Restaurant Review
Old Bank of England
| Old Bank of England | ||||||
| 194 Fleet Street, Holborn, London, EC4A 2LT | ||||||
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Overall? I have not changed my mind. Despite a friendly atmosphere and amazing features in the conversion this is too big and too 'bank' to be considered a top place- 5/10.
SM
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Simpson's - in - the - Strand
Time for Strandman’s first restaurant review.
What better place to start than Simpson's-in-the-Strand (notice the error). Dating back to 1828, the familiar façade of has welcomed thousands of patrons over the years. The dark panelling, crystal chandeliers and thick carpets reflect an uncompromising respect of British traditions. So what is it like to dine there? The SM review structure is deceptively simple. Go, eat, note it down, right it up, grade it and moderate it. The Headings will remain the same and my weight [mass] may increase. I do it all for you!
Atmosphere 8/10
Simpson's is one of the few London restaurants offering only the finest quality British ingredients cooked to perfection in classic British style (Just off Fleet Street is a very good Argentinian restaurant with fantastic hunks of beef in various cuts- as good as anything in London- but not Traditional) The restaurant's speciality of roast Scottish beef on the bone has been aged for 28 days for maximum flavour, and is carved at guests' tables from antique silver domed trolleys - a practice that began over 150 years ago and for which Simpson's is world renowned. The Grand Divan also offers roast lamb from the trolley. I liked the dark room with wood, high ceilings, crisp white table clothes and feeling of last century Class and classyness. Something to be experienced without letting one’s guard down. Not romantic date venue but one to impress both visually and with the Beef!
Service 7/10
Some might say the service is supercilious and exaggeratedly formal. I, being Strandman, considered it appropriate and old fashioned. It was quick as the Silver trolleys deliver straight to the table for the carving lesson. There only error was in keeping my drink filled and offering me mustard. They were attentive if a little over busy and seemed to be trying to perfect an air of detached realism. I like the idea of there being no menu, just a Bill of Fayre (see below)
Food 6/10 (but Roast Beef 10/10)
The food is as British as you'll get, with no concessions to modernity or multi-culturality. Expect to see classics such as potted shrimps, feathered game and roasted meat joints, with all the trimmings. I chose roast rib of Scottish Angus beef that has been aged for 28 days (£22.50). The thin slices of medium rare beef, brought to the table and carved on silver-domed trolleys, were flavoursome and melt-in-the-mouth. Accessorised with crispy roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings (soaked in perfect gravy), cabbage (in classic copper pans), gravy and horseradish (I asked for the French Mustard which caused a stir), it was text book perfect. In fact it was memorable in a strictly food sense that you can, by closing your eyes, feel the tastes return.
For dessert, don't expect anything light. Simpson's Master Cook, Paul Muddiman, is delighted to champion the cause of real British puddings with his classic treacle sponge and custard ranking as one of his signature dishes. Choose from the likes of Simpsons' treacle sponge with custard, bread and butter pudding or, chocolate fondant pudding (all £7.10). I wouldn't have minded clogging up the arteries so much if it hadn't been stodgy rather than rich, cloying rather than indulgent. I think I prefer luxury M & S puddings. Disappointing.
Wine / drink
An excellent if slightly over dependence on French great wines. Still I can live with that. And I sampled a couple of glasses of the house red which went perfectly with the beef. Warm red feeling inside.
Whom you will find there
Old School foodies who like their beef and can’t do another nut roast (“ Oooooooooooo meeat “ in Homer Simpson style); Politicians and their entourage ( “ don’t get this in the House"
; Ex-Rugby players with 48” waists and desire to eat all the trolley ( “Like mother’s milk" ); Bankers and Lawyers (45-59) on expense account lunches ("Ah Stevens, the usual Claret please" ) They also tip the carver with silver (50p coins is the nearest we get); Grandparents (in the mould of Mrs Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances) (“ Michael take your fingers out of the Yorkshire Pudding" ); American and Japanese tourists ("Isn't this old stuff just, so, like, great?" ); Trendy retro food lovers willing to try anything (“Cool" ).
