Brunswick House Cafe

To ward off the February blues (which I seem to be massively afflicted with this year), my friends Mev and Amy and I decided to have a lovely Saturday dinner out this weekend. Mev suggested Brunswick House Cafe, situated in a rather incongruous Georgian mansion, which looks a little lost and lonely surrounded by glass-and-steel-buildings near Vauxhall station.

Brunswick House is also the home to LASSCO - those curators and resellers of reclamation jewels, and so the restaurant is furnished with all manner of fascinating delights, all of which are for sale (quite weird sitting on a chair that someone could march over and buy at any moment - hopefully they'd wait for you to finish eating first).

Unfortunately as we were there in the evening, LASSCO itself was shut, so we couldn't get a proper look around. I've now made a mental note to return during opening hours.

Here's the menu for the evening we went - it changes regularly and has an olde worlde feel that's entirely at home with the surroundings.

Mev and I decided to have two starters instead of a main (we were planning ahead for pudding), and Amy (piglet) went for a starter and a main.

Mev had the button onions and mushrooms, while Amy and I had the smoked gurnard with beetroot. Then Mev and I each had the 'three potatoes'.

All three were yum - I especially loved the quirky potatoes, each of which had an unexpected element, such as the anchovies on the potato salad. The gurnard was wonderfully salty and strong, matched perfectly by the beetroot. I'm beginning to appreciate beetroot more and more - is it an ageing thing?!

Amy's main - salmon with salsify and blood orange - was a far more hearty affair. We were a bit envious, truth be told.

For pud, I had the chocolate mousse with peanuts. It came smothered in a thick layer of cream, which was a shame. I've never really understood cream. It's sickly and tasteless and a bit pointless in general IMHO. The mousse itself was good - rich and thick. I do so hate an insipid mousse.

Mev and Amy, meanwhile, shared the cheese plate.

After we'd finished our meal (which came very quickly - the service was very efficient and the restaurant wasn't too busy for a Saturday), we took advantage of the quirky entrance in order to take some daft photos. All in all, the perfect February pick-me-up.