Monday, 7 March 2011

Hampshire Bar & Restaurant, Leicester Square, London

This meal was part of a package with a West End Show, so expectations were low.

Just on Leicester Square the Hampshire is a Radisson Hotel, a chain we have stayed in quite frequently on our travels across the country.  Our only previous meal experience at a Radisson wasn't the best.

We were on the pre-theatre menu, so choice was limited, see what I mean, expectations were low, quick, cheap and nasty food is usually the order of the day, surely we've all had a heavy dullop of mushroom risotto on these specials.

Today however would be different.

I ordered a butternut squash and apple soup followed by calves livers.

Jax went for the wild Scottish smoked salmon on a bellini with horseradish sauce and for her main a corn fed chicken with fondant potatoes.

A generous bowl of soup arrived with two thinly sliced grilled apple slices floating on top of the soup. 

The butternut squash soup was very sweet to such an extent I wondered if it should have been a dessert dish.  A good pinch of salt and pepper soon toned this down and made it a very good starter.

Jax's starter was a good sized portion of smoked salmon and delivered on all levels, lets face it, you can't get smoked salmon wrong now can you?

My main of calves liver was beautifully cooked, just pink in the middle and tasted lovely.  Again a very generous portion size. 

The corn fed chicken was tasty and nicely juicy.  A very moreish dish.  Again you won't starve with the size of the portion.  The fondant potatoe was fine, cooked and seasoned well.

Overall we really enjoyed this meal, even more considering it was a pre theatre meal and were expecting the worst.  This restaurant was very enjoyable and a return is on the cards, perhaps taking in the pianist who was just starting when we had to dash off to catch our show.

Food 6/10 - well executed, fine food.
Service 9/10 - almost faultless service, excellent.

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