This restaurant was just half a block from our hotel, so we decided to walk over for lunch. We were…read moreable to get an outdoor table right away with no wait. Even on a lunch around 2 p.m., the restaurant was buzzing with diners, creating a lively atmosphere.
We ordered the Mushroom Parfait, Leek Caesar Salad, and the Sunday Roasts: Dairy Cow Rump and Rolled Pork Belly.
The Mushroom Parfait was smooth, creamy, and had a subtle sweetness that paired beautifully with the toast. The only downside was that the toast wasn't quite crunchy enough, which took away from an otherwise delicious starter.
The Leek Caesar Salad came with lettuce, radicchio, anchovy dressing, smoked bacon, and a large, paper-thin crouton. Surprisingly, we couldn't really taste the anchovy in the dressing, but the smoked bacon was excellent thick, chunky pieces with just the right amount of saltiness. The oversized crouton was fun to crack into smaller pieces before eating. I'd never had such thin slices of lemon served in a salad before, but they actually worked really well. Every bite had a nice balance of flavors and textures: salty bacon, crisp lettuce, slightly bitter radicchio, bright acidity from the lemon, crunchy croutons, and a light, creamy dressing. I just wish they had been a little more generous with the dressing that would have made it perfect.
The Rolled Pork Belly was the highlight of the meal. It had beautiful alternating layers of tender lean meat and rich fat, topped with wonderfully crispy crackling. It was served with a sweet orange jelly that had a soft, pudding-like texture, pairing beautifully with the pork and adding just enough sweetness without making the dish feel too heavy. It was rich, flavorful, and surprisingly not overly filling.
Unfortunately, the Dairy Cow Rump was a huge disappointment. The meat was incredibly tough and almost impossible to chew. Even after cutting it into small pieces, we ended up having to swallow some of it because it simply wouldn't break down. It definitely wasn't what we expected from a Sunday roast.
Service was a bit of a mixed experience. Our first two starters arrived within about 10 minutes, but after that we waited over half an hour for our main courses. Considering it was already around 2:00 p.m., that was a very long wait, and we spent most of the time just sitting at our table wondering when our food would arrive. The server who initially took care of us was warm and friendly, but once another staff member took over, he never came back to check on us or update us about the delay. :(