Overall 7/10
A dining experience (if you can deal with that new tradition) of the very best meat in London combined with stately and old fashioned service. A treat once per year perhaps (or per 3 years) but will be memorable. I would suggest dressing up for the occasion and making a night of it (Theatre and the Savoy for cocktails). They haven’t changed in a 100 years and they won’t now- so enjoy before some sort of legislation prevent this style of eating.
Cost
Work on approximately £60 per head with a reasonable glass of red.
Background
In 1828, Samuel Reiss opened the Grand Cigar Divan on the site of the Fountain Tavern, which had been the home of the famous literary association, the Kit Kat Club (MMmmmm Kit Kat. The establishment soon developed as a coffee house, where gentlemen smoked cigars with their coffee, browsed over the daily journals and newspapers, indulged in lengthy conversations about the politics of the day and played chess, sitting on comfortable divans or sofas. Regular visitors would pay one guinea a year for the use of the facilities and cups of coffee. The daily entrance fee for others was 6d (2 1/2p) or 1/6d (71/2p) with coffee and a cigar. Chess matches were played against other coffee houses in the town, with top-hatted runners carrying the news of each move. The Grand Cigar Divan soon became recognized as the Home of Chess in this country.
Today, one of Simpson's original chess sets is displayed in the Bishop's Room.In 1828, Samuel Reiss opened the on the site of the Fountain Tavern, which had been the home of the famous literary association, the Kit Kat Club (MMmmmm Kit Kat. The establishment soon developed as a coffee house, where gentlemen smoked cigars with their coffee, browsed over the daily journals and newspapers, indulged in lengthy conversations about the politics of the day and played chess, sitting on comfortable divans or sofas. Regular visitors would pay one guinea a year for the use of the facilities and cups of coffee. The daily entrance fee for others was 6d (2 1/2p) or 1/6d (71/2p) with coffee and a cigar. Chess matches were played against other coffee houses in the town, with top-hatted runners carrying the news of each move. The Grand Cigar Divan soon became recognized as the Home of Chess in this country. Today, one of Simpson's original chess sets is displayed in the .
In 1828, Samuel Reiss opened the on the site of the Fountain Tavern, which had been the home of the famous literary association, the Kit Kat Club (MMmmmm Kit Kat. The establishment soon developed as a coffee house, where gentlemen smoked cigars with their coffee, browsed over the daily journals and newspapers, indulged in lengthy conversations about the politics of the day and played chess, sitting on comfortable divans or sofas.
Regular visitors would pay one guinea a year for the use of the facilities and cups of coffee. (Let's introduce this at Starbucks- second thoughts they already charge double).The daily entrance fee for others was 6d (2 1/2p) or 1/6d (71/2p) with coffee and a cigar. Chess matches were played against other coffee houses in the town, with top-hatted runners carrying the news of each move. The Grand Cigar Divan soon became recognized as the Home of Chess in this country. Today, one of Simpson's original chess sets is displayed in the foyer.
In 1848, the noted caterer John Simpson joined Mr. Reiss. Together they enlarged the building and renamed it Simpson's Grand Divan Tavern. Thanks to the quality of the food, wines and beers introduced by John Simpson, the restaurant became a firm favorite with London's epicureans and it attracted many famous patrons including William Gladstone, Benjamin Disraeli and Charles Dickens. John Simpson introduced the practice of wheeling large joints of meat on silver dinner trolleys to each table and carving them in front of guests - a custom that is still upheld today.
Shortly before his death in 1864, John Simpson sold the restaurant to Edmund William Cathie who was a great connoisseur of wines and cigars.
Cathie employed British Master Cook, Thomas Davey, who was perhaps the first of the kitchen autocrats. He insisted that everything in the restaurant be British. He even went so far as to remove the word 'menu' and replace with 'Bill of Fare'.In 1898 Richard D'Oyly Carte of the Savoy Group acquired Simpson's. It was closed in 1903 for redevelopment, when the Strand was widened, and reopened in 1904 under the name it bears today, Simpson's-in-the-Strand, Grand Divan Tavern.
Enjoy.
SM
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