November
14
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LONDON EATERIES – A carvery with a twist at The Stoke House Victoria
Just minutes away from Victoria tube station is the Stoke House, a British carvery with a twist. It’s located in the Nova building within a courtyard which has a selection of other restaurants. The courtyard does give the feeling of being in the city, but still removed enough to feel more intimate. Once inside there is a modern rustic feel about the restaurant, it’s welcoming and hip with a contemporary twist but still has the charm that is welcoming to all age groups.
The restaurant specialises in premium cuts of meats all sourced in Cornwall. Be prepared meat lovers, it’s hard to choose from their array of meats. We started with cocktails which obviously one does, but went a bit classic with their Bloody Mary’s, and who doesn’t love a good Bloody Mary? The cocktail had all the classic notes but the twist was the garnish, they used root crisps on top which I thought was a nice change for a classic drink. We came early and ordered off the pre-theater menu. For starters, we had the Prawn cocktail with baby gem, Bloody Mary sauce, chives, and lemon. I was a touch disappointed in the cocktail, the prawns were tiny and it was swimming in sauce. We also had the Grilled goats cheese salad, smoked walnuts, pears all in a honey mustard vinaigrette. I absolutely loved this! The goats cheese is actually grilled, to my surprise and it added such a nice smoky flavor to the salad. For the main courses, it was a tough decision but our lovely server suggested we go for the Short ribs and the Slow roasted lamb belly. Wow, was she right! The short ribs were so tender and delicate, the meat just fell off the bone. The meat itself was lightly seasoned but was paired with pickled chilli and red onions which was a nice acidic contrast with the meat. The slow roasted lamb belly was rich and succulent but paired with the salsa verde, it became lighter and there was less heaviness to the meat. The only downside to these mains was they weren’t served hot but just slightly warm.
Our gracious wait staff were so attentive and eager they immediately attended to this issue. Now on to what they call, the Happy Endings…dessert! I have to say, there is a playfulness to their dessert selection that makes you feel like a kid again. We opted for the more traditional Chocolate mousse with honeycomb and the Lemon posset with raspberries and fennel biscotti. Both desserts were exactly what I expected, creamy and decadent. I do wish I would’ve gone with one of the more playful sundaes or banana split but at that point, I literally had to undo the top button of my trousers. All in all the experience was fun, upbeat and the waitstaff were all very attentive.
The Stoke House, 81 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1OAJ, 020 7324 7744
Heart London Magazine 5* Star Review
Food 4
Ambiance 4
Service 4
Decor 3
Drinks 4
Jen, Heart London Magazine
Heart London Magazine 