London, Restaurants

Dalloway Terrace at The Bloomsbury Hotel

March 15, 2016 by

Early March may seem like a crazy time for terrace dining, but the newly-launched, toasty warm Dalloway Terrace in Bloomsbury is a delight all year-round.

Located in the chic Bloomsbury Hotel, Dalloway Terrace has the feel of a charming secret garden but with the comforts of powerful outdoor heaters, stylish wool blankets and of course, a retractable roof.  It definitely wins the prize of London’s prettiest new restaurant and I love the reference to Virginia Woolf’s literary heroine Clarissa Dalloway (I can’t count how many times I read Mrs Dalloway at university).

We visited for a sneak peek before its opening and it was already a slick affair with friendly, attentive staff and a warm ambiance.  The all-day, seasonal menu is filled with a good selection of tempting dishes and there are also daily specials and small plates for sharing.

Our meal started with some delicious cocktails – a refreshing jasmine tea and elderflower cocktail for me and a potent, sophisticated Honeycomb Old Fashioned for Steven.

I thoroughly enjoyed my starter of Grilled tiger prawns, harissa aioli and lime (£15/£22).  Four plump, succulent whole tiger prawns were perfectly grilled with a slightly smoky taste and served with a subtle, aromatic harissa aioli that wasn’t overly heavy on the garlic.

Steven’s Longcut organic smoked salmon, Guinness bread and lemon (£9) was ever so tasty and flavoursome. The high quality smoked salmon had an oaky flavour and was well complimented by the springy, sweet Guinness bread and punchy capers.

To follow, I tried the Grilled poussin with lemon and rosemary (£18) with a side of mashed potato (£4.50). The tender, juicy poussin had a golden, well-seasoned skin and I loved the creamy, comforting mashed potato.  The dish could however be improved by adding a light salad or vegetable garnish for a contrasting flavour – it definitely requires ordering a side.

Steven went for a classic with a twist – London Meantime beer battered sea bass and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce (£16).  The seabass was so fresh with a more distinctive flavour than the typical cod or haddock and the batter was crispy and light.  The slim home-cooked chips were so moreish and the dish was finished perfectly with tasty mushy peas and an intense tartare sauce.

I couldn’t resist a final bit of indulgence with the Valrhona dark chocolate fondant and vanilla ice cream (£3.75).  The freshly-baked fondant had a yummy cake texture with a decadent oozing centre and was presented nicely with smooth ice cream, biscuit crumble, chocolate sauce and nut brittle.

Steven’s Bloomsbury Bakewell tart and pistachio ice cream (£3.75) was just as delicious, with buttery pastry, fluffy almond frangipane and sweet strawberry jam.  We finished our (well-priced) desserts with pots of Earl Grey tea, which were served elegantly in pretty china cups with a silver tea pot.

Dalloway Terrace is a real hidden gem in historic Bloomsbury and I can’t wait to go back for breakfast or lunch, hopefully while basking in the spring sunshine.  It’s also a prime spot for a quintessentially British afternoon tea with sweets by pastry chef Mariatu Kargbo (formerly at The Dorchester and The Lanesborough) – see you there!

For more information and booking, visit: www.dallowayterrace.com

Chérie City was a guest of Dalloway Terrace

Photos by Chérie City (interior images by Dalloway Terrace)

2 comments

2 Comments

  • Reply Maggie March 18, 2016 at 9:29 am

    Yummy, I love food and love all dishes which you posted in your article. Thanks you so much for lovely and delicious article.

  • Reply kerry finn April 11, 2016 at 3:19 pm

    Those prawns look delicious! What a magical place, lovely pics x

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