We started our evening around 6pm having a glass of wine in the rather lovely new Green’s bar in Cornhill. It’s one of those huge establishments that was once a banking hall with a large bar dominating the huge room. Not surprisingly, it was full of City folk on a grey Thursday evening.
Just across the road and spitting distance from Bank tube station is Royal Exchange – home to a number of luxury goods shops which are out of most people’s reach but lovely to look at and wish – Tiffany’s, Hermes, Theo Fennell and Kiehl’s.
Up on the mezzanine floor is a dark but busy and noisy bar and it was here that we spent a happy hour learning how to make cocktails under the watchful eye of resident mixologist Zoran Peric from Serbia. Valentine Rose – a blend of Smirnoff Black, rose and elderflower liquor with a dash of lemon juice was a fresh sherbety fizz of a cocktail – so go easy on the lemon juice. And it was decorated with a flourish of deep red rose petals – nice touch. I’m afraid I didn’t try the Spiced Passion as I’m not a great fan of Tequila although the mandarin Napoleon liqueur, pomegranate juice with fresh ginger, passion fruit and lime did look nice.
And then we went over to the restaurant – which was busy but not overly so – for dinner. We started with a potato viccisoux with a sourdough crouton and truffle cream – just a small taste of heaven in a delicate little bowl. Just a couple of mouthfuls and it was gone - sadly. The Tuscan Vermentino Colli di Luni, 2009 was a perfect accompaniment.
For my starter I had a crab ravioli with cucumber and lemon grass and samphire (which I have always adored). It tasted like a warm evening by the sea and a glass of Macon Villages completed the feeling. My companion opted for the Gressingham duck ballotine with celeriac remoulade and spiced prune smoothed down with a glass of Givry Sous la Roche burgundy. We were enjoying the meal enormously.
The staff were polite and helpful to a fault, although the service was a little slow – but this was probably down to the kitchens rather than any lack of willingness on the part of the waiting staff who were extraordinarily pleasant without being intrusive. But I guess if we were enjoying a romantic dinner we would have been pleased to have had more time to chat while watching all the people around the large champagne bar through the window below in the great hall.
Then we were given a tiny beetroot salad with goats curd and roasted hazlenut - lovely and chilled with the flavours strong enough to compliment the beetroot.
I took the long route to the ladies loos – through the restaurant, down the steps, across the hall and then down further steps into the lower ground floor. It was a bit of a hike. Although when my companion went, she was shown a short cut which was less of a fuss.
And onto the main course – my sea bass with butternut squash, bulgar wheat, toasted pumpkin seeds and pickled sultana dressing was delicious and the Sancerre light enough not to smother the flavours. My companion had the more robust South African Mulderbosch Faithful Hound with her venison, Jerusalem artichoke, wild mushroom fricasee and autumn nut crumbs. This was turning into a gastronomic feast. Robin Gill, head chef, who has worked at some very well known establishments certainly knows his stuff and seems adept at combining bold modifications with French classics.
As we had spent so much time at the restaurant, and it was a school night, we didn’t make it to the desserts – although I would have liked to try the iced carrot and orange parfait. Still. Maybe another time.
This menu is being offered as a special Valentine’s Day offer at £50 a head – although I suspect that you will spend considerably more on the excellent selection of wines (and cocktails and champagne).
