Have you ever found yourself searching for that perfect cosy terrace in London, illuminated by candles and heated? Or a space with an open roof that acts as a sun-trap and is hidden away from the hustle & bustle of London? Well if the answer is yes then good news, I’ve found it and it’s called the Dalloway Terrace. It’s one of those rare encounters which literally leaves you gasping at its beauty and then quickly imagining all the potential that goes with it – such as Summer drinking while getting a suntan. This is my kind of venue and I plan to make it my new home. Lets just hope my office doesn’t decide to move from Holborn anytime soon.
This gorgeous terrace space opened just a few months back now, but only in the past few weeks is it making itself known to us Londoners. Named after the eponymous character created by Virginia Woolf, Dalloway Terrace is a space quite like no other. Fully heated in winter, this secluded restaurant offers something special 365 days a year. We started our journey here with the restaurants signature Mrs Dalloway cocktail – a must order. Food wise to start it was all about the Dublin bay prawns cocktail with an unforgettable Marie rose sauce and plump prawns. We also tucked into a lovely plate of seared tuna with soy & ginger dressing. The food here is rather simple, but it’s very well executed and sometimes that’s all you can ask for.
Main courses came in the form of a stunning plate of grilled prawns, marinated in who knows what (but it was delicious) and finished off with a good helping of lemon and some thoroughly addictive harissa aioli – which if given the opportunity I’d have bottled and taken home. Order the prawns, but prepare for some serious finger licking. If I had to pick our least favourite dish, I’d have struggled but perhaps in amongst everything we ate the dry-aged Aberdeen Angus 6oz beef fillet could have been a little more exciting. It was nice for what it was, but priced at £27 I can think of other places just as close offering out of this world steak, yet at a fraction of the price. Our peppercorn sauce and fries however were legendary.
Full, a little tipsy and enjoying our company on the neighbouring table we tucked into a couple of desserts to end our evening with barely any room left. Valrhona dark chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream was the overall favourite, with its molten lava centre – but I developed a bit of a soft spot for the Bloomsbury Bakewell tart & pistachio ice cream. A match made in heaven and that pistachio ice-cream was stunning.
The Dalloway Terrace is a very welcomed addition to the Bloomsbury area and given that the food scene around this part of town is still rather young, it’s currently the best place to eat in Bloomsbury and the hotel it’s attached to looks a dream. The service is impeccable, the terrace looks like something out of a fairytale and overall I felt very comfortable here. It’s the sort of place you only wish was your local and for me during the week, it is. Order a cocktail, bottle of wine, divulge in those prawns and finish on a chocolate lava high – you won’t regret it.
8/10
