The City won't know what hit it - WOW!!
After visiting The Botanist Sloane Square a while back I really wanted to visit a couple of other places under the ETM Group - so off to Burdock I whizzed.
They don't take reservations for smaller groups so Friday night last week I skipped out of work and made my way down to Burdock.
First impressions - WOW! The restaurant is split across both sides of The Montcalm with dining tables on one side and a stunning bar on the other. It wouldn't be fair to write a review without the whole experience so drinks first it was.
The Bar - The bar features huge copper tanks that house their delicious beers, however today was not the day for beer - it was all about the cocktails.
The cocktail list is short and sweet with some great additions. My partner had the Cucumber Crusta, however the Bramble and Soda really took things to a new level! A bold and delicious infusion of blackberry, with the perfect ratio of gin to vermouth - DELICIOUS!
The restaurant - After a cocktail (or three), we strolled (although some may say staggered somewhat) on through to the bar and took a seat in the window.
The restaurant was filled with the gentle hum of guests enjoying their dinners.
We were served by a lovely young man (wish we'd taken his name - always guilty of overlooking this part - must do better!) and he guided us through the menu and wine list and made us feel comfortable.
Burdock seems to be all about small plates and sharing, so who were we to argue.
I am surprised the table didn't buckle under the weight of all the delicious dishes that arrived at our table, each seeming to grow better and better with each mouthful.
If I HAD to pick a favourite (which I always struggle to do when I enjoy good food), I'd probably say my top three are:
Monkfish Kiev - Moist and tender, perfectly cooked fish
Venison Meatballs - BURSTING with flavour! I do love game and these really will take some beating...
Pork Belly & Lobster - Has a finer pairing ever existed??
For the life of me I cannot remember the name of the wine, yet the memory of its subtle fruity dry notes still seems to linger on my lips.
Apres dinner we both slunk back to the bar and an hour later we found ourselves at the bottom of three espresso martinis - time really does fly when you're having fun.
A quick hop, skip and an Uber made an evening that is well worth revisiting.
After dining at both The Botanist Sloane Square and Burdock, I think it would be incredibly rude to not venture further into the other restaurants/bars that are part of the group.
I hear Aviary has some stunning views....
(Just 3 stars from TimeOut... think it's time they gave it another go...)