We fancied a gastropub dining experience, so we decided to visit Bourne and Hollingsworth. Situated in the Clarkenwell area of London you’re spoilt for choice, so we had high hopes. We sat in the conservatory on comfy wicker chairs, surrounded by floral cushions and fresh, bright decor. There are few things that feel more quintessentially British on a summer’s evening.
Tempted by their vast cocktail menu we started off with pre-dinner cocktails. We had a Portberry Stringer, which is their own in-house creation. It's prepared with port, fresh mint and thyme leaves, shaken vigorously and finished with a pinch of sugar and some berries.
We also sampled the Applegrass cocktail which has quite a few ingredients, such as; vodka, lemon juice, vanilla liqueur, ginger, apple, fig and thyme scofflaw, cognac and grenadine. The cocktail waiter mixes these up at the bar and serves them to the table. We can’t fault them, the Portberry was refreshingly minty and smooth on the palate, and the Applegrass was a new experience that we’ll definitely be ordering again.
''We would certainly recommend Bourne and Hollingsworth if you are in the area, and even go so far as to say it’s worth travelling for if you’re not.''
The sommelier guided us into the direction of a bottle of Cave de Tain L’Hermitage 2010, Crozes-Hermitage, France. I am familiar with this wine as I have had it before, and I am always happy to take direction so we went with it. It's a red wine with a rich, fruity flavour. Recommended as an accompaniment for healthy foods and lighter meals. Worked out perfectly with what we ate on this evening.
For starters we ordered a butternut squash and ginger soup with shallot chutney, and a crab salad with carrots and grated celeriac lemon herb dressing. Both starters arrived promptly and were delicious. Fresh and light, with strong but not long lasting flavours on the pallet - just how starters should be.
For the main course we ordered slow cooked feather steak, with red wine sauce, baby carrots and sweet onions. Also, a sirloin steak with béarnaise sauce and fries. Sides were purple sprouting broccoli and parsnip chips. The steaks came exactly how we asked for them, the plates were warm and presentation was outstanding. The sauces accompanied the steaks perfectly, wouldn't have had it any other way.
The complete dining experience is never complete without a dessert. We opted for a pear and cranberry crumble with vanilla ice cream, and a chocolate ganache with ginger biscuit and vanilla ice cream. It was obvious that their desserts are prepared fresh, and it rounded off a very pleasurable dining experience.
Overall we cannot fault the causal gastropub style experience, and for us it stands out as one of the better restaurants in the Clarkenwell area. We would certainly recommend it if you are in the area, and even go so far as to say it’s worth travelling for if you’re not.
The Bill: £53 per head
