When the temperature goes up to a glorious 20 degrees Celsius in October, it feels like my 'last chance saloon' to wear a summer dress I'd been wanting to wear all summer but just never had the right opportunity! Outfit sorted, now where to wear it? Went through my restaurant wish list. (Yes I have one of those.) Matter of fact, I have a wish list for most things travel related. Wishlist of hotels to stay at; Wishlist of travel experiences to experience and the wish list list goes on! But these are for another blog I suppose. As how else am I to write a post every seven to ten days? I go through a quick elimination process of my restaurants. That one too fancy (for the dress at least.) This one too far a journey. That one has no reservations available until January 2019. Seriously?
Seriously.
A day and a half later and I decided on Ametsa with Arzak Instruction. Except I arrive an hour later than reserved and can no longer dine in Ametsa. With that my my first Basque dining dream ended before it even started. As I am already there I take a seat in the bar area. I am greeted by Penny, my waitress for the afternoon. She tells me I can sit where ever I feel comfortable! So I sit facing a mirror to remind myself to sit upright like a lady. (Something my great grandmother would be pleased with.) She hands me the bar menu and talks me through the pages. Then leaves me to digest what she said. Instead my eyes and ears wander around taking in the atmosphere and the décor. The bar area is a simple white palette of cool, contemporary decor. Matter of fact, if my dress was any less a summery white I would have blended into the furniture. Later, I am told the bar had just been refurbished. Except for the chatter of a few business meetings it was a relaxed atmosphere well suited to my dress. A five minute peruse of the menu and I settled on: - A glass of passion fruit crush (temperance) (Passion fruit, lime, mint and sugar. Muddled, top with soda) - slow cooked lamb shoulder served with crispy chickpeas a side order of rocket and cherry tomato salad - Passion fruit waffle with roasted fruit and basil sorbet All for the gram of course. Before I blogged my phone camera ate before I did and now that I do blog, a wider universe eats when I do.
As I am snapping away the smell of the lamb keeps wafting up from the plate. I give in with trying to get the best angle of the plate and instead tuck in. I take my first mouthful of lamb and it melts away in my mouth. A second mouthful with a dab of humus gives it an interesting twist. I look for the crispy chickpeas but could not see it.
Enlisted the help of Penny who pointed out it was the chip like items on the plate. (I raise an eyebrow with intrigue). Not what I expected it to look like, neither did it taste like what I had it expected it to taste like. It had a rather meaty texture and a taste I could liken to nothing I have tasted before.
On a warm day as it was the ice cold and fresh passion fruit crush was a real treat!
With the last of the lamb and the cherry tomato salad eaten, I found that the I barely had room for dessert. But the passion fruit waffle with roast fruit sounded intriguing so I tried that also.
The waffle lacked a strong passion fruit flavour, and the roasted fruits (melon, pineapple, kiwi, and mango) didn't stand out either. While the menu offered intriguing flavours, they didn't leave a lasting impression. If I were to visit the Bar again, I would consider opting for a main dish without sides, especially if I planned to indulge in dessert, as the meal was quite filling.
Nevertheless, The Halkin Bar At Halkin by COMO remains a delightful spot to unwind, offering a wide range of beverages and creating an excellent atmosphere to while away an afternoon.
