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A First Date and a Short-lived Romance
What’s your TV guilty pleasure? I have a few; Undateables and First Dates are high on that list. These are the programmes I watch when ironing. The romantic in us all always want a happy ending to the show, although some of the mismatches provide us with smiles and sometimes a watery eye. The First Dates restaurant is real, not a set, it’s actually the Paternoster Chop House, tucked behind majestic St Paul’s Cathedral.
On the night we visited, there was no sign of charming handsome Fred the maître ‘d or the wizard behind the bar that is Merlin. Instead, we were in for a meat treat. Head Chef James Hulme had teamed up with 6 of Britain’s finest butchers, collectively known as ‘The British Beefeaters’ to create a limited-edition menu ahead of the World Butchers’ Challenge taking place in Sacramento next year. As the name of the butchery team implies, all the meat is sourced from the British Isles.
We started with a classic plate of charcuterie teamed with a creamy burrata and sharp pickled cornichons.
We were then lucky enough to sample each of the showcased meats. Pork stuffed with black pudding wrapped in lardo was moist and tender. The baby ribs fell away from the bone.
We also tried the grilled rib of beef that was full of flavour, and the pretty lamb noisettes stuffed with chorizo and spinach.
The less pretty dish was the shin of Dexter beef served with bone marrow, chilli, and a bordelaise sauce. This fell apart, was full of flavour and, just to prove that looks don’t matter, our winning dish of the evening.
We enjoyed some delicious desserts, and then had to decide would there be a second date? In the traditional TV show style, I went to the ladies to phone a friend.
If you’d like to try this special menu, time is running out, get there soon! Hence the reference to a short-lived romance.
The menu will be available at Paternoster Chophouse for two weeks from 2nd September to 14th September. You can find more about this and other special events on the Paternoster Chophouse website. So, get your skates and book now.
Paternoster Chop House
Warwick Court,
London, EC4M 7DX
020 7029 9400
paternosterr@danddlondon.com
If you happen to miss this event, we do love Paternoster Chop House anyway for its menu of classic British dishes. Other recommended options in the City of London include Smiths of Smithfield for a similar meat focussed menu, Cafe du Marche for classic French bistro dishes and Plate Restaurant for some innovative French/British food from chef Arnaud Stevens
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