Occasion: Lunch
Party Size: 3
Overall Rating: *** Very Good
Date Visited: December 2012
Price Per Person: £11.95 2 Courses £14.95 3 Courses
Price Per Person: £11.95 2 Courses £14.95 3 Courses
The Lounge is situated on Merrion Street, close to the St Johns Centre an ideal venue if you are looking for a pre-theatre meal as this bar/restaurant is just around the corner from The Grand.
The venue itself does get busy so I would recommend booking in advance even though they do have an additional upstairs seating area.
When we visited we were seated downstairs which was very cosy and modern, with black furniture and rich velvet seats in red, silver and black. The tables are set out like a restaurant, even though this very much still has the vibe of a pub/bar.
We visited in December so the menu was festive and reasonably priced with 2 options; £11.95 for 2 Courses or £14.95 for 3 courses including a glass of wine. A pretty good offer and the quality of the wine was surprisingly good with Red, White and Rose on offer.
The set menu had an option of 4 starters, 4 mains and 4 desserts, put simply the starters included Soup, Terrine, Prawn Cocktail or a Portabello Mushroom dish. Main options included Roast Turkey, Belly Pork, Salmon Fillet and a vegetarian Sweet Potato Cake. Dessert options included Christmas Pudding, Cheeseboard, Chocolate Tart or a Trifle.
For starters my friend had the Tiger & Greenland Prawn Cocktail served with Granny Smith apple and Marie Rose sauce. The portion was very good and well presented. The only disappointment was that the menu specified Tiger prawns which there were none just standard prawns. However, the dressed leaves were crisp and the dish tasty. (I have since returned and I can confirm 2nd time round it was Tiger prawns that were served) 
My other companion had the Portobello Mushroom with balsamic roasted shallots, toasted barley and chestnuts drizzled with a cranberry and satsuma dressing. Again this was well presented and the portion was ample. The mushroom was nicely cooked and the combination was unusual but very pleasant and a nice festive dish to start the meal.
I decided to start with the Pulled Pork & Chicken Terrine, served with an apple and red onion relish and plenty of crostinis. Again the portion was generous, the texture of the terrine was good, not smooth like a pate, you could see and taste both the chicken and the pork. It was very tasty and the sweet relish worked really well to bring out the flavour.
Given that the starters were more than adequate in size we expected the main courses to be small, however they turned out to be just as generous and again very nicely presented.
Between us we all chose a different dish, one of us having the Salmon Fillet with baby spinach, watercress, white wine and cream, shallot and tarragon sauce which was cooked perfectly and the sauce worked really well with the fish.
Another friend chose the 12hr braised Belly Pork, marinated red cabbage, cider jus and goose fat roasted potatoes. The quantity of the meat was good and well cooked with a plentiful amount of lovely braised red cabbage and a delicious sauce.
I decided on the Roast Turkey served with pigs in blankets, roast potatoes and a lovely apricot and sage stuffing. The meat was tender, there was plenty of gravy to accompany the meal and the side vegetables were cooked perfectly.
All these main dishes came with potatoes, roasted parsnips and glazed carrots. There were plenty of vegetables for the table and it was refreshing to see these were not over or under cooked. My only criticism would have been for the carrots to be trimmed, although they look pretty it's not the best to try and chase them round your plate to chop the tops off!
So then came desserts...
The Cheeseboard was good and presented well with celery, apple and grapes. There was enough crackers for the cheese selection but the range of cheese was pretty standard. It would have been nicer to see some stronger cheese as both the Brie and Cheddar were quite bland.
The Chocolate Tart, with raspberries, cream and blackcurrant chutney was lovely. It was very rich and definitely one that you could share. Not sure I would class the blackcurrant as a chutney though- more like a drizzle of sauce!
Overall this menu is a winner. It's festive, it's creative with a good selection of options. The value for money is outstanding along with the presentation and portions. No major complaints and I have since been back to experience the same standard throughout. Thumbs up!!
No comments:
Post a Comment