
Stuffed myself silly with an amazing 3 course dinner here last week, spinach and oxtail soup to start, very strong flavour, delicious, Complimentary caramelized onion bread and rosemary butter was a treat, made in house that day by the chef. Main course was a lamb neck fillet with veg, small portions, very filling and tasty. Never had a lamb neck fillet before so wasn't sure what to expect, but it was soft and melt in the mouth. For dessert a tasty rhubarb compote, slightly spicy, tart not sweet, with cinnamon, orange cream and a hard crumbly ginger biscuit on top. Again not what I was expecting but nice to be surprised by something new/different. 3 courses and all the bread was probably too much food as it was so rich and filling, even though the main was quite small, but I was there so long that it didn't feel excessive.
A lovely welcoming atmosphere, like a small neighbourhood bistro, the waiter and manager/owner very friendly and casual and always available without being overly attentive or fussy. Comfy red banquette style seats, stayed there 3 hours and felt like I was welcome to stay as long as I wanted. The welcoming glass of prosecco went down very well. It was nice to eat somewhere in the city centre that didn't feel rushed or impersonal. I think this was because of the welcome provided by the manager, not usual in any places I've been. Many places in the city could take a lesson from here in how to be provide warm atmosphere. The window seats are awesome, watching the madness of rush hour trafffic whizz by.
Price wise it's slightly more than I would usually go for on a meal out, but it was a great treat, and so nice to get amazing food just by paying that little bit more. Can't wait to go back for brunch which looks delicious, and the gnocchi will be next on the list to try when I go. I would go here more often instead of going to the usual bland burger/pasta/pizza place
Pros: Relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Very tasty food, rich, filling and different. Care taken by the chefs with the menu and ingredients came through.
Cons: Only slightly minor complaint was the side of fries weren't great, not sure people would order fries in a place like this anyway. Didn't see a soft drink available, but forgot to ask!