Later on Friday we made our way to Islington to go to a play at the Almeida Theatre. But first we had dinner just across the road in Ottolenghi. I was very excited to visit the restaurant (I believe that there are four now around London but Islington was the original) because I have one of their cookbooks and enjoy Middle Eastern cookery. The staff were extremely attentive and praised our choice of food. One waiter even admired my hair colour and referred to it as “biscotti blonde!” and the food arrived promptly and was beautifully presented.
But..... I can hardly bring myself to write this ..... it just wasn’t as outstanding as I expected. I enjoy eating in well-known and / or Michelin starred restaurants because I love to try interesting and exciting food. And I have been lucky to try some great restaurants over the years. Friday night’s food was just not as brilliant or flavoursome as I had hoped. It was not as good as Palomar in London's theatre district or Glasgow’s Five March, both of which use the same kind of simple ingredients cooked really well. It wasn’t bad - it was just disappointing. James felt the same way. Their desserts were really good mind you. Next time I might just go for coffee and cake in the afternoon.
The play at the Almeida was absolutely excellent. It was by Maxim Gorky and was called Vassa. It was about the manipulative matriarch of a dysfunctional family, who was trying to keeping the failing family business going for her ungrateful offspring. It was excellent and the cast were all very good, especially the matriarch, who was played by the extremely talented Siobhan Redmond. I hadn’t been sure what to expect but it was pleasingly lively and very funny at times. By the time we got back to our hotel we were both absolutely exhausted after our early start.
No comments:
Post a Comment