A Stone Roses/Noel Gallagher tribute band is not my usual night out, but my friend was keen to go so I said yes. It was my first visit to Cabaret Voltaire and I actually really enjoyed the atmosphere – beforehand we had a couple of drinks and some food at The Jolly Botanist.
My first time at The Jolly Botanist was a complete success so I was interested to see if the new menu lived up to that. I started with a Rose Garden – Hendricks, St Germain, Rose Lemonade & Grapefruit Bitters – a pink cocktail totally brings out the girl in me.
I tried to order something different for starter, but the Mezze Board made such an impact the first time around that I couldn’t resist, and I knew my friend would love it, which she did. The Beetroot & Rosemary Hummus and Balsamic Onions were the first to disappear!
My friend ordered one of the specials, Chicken in a Tomato & Mozarella Sauce with mash. The chicken had been cooked on the bone to maintain its succulence, and while it was a filling dish, it still managed to create a summery feel with a salad and olives on the side.
I swithered over the Moroccan Lamb Chops but in view of our upcoming night out I settled for the lighter (or so I thought) Quinoa Salad with Grilled Halloumi – it was a huge portion which I didn’t manage to finish. Super fresh and spiked with the flavour of chargrilled red pepper, it was a really satisfying dish which fools you into thinking you’re being healthy whilst eating a whole block of cheese!
We shared a zesty Lemon Tart for dessert – this was a proper homemade tart with proper short pastry. Whoever is the chef at The Jolly Botanist deserves credit, everything is cooked and presented really well and you get a sense of someone that is actually proud of what they are producing – it’s perfect pub grub, if you can even call it that – scratch that – it’s what pub grub SHOULD be!
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