We all know what London is like on a Saturday evening. Do you know of a restaurant where you don’t have to rub bodies with a stranger at that time of day?
But let me first complain about London’s Tube service. I think it is terrible! Not even when I lived in London in 2002 was it this bad. On Saturdays at least three lines are habitually out of order which makes travelling a nightmare because of the congestion and long travel times (via alternative routes) it causes.
We thought we left more than enough time to make our way to Canary Wharf from China Town but with the closed Jubilee line it made for one long, hellish journey. Completely exhausted and fed up we unintentionally arrived fashionably late at The Parlour but what a welcome sight it was. I wouldn’t have been surprised if our table had been given away to eager clientele with the rest of the venue bustling like an ant-hill. Instead, the scene was dotted with happy campers enjoying a drink after a long, hard week with plenty of seats available.
Kiwi Loco
Pampero Especial combined with fresh kiwi fruit shaken with apple juice & mango purée, served long.
Mango Mojito
Pampero Especial churned through crushed ice with fresh mango purée, limes & agave nectar, garnished with fresh mango & mint.
Apple & Honey Margarita
Don Julio Blanco shaken with fresh lime juice & agave nectar, garnished with an apple & honey foam.
Apple Pie Martini
All the cocktails were excellent – sweet and fruity – ideal girly drinks! On the cocktail menu there is also a “skinny” selection to choose from for the weight conscious, a concept I haven’t seen before at other establishments.
Prawn & Lemongrass Lollipops with Citrus-Soy Dipping Sauce
What a fun way to present food! The meaty prawns were covered with a thin, crispy batter and went beautifully with the dipping sauce which had a kick to it.
Tomato & Basil Bruschetta with Balsamic Reduction & Dressed Leaves
On its own the bruschetta was rather lacklustre in taste because of the lack of basil. Luckily the sharp and sweet balsamic vinegar reduction saved the day.
Steak ’n’ Fries
British 11oz rib-eye steak with chipped potatoes.
The steak arrived how I asked for it: rare. For some strange reason I was under the impression that Béarnaise sauce was served with it and when it remained absent I asked and found out it wasn’t the case. Oops! Immediately they offered to make me a sauce and under five minutes a decadent pepper sauce appeared on the table. I am stumped why they don’t put a few sauces on the menu because the kitchen is quite capable of putting it together in a jiffy. Together with the roasted root vegetables I couldn’t finish the plate of food, let alone the liberal portion of chips on the side.
Chicken and Leek Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Crust
A real comforting, homey dish filled with tender chicken pieces, some vegetables and a creamy sauce topped off with a grand puff-pastry hat. It exceeded my expectations. So much so I would like to experiment soon enough to enjoy it at home!
Rack Roasted Root Vegetables
Roasted vegetables are simply irresistible to me and these didn’t disappoint. Even the carrots were caramelised and sweet, along with the parsnips. Beetroot-haters take note, in its roasted form I find it the most palatable so they are really worth a try. My only criticism would be that bits of the veg were a bit burned – so please go easy on the heat next time…
Homemade Chocolate Brownie Served Warm with Vanilla Ice Cream
Crispy on the outside and squidgy on the inside. Not the best brownie I have ever tasted (see great recipe here) but a whole lot better than some of the yucky junk that can be found at Borough Market.
Old Fashioned Knickerbocker Glory
If you are a trifle lover, you will enjoy this dessert. Layers of vanilla, blueberry and chocolate ice cream, fresh fruit, jelly and whipped cream in a tall glass. Clare, my dining companion and village friend made sure she scraped out every last dollop!
I love the way the restaurant makes ample use of fresh mint. The tea was refreshing end to the meal which ended on a high note.
Usually I’m not a fan of open kitchens but there are exceptions like in this case. Only two chefs were working in perfect synchrony and there was no hint of the stupid “chef” bravado we get to see on TV all the time. You could also see that all work surfaces were constantly wiped clean and food stored properly according to health and safety guidelines.
Quick Overview
Food
8/10: No dish disappointed. From the starter to the dessert everything fulfilled my expectations and the portion sizes were very reasonable.
Value
10/10: Considering that The Parlour is in The City and can easily charge an arm and a leg for the food (e.g. the steak could have been £25) the prices are relatively low by London standards. Heck, even some crappy, local pubs where I live charge more in some instances.
Service
9/10: Informal, affable and efficient.
Toilets
8/10: The grey colour scheme takes some getting used to and it gives the loo an “industrial” feel. The only sore point is the toilet paper dispensers that are on par with public toilets; difficult to get the toilet paper out and the quality of the paper is poor.
Ambience
9/10: Although the thumpy, jazz music is not up my alley music wise, it fits in with the setting perfectly. The atmosphere is ideal for people to come and (as young ones say) “chillax”.
Recommend
9/10: This review is strictly for a weekend evening because I have a feeling things may be somewhat different during the week, especially lunch hour. Since the restaurant is situated in The City, the selling point for me is that it is not that busy over the weekend and can be a good hide-out from the hectic crowds in the more tourist friendly areas. The food and not to mention the cocktails are good too!
The Parlour
The Park Pavilion
40 canada square park
London
E14 5FW
0845 468 0100
http://www.theparlourbar.co.uk
P.S. Many thanks to The Parlour for the complimentary meal on Saturday evening, 13 March 2010.
Great looking food, canary wharf is quite handy for me at weekends. I love the prawn pops, funny how we get excited by stuff when it’s vertically presented on a stick!
Does look good, and gorgeous pics as always!
Middag Michelle. Dankie vir ‘n posting wat my weereens laat kwyl van lekkerkry.
My email adres het verander na die volgende (langsaan is my ou adres) : carinadk@gmail.com
Lekker bly en groete uit Pretoria.
Carina de Kock