A Convivial Evening at Great Guns Social:
Just a hop and a skip from Borough tube is Great Guns Social, a self-styled ‘creative hub and restaurant’.
Located in a stylishly converted pub on the Southwark Bridge Road, Great Guns Social is renown for hosting a rolling programme of restaurant pop-up residencies curated by chef Maria Elia.
If like me you’re interested in keeping abreast of food trends and upcoming chefs before they hit the big time, visiting these type of pop-ups s a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of the food scene. But for this trip, I’ve been invited to review the restaurant’s own short but perfectly formed menu. 
We started off with a couple of cocktails from the intriguing looking list at Great Guns Social. The Hot Toddy -Woodford Reserve blended with honey, fresh lemon and ginger and then topped up with hot water was a wonderful winter warmer and great to see on a drinks list. The Winter Sloe, mixing together Plymouth Sloe Gin, apricot liqueur, egg white and lemon juice was a much more sophisticated offer, a perfect blend of acidity and sweetness, and delicious to boot. 
From the starters, we chose a smoked salmon and lemon ricotta bruschetta. The hot smoked salmon had its perfect foil in the creamy lemon ricotta, not a combination I’ve had before but one that works really well. 
Vegetable spring rolls were light and tasty with a chilli kick and a crunchy ‘Bird’s Nest’ coating that is unusual and very satisfying. 
We moved on to a creamy glass of Ayren Albariño with honeysuckle notes and a well-balanced acidity which was a lovely match for our mains. Roast chicken had a crisp skin and had been given a good rub down with a lemon – always a good thing! It came with a spicy chickpea and tomato couscous flecked with the sweetness of coriander. 
The roast cod, butter beans and chorizo stew was a hearty winter dish, great for the season and given heft by the meatiness of the chorizo, and fine green beans on the side cooked in oil and garlic had plenty of crunch. 
I like it when the dessert menu only has one option and even more when it involves chocolate. The spiced chocolate pot with a cream topping at Great Guns Social was an indulgent way to finish the meal. 
With its modern European cooking, Great Guns Social is a great local destination to pop into for a straightforward but delicious supper. With the pop-ups it offers an exciting range of possibilities in a stylish and comfortable setting. The next pop up at Great Guns Social will be bringing the scent of samosas to Borough from February 19 – March 2, as the Secret Samosa Club brings their unique menu to GGS. With service that is both efficient and very friendly, great drinks, a very cool vibe and a diverse and changing food offer Great Guns Social comes close to being the perfect neighbourhood restaurant.
Great Guns Social
96 Southwark Bridge Road
London SE1 0EF
020 3475 0030
Disclosure: We dined as guests of Great Guns Social
Also recommended in the area is Roast restaurant in Borough Market itself or a charming Southern Portuguese chicken restaurant, Casa Do Frango, Borough.
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