The city is undoubtedly awash with some serious big hitters in the dining world, but sometimes you just need some good solid comfort food. I love a fancy pants restaurants as much as the next girl, but you can’t beat a night with friends enjoying pub grub, non-wallet-busting beverages and a buzzing vibe. You can generally rely on a Drake & Morgan pub for al of the above and with several dotted around town they aren’t hard to come across.
The Folly, smack bang in the middle of Monument, ticks all those boxes. It’s a massive space, with an upstairs dining room and downstairs lounge bar/dancefloor situation; I’ve been a few times on various weekday evenings and I’ve never not seen it heaving. Its current wintry guise is home to fairy lights, blankets and reindeer hides strewn across the back of chairs, giving it a surprisingly cosy alpine vibe, given its size.
The menu is what you’d expect from such an establishment, classics done well with a few different hits amongst the British pub grub. It’s a pretty extensive menu with over 50 items, from bangers and mash and burgers to a butternut squash risotto and cauliflower and pesto fettuccine, there’s something for everyone. Be warned though - the portions are generous so be careful if you’re eyes tend to be bigger than your belly, you may leave well stuffed.
If you’re an olive fan, theirs are good ones; get a dish alongside your starters. We had the hot and crispy szechuan pepper squid with lemon mayo and a rather delicious dish of heritage beetroot with whipped goat’s cheese and walnuts, always a winning combination and perfectly light given we went in for an indulgent main.
Their steak is decent value and arrived perfectly cooked, a simple yet juicy rib eye packed with flavour and accompanied by parmesan, truffle and rosemary Roman fries; quite possibly the only ones I will ever consumer again the holy trinity of seasoning is that damn tasty. There’s a plethora of burger options on the menu and while we did get a spot of food envy from seeing the Wagyu burger with blue cheese and tomato chutney arrive at the next door table, I can confirm that the buttermilk chicken was the bomb. Seriously crispy and with a decent kick from the chipotle mayonnaise. The portions are pretty hefty, you certainly won’t be left wanting and to be honest we didn’t really have space for pud, but with eyes bigger than our bellies we ordered one anyway. The mixed berry crumble was more than enough for one and while it could have been a tad hotter it had a gorgeously crunchy topping.
With all day breakfasts and Sunday roasts also available, The Folly isn’t short of dining options. It’s certainly a social hub of the city and the perfect post-work pitstop for no-fuss food and drinks.
