Medlar's Marvellous Menus And delightful distictive decor

 Unfortunately I can't guarantee you will be able to eat anything we liked at Medlar restaurant because their menu changes daily.

I can say that the decor and food are lovely and I would go back any time.

Let's start with the decor. Even the front door handle is a work of art.

 Our circular table was by the front window and this was not allocated but our choice. Why? The first one of our group of four to arrive for lunch likes to sit in daylight, sunlight and enjoy an open vista. He feels claustrophobic at the back of a restaurant.

I am the reverse. I like the cosy intimacy of banquettes against a wall, secluded from distraction.This restaurant offers both. Banqettes against one wall in the mid section.

I like the protection of a wall between myself and people in the street. On my way to wash my hands, I passed the medlar tree, which gives the restaurant its name, and fairy light suspended over the tables at the very back.

But the others were happy to feel part of bustling London. I watched a few buses, taxis, an ambulance and the stressful sight (for a car driver) of a parking warden. 

We were sheltered from passing pedestrians by the out front tables behind a barrier.

The toilets were downstairs. A tiny table where the stairs turn has a box containing their business card which is green on the back.

The stairs. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

Downstairs are more delights and amusements. In the ladies toilet the white tiles have green grouting.

A small seat is in the alcove. A perfect place for a momentary rest, to wait for the single cubicle to become vacant or to take a selfie.

Ladies in waiting, seat.

The toilet paper is sealed with a sticker bearing the restaurant name. The basin has small white towels for each customer to dry their hands.

Back to the table and the menu. We were offered two types of bread, brown or white with herbs, plus butter.

Red Wine

The red wine from the USA was drinkable, although I don't normally like red wine, no heavy tannin, very good.

Osmote, Seneca Lake, Cabernet franc.

Starters

I chose the asparagus with beef croquettes. As I had expected, the asparagus was not exceptional, but the beef croquettes, round, thick discs the size of thick pennies with a soft centre and crispy outside were unusual. Delightful. Perfect. Memorable. Moreish. Must make them. Must try them again.

Aparagus, fried onion rings, beef croquettes. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Main courses

The highlight of my chicken main course was the sweet onion, almost a puree. 

The visual winner was the dish with a slice of orange standing vertically, like the London Eye.

Desserts

One memorable part of the meal was the pistachio cake. 

I also liked the strawberry ice cream. The small strawberries were red right through, tasty and soft,unlike the strawberries we had bought from a local supermarket which were white and hard in the centre.

The capuccino came up with  heart design in milk or froth on top.

For the finale, we received complimentary chocolate balls and white marshmallows.

What about the price? Pricey. The set meal was more than fifty pounds, plus wine, plus an aperifif, plus coffees, so the total was double that per person. Thirteen and a half per cent service charge.

This is a lovely area of London. We passed a shop with enormous chandeliers. Even the poor people limping or smoking by the bus stop are elegantly dressed. I admired the brooch and cravat worn by one white haired lady and asked which shops she recommened in the area. She protested, "I never buy anything. It's all second hand. My friends give me their old clothes."

Getting there

A bus comes to the Medlar restaurant area from Earls Court underground station.

Would we go back? Definitely. So long as it's somebody else's turn to pay the bill.

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