The Larder

Ok, so it wasn’t quite like The Fat Duck. But then, The Larder is not anywhere near the top of the list of the world’s 100 best restaurants. It fact, it has never ever been on that list.
Expectations need to be realistic. When you pay £10-15 for a main course, you will not get a plate of food worth even a Michelin-Starlet. Actually, you shouldn’t even expect to. What you should expect – and hopefully get – is decent food, a nice and welcoming atmosphere and competent, friendly staff.
The Larder is a tricky one in that respect: it has it all. And it has none of it at all at the same time. You cannot hate the place. But somehow you can’t really like it either.
Let’s be superficial, as we are, and talk about looks: High ceilings, white walls and dark furniture. I love it! But this hideous dark purple wall in the back of the restaurant made me appreciate facing the window and I was more than happy to admire the almost artistic reflection of the lamps throughout my meal.
Apropos meal: Again, a matter of hit and miss. The starter of crab with avocado mousse was a bit like eating stringy, salt-water soaked cardboard with… well, avocado. Whereas the baked eggs with and chorizo with manchego cheese and tomatoes was an - admittedly - unpretty little dish, but boasting with flavour. It felt like eating an English breakfast in a little café on the Costa del sol. Chorizo instead of bacon, spicy tomato sauce instead of baked beans, 2 fried eggs: El desayuno is ready, love! Lydia and I had a little disagreement over the main course… even before it arrived. Basically, we both felt deeply attracted by the confit of duck with salardise potato and cherries. As a person who usually gives in and let others have their will (I say others… as long as the others are not called Scott and happen to be my boyfriend that is!), I let Lydia have the duck and ordered calves’ liver on bubble and squeak for myself.
Luckily I inherited this undesirable habit of trying to make others happy from my mother, because I couldn’t have made a better and bigger choice: Two pieces of succulent liver, creamy and silky in texture. A little bit fatty in places though. The potatoes where smooth, well seasoned, but there was no squeak in sight.
As for Lydia’s duck: the meat fell off the bone – as you would expect. I have the suspicion though that it wasn’t “tenderness” alone that made the duck fall apart but also a distinct lack of juiciness.
But coming back to the expected decentness of food, let me mention the dessert. I truly believe that in the whole universe, there is no place better for a plate of meringue, cream and fresh fruits than St John. Although not containing a gram of chocolate, their “Eton Mess” is the most satisfying dessert there is …ever! So compared to gooey, rich and creamy meringue-heaven at St John, The Larder’s version was slightly disappointing. But then, there is a reason why St John _is_ in the list of the world’s 100 best restaurants.
So yes, the meringue with Chantilly cream and berries did meet my expectations. And somehow it was a very decent finish to a somewhat well conceived meal.