Harrison's

So it was time for another (girl) date night and, after a few ridonkulous weeks at work, I was seriously lagging. The thought of a late night train back from central London was not appealing so we had to get our thinking caps on. Where can we go that was local that wouldn't make us feel like we'd forfeited a good night out of sheer laziness. I'll tell you where....HARRISON'S! Being a Balham dweller, this is literally on my doorstep therefore perfect for a nice midweek dinner out before rolling back home straight into bed in 5 minutes flat. I'd heard a lot about Harrison's so it seemed a good a time as any to give it a try. 

Located on Bedford Hill, Harrison's almost completely glass exterior makes it easy to spot, especially at night when it's all lit up. The inside was spacious and modern, albeit almost in a clinical way. However, this was quickly overlooked when we realised they had a huuuuuge list of cocktails, all of which were £5 all evening Sunday through to Wednesday. I've lived in London long enough now to know when I've come across a bargain! The cocktails seemed like a good place to start along with some nibbles.

We opted for the Raspassion Martini and the Vanilla Apple Martini, along with some mini chorizo and padron peppers (both firm favourites!). Probably not the greatest combination in the world but someones gotta do it...

The chorizo had an amazing kick to it and, unlike most chorizo, wasn't overly fatty which I personally prefer. The padron peppers were equally as good and were chargrilled enough to give it an extra element of flavour without just giving you the feeling of eating a lump of coal. For saying Harrison's is a typically British menu, their tapas was definitely something worth trying!











Starters were up next. After bickering over who would have what, we decided to go dutch and have the best of both worlds. The calamari was pretty good although I can't say it was the best I've ever had. It could have done with a lot more seasoning and perhaps less oil as it quickly became quite soggy.










This little baby on the other hand, was amazing! Meet Cornish Crab on Toast with Samphire and Brown Crab Mayonnaise. Pretty pricey for a starter (£13.50) but was worth every penny. When the rest of the Harrison's menu is so reasonable priced, I figured there must be a reason why this one was higher. It was so flavoursome and was plenty to share between the two of us. Would 100% recommend!

There was one main course which stood out to both of us. Pan Fried Sea Bream, Roast Courgettes & Chilli with Harrisa Aioli. It doesn't matter if you have no idea what half that means. Just give it a go and you'll be so glad you did. The sea bream was cooked absolutely perfectly with a crispy skin which wasn't oily. Because of the courgette base as opposed to the standard carby base, it was relatively light as well. Harrisa tends to be quite spicy, and this was no exception. However, it wasn't blended in to anything so you could easily push it to one side if it wasn't your cup of tea. I LOVED this.

Once again, our eyes had been bigger than our stomachs and we were struggling by now. Neither of us fancied sharing a desert, let alone having a whole one to ourselves. However, for a sweet fix, Harrison's do these great little "Brookies". They're basically almost like mini chocolate chip muffins but really gooey at the same time. These would be perfect with coffee but, not thinking about the hangover, we decided to get ours with another (large) glass of red. Were the Brookies needed? Absolutely not. But just as a small sweet fix, they were perfect. 

If you're ever in the area, I would honestly say that Harrison's is worth giving a go. The food was lovely and the atmosphere is good no matter what the occasions. However, next time I may order less food and just work my way through the £5 cocktail menu... has to be done. 

Nic

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Boqueria

I don't know about you but, when it comes to food, I want to try everything. I'm lucky enough to work in an environment where weird and wonderful foods are often at my fingertips which suits me perfectly...the weirder, the better! Tapas is a perfect all-rounder. The small plates make it ideal to share numerous dishes between a group or, if you'd prefer to stick with what you know and like, ordering a couple for yourself works well too. In my experience, tapas style restaurants often come at a cost. Too much food is usually ordered to begin with when everyone has eyes bigger than their stomach, and a whopping bill is delivered at the end. I am pleased to announce that I have learnt from my mistakes! 

After a recent visit to 
Boqueria, I was incredibly impressed by the quality and the overall cost (or lack of it) at the end of the evening. Situated within easy walking distance of three tube stations (Brixton, Clapham Common and Clapham North), Boqueria is not to be missed. The impressive wine menu is a visual as soon as you walk through the door, with a simple bar area available if you need to wait for a table or if you fancy a drink before your booking. The staff here are ridiculously friendly in a non-annoying, non-suffocating way which, compared to some places, is refreshing. The menus were laid out conveniently acting as a place mat so we could begin feasting our eyes as soon as we sat down. Take a look; the choice is amazing.

 After ordering ourselves a bottle of prosecco and olives to nibble (la-di-dah indeed!) we moved on to the good stuff. As I said, learning from previous lack of judgement, we paced ourselves by ordering a couple of dishes at a time(kind of). 




First up, Pimientos de Padrón (salted peppers to you and me). These are the epitome of simple, yet effective. The salt acted as a flavour enhancer as opposed to being over-powering and the charred effect added a smoky flavour to what, on paper, sounds quite bland. These are a perfect appetiser and suitable for most people due to being vegan and gluten free.

Next came the Chorizo a la sidra (chorizo with cider). I'm not a massive meat eater but, as I said, I will try anything and these were well worth it. I've always been put off by chorizo as I tend to find it very fatty and chewy but these were the total opposite. The meat was so tender and the sauce, although not screaming out cider, was incredible and added a nice level of heat. Also gluten free. Winner. 

Patatas Bravas. Probably one of the most well-known dishes served up in any half decent tapas restaurant. I have to admit, the appearance of this surprised me as I've usually had them served up in more of a chopped tomato base with garlic and spices, but these were nice nonetheless. I could give or take them to be honest! 

Now this is more up my street. Carpaccio de atún con ajo blanco y soja (tuna carpaccio with garlic, almond, soy sauce and tomato). If it's from the sea, I'll eat it. Although this was full of flavour, it was more from the marinade than the tuna itself. It was almost as if the carpaccio was TOO thin (if that's possible) so, on it's own, the flavour didn't stand out. However, it was delicate and light which was a nice change to the stodge of the potatoes and chorizo.

Queso de cabra con cebolla caramelizada (goats cheese with caramalized onion and red fruits). I'm not gonna lie...I've just had to text my partner in crime to remind me of what this was. As you can tell, by this point, so many different plates had been put in front of us, they all began to blur! This however, pretty much does what it says on the tin. Nice, but forgettable (clearly).

The penultimate dish. Cochinillo asado (suckling pig with parsnip, sweet potato crisps, apple sauce & lemon sorbet). Sounds weird, tastes incredible. The suckling pig was so moist (everyones favourite word) and went surprisingly well with the lemon sorbet. Anyone who knows me well knows I hate mixing sweet stuff/fruit in savoury food. I'll make an exception for this! Definitely one of the stronger features on the menu.

As you can imagine, we were pretty stuffed by this point. But for the benefit of this review, we shared a desert to round it all off nicely (aren't I generous). As with the starter, this was simple yet effective. Helado de vainilla con pasas y Pedro Ximénez (vanilla ice cream with raisins and Pedro Ximénez sherry). This was relatively light but the sherry added a touch of something special to something otherwise quite bland. The best dessert on the menu in my opinion




Before we slowly waddled off clutching our stomachs, there was a bill to be paid. All the above, plus the prosecco, came to a reasonable £62.00. Take it from me, having been to large chain tapas restaurants where the quality leaves a lot to be desired, this is impressive! I will definitely be back here again. In fact, I may make it my mission to work my way through the menu if anyone cares to join?

Nic
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