Sometimes, though, we all crave those creature comforts. You know the ones. The snuggles on the sofa with your sister. The flowers your boyfriend buys you after a really rubbish week. And good old-fashioned home cooking, the way your nan used to make. But hectic careers, living far from home and just not having the time to sit and relax with family is all too common for most of us. So what's the solution?
Well, we found one. When I heard Retro Feasts was popping up in Mayfair, I grabbed fellow London blogger Amelia and whizzed on over to give them a go. They promise 80s style food and sweet shop cocktails, along with disco dancing in setting your nan would truly love. But would this place be more bingo hall than bistro food? It was a gamble we were happy to take.
We booked a table at 7:30pm on a Friday expecting it to be rammed. However it was eerily quiet, especially for a Friday night. I began to feel a bit sorry for the founders. Pop ups are all the rage right now admittedly, but there have been many where the frenzy just hasn't hit home and they've fizzled out. And no one wants to be stuck with a try-hard venture no one wants to be seen in.
So, we booked in, took our seats near the window and had a look at the cocktail menu. There was a wine list too, but unless it was Blue Nun, I wasn't interested. Amelia started with a cocktail from their sweets range, while I went for something a little longer . The cocktails were made to perfection, and there was more than one occasion where we both gave each other a cheeky look and burst into giggles. It was definitely the nostalgia reverting us back to our childhood. That, or the booze.
We shared cheese and pineapple for starters, which was confusingly more of a won ton than the classic dish that graced childhood parties of twenty years ago.
For mains, I opted for bubble and squeak and Amelia chose a slab of gammon, both served with a fried egg (although mine was slightly undercooked which meant scraping a bit of slimy white onto my plate). We didn't realise the mains came without sides, so quickly put in an order for chips and creamy cabbage which arrived about five minutes later. Top notch service indeed.
For dessert I had what I was looking forward to the whole night, a classic school days dessert Eton Mess. Amelia tried the Black Forest gateaux. Obviously, we were thinking it was going to be that classic freezer cake defrosted and lumped on a plate with cream, but it was so far from what we expected! It was served in a Mason jar and was basically deconstructed into layers of cream and chocolate. Amelia commented it was more like a trifle than the old-school dessert.
The food was delicious. They're not trying to reinvent the wheel here. Rather, they're tapping into tastes from childhood and offering diners hearty and satisfying food. It's not mega cheap - after all, you're in Mayfair daaaaahling - but the cocktails are reasonably priced and food can be shared, making it a really nice after-work spot, or even a visit with your nan. The place got really busy at 8:30pm so if you're looking for a quiet meal, book before then.
Downstairs is the Embassy nightclub. Amelia and I decided although the food was finished, we certainly weren't! So we popped downstairs in the hopes of a drink and a boogie. Sadly the staff refused to serve us drinks, saying we had to buy a bottle at £250 a pop (HA! Yeah, right) despite there only being about three other patrons in the room, so we left quickly. The rudeness was the only issue we'd had the whole evening, but restaurant manager Benoit could clearly see how upset we were, and offered us a cheeky shot upstairs by way of apology.
All in all we had a fab night. It's only around for another few months, so definitely worth a visit even if only for the amazing cocktails. The menu isn't available online and seems to be changing as demand dictates (fortunately the Eton Mess seems to have stood the test of tongues and time, yet there was no sign of Baked Alaska or Arctic Roll...) so as long as you go with your head firmly in the 80s and 90s, you're sure to have a great night.
Retro Feasts | 29 Old Burlington Street, London, W1S 3AW | 0207 494 5660
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