I’ve wanted to go to this newish Cathedral Quarter spot for a while now, having heard good things, and turning a year older finally provided a reasonable excuse for a nice meal out.The decor was modern, clean lines, chrome and black leather in the bar and dark wood tables in the main dining area with somewhat random, mix-matched art on the walls and a partial view into the kitchen. I liked the blue ceiling and the effect of the yellowed dimmed lights – not exactly romantic but atmospheric of some kind!
I had read a review that said the tables were too close together so I was a bit nervous (see previous bad experience with this!) but we were seated at small round table for two at the side of the room that didn’t look as if it would have this problem. I could see how the tables down the centre of the room might be at risk from neighbouring diners though. At 7:30 there was only one other table occupied on Tuesday night but by 8 the place was packed, still there was a sufficient buffer zone around me so that's ok! Coll was in cheesy music heaven as we sat down to the early 90’s crooning of some defunct boy band or other. At one point they played the song from Twin Peaks prompting me to try to explain that whole phenomenon (I was obsessesed with that show in high school) and why it freaked me out to hear that music in such an unlikely place.
But the food! Oh the food... well first of all the drinks. They had a few fancy cocktails on the menu so we had to indulge – I had the Elderflower Collins (Bombay Safire, elderflower something and sugar – yum!) and Colleen had something called a Grande Cosmopolitan (I don’t know what made it grande – maybe just a whole lotta vodka, but it was good too). I was going to order a bottle of wine but, as usual, we couldn’t agree so I just ordered a glass of red to go with my main and left Colleen to her Sauvignon Blanc. But I needn’t have worried as the glasses held a very generous pour and it was more than enough to get me through dinner after a couple aperitifs!
I craved every single appetizer on the list but I also wanted the steak so I didn’t want to fill up too much. We split the goat’s cheese salad starter and it was loverly, but I could smell the scallops that I really wanted cooking and regretted being sensible momentarily - until my steak came. It was massive and topped with a giant glob of flavoured buttery calorific goodness. Cooked perfectly, medium rare, it was tender and juicy, melt in your mouth delicious. I’ve been on a bit of a vegetable kick of late and haven’t had a proper carnivorous feed of red meat in a long time and damn it felt good. There were also red roast pepper slices and fresh spinach leaves hiding underneath the steak and it came with pomme frites that must have some secret ingredient in them – I consider myself quite the chip connoisseur but these were something special! Anyway, I was glad (ish) that I had split the starter ‘cause I couldn’t quite finish the steak, it was so large. Colleen had the lamb and said it was really good too, but I was too busy slurping up my food to notice what hers was like (I would normally have stolen a bite or two to sample but I completely forgot to!)
Of course, it being a birthday occasion, I had to get desert (and another glass of wine), and being the traditionalist that I am I got the crème brûlée which had real vanilla bean flecks in it and although it was of mercifully small proportions, it was so rich and sinful I fear the spring diet has been set back a few weeks. Colleen, being a freak of desert nature (there was no “sticky toffee pudding” or “banoffee” on the menu) just had the sorbet, which I did remember to taste and which was definitely the more sensible option, but I make no apologies for my over indulgence.
So with the exception of the weird musical stylings, I give No. 27 full marks. I’d go back for another crack at the scallops and those chips!
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