Bond and Brook is a lovely light place, full of gleaming white furniture with an amazing, aluminium retro space-agey bar in the middle. They serve breakfast, brunch and lunch but the central concept is one that appealed to me immensely. I like to joke at parties that I am the 'canapé crusader', trying to lurk around doorways to grab waiting staff as they emerge. I have no shame. So to discover someone else's love of too-small but way-too-nice tiny bites has inspired B&B's signature Collection - a selection of 'small plates' that are essentially just oversized canapés - you simply mix and match with your dining companion(s).
Here's an unnecessarily-but-artfully blurred shot of the very stylish menu - you can see a couple of the dishes. It was very hard to choose. They staff there are absolutely delightful, I have to say. They served the man and I a couple of saucers of champagne to help ease our decision-making.
Beware my pre-meal lippy-less face.
We opted for the Collection, of course (they also do lots of other mains and a delicious-looking afternoon tea), and went for the recommended three dishes each. We both chose the unbelievably divine seared venison, which came with a parsnip puree and a japanese dressing. Oh my goodness, it was amazing. Melt in the mouth good.
I also had the tuna ceviche. It was very delicately flavoured - not too sharply citrus or too much coriander... perfectly soft avocado. The crispy tortilla slices were lovely too. The man had the parma ham with mozzarella and fresh figs, also excellent from the bit I tried.
The teeny crab cakes were fresh and tasty, they were served on a mooli salad with capers, all great.
The popcorn chicken belonged to the man - bit too spicy for me, but he loved them, and the spicy dip.
Flatbread with houmous and chips were our totally healthy sides.
Unfortunately, a tight schedule meant no time for what looked like amazing desserts, but a little tray of smarties arrived on our table as we made to leave, which was a nice touch.
The food was absolutely wonderful - as good as it looks - and while it's not exactly a budget-priced lunch at £17 each for the three dishes, it's perfect for a treat. The rest of the menu varies in price, too, so there are dishes that suit nearly every pocket depth.
Bond & Brook at Fenwick - recommended.
On a side note, the department store itself certainly has a long history. The website says that, following the success of his first store up north, 'In 1891 J.J Fenwick bought 63 New Bond Street, which is still part of the London site. Like the Newcastle store it specialised in exclusive tailoring for ladies, and over the next decade the two shops gained a reputation as exciting places to visit, full of the newest ideas and styles.' He was inspired by Bon Marché in Paris, and obviously knew what he was doing as the store is still going strong today.
And because this is a blog about clothes, here's what I wore. Rocking the 1940s ice skater look again, with my new boots from Office and a Mah Jong bracelet.
Do you have any favourite London lunch haunts that are worth trying out? I'm always looking for somewhere tasty to fill my face.
Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com
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