We finally checked out Shilling early on a Friday before going to the comedy. It wasn't that busy yet, which is a shame because the atmosphere is fab. I love what they've done with the décor, and the bar is gorgeous. An easy place to spend a leisurely time eating and drinking. We were only downstairs in the bar/casual dining area, but I know they have an upstairs too if you can brave the spiral staircase!
Servers were really friendly and had an appealing confidence - they seemed well-informed about the food and drink. I asked for a non-alcoholic cocktail, which I didn't see on the menu, and was told the bartender would invent something delicious for me, which he did masterfully (raspberry and mint and other goodness - mmmm!)
I got the early evening set menu which I think was £15 for two courses. Soup of the day was carrot and orange, and I followed it with the chive gnocchi. Both dishes were really just on the cusp of being what I wanted - clearly the chef knows what he or she is doing, and the preparation and presentation can't be faulted. A few of the flavors just didn't work for me. I actually saw a man (the chef?) bring a dish down and have all the servers taste it at one point, so I like that they're constantly working on the menu and seeking improvement.
The soup was velvety and lush in texture, but I simply found it too sweet. The gnocchis themselves were very lovely and pillowy, but I found one of the sauces dramatically smeared across the plate to be very earthy and strange and unpleasant, so I avoided it and ended up eating much of the dish plain. It was nice - with roasted baby vegetables, toasted pine nuts, and a bit of fresh pesto, but without the sauce to bring it together it was not quite where I wanted it to be.
To give credit where it's due, my husband thought his burger and fries was excellent - and I can attest that the fries were indeed crispy and craveable.
I'm sure we'll be back to give more dishes a try, but thus far our preliminary observation is that classic dishes are well-executed and yum, and more unique offerings may be a bit more hitty/missy. But they are new, and provide great service in a fab atmosphere, and we will certainly give them another choice. If nothing else, will certainly be back soon for drinks! read more