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Cigalon
115 Chancery Lane,
London,
WC2A 1PPImage may be NSFW.
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Last week Lois and I decided to go swanky and enjoyed some fine French Provençal dining at Cigalon on Chancery Lane near Covent Garden, Central London. This restaurant is situated in a commanding building, formerly an auction house, tastefully renovated, open and airy, which I think it had a vibe of Wes Anderson. The restaurant manager seated us at our very own booth, a comfy, spacious, dark blush coloured, which gave our meet up a sense of occasion. It was just divine to dine from! I loved the decor and cascading ivy, trellis and olive trees.
No sooner were we seated, we were greeted by a delicious Champagne cocktail, that’s what I call service. We were ravenous, it had been a busy day with little time to eat. Our waiter offered us the choice of two menus, a la carte or set house menu (a five course meal). We chose the five course set meal, well it seemed rude not to.
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I was consumed by the smell of bread, still warm from the oven and tasty dip, it was just too tempting to resist. This amazing food fest began with a yummy salad of tender green asparagus, ricotta & purple olives. It was delicious and so good to catch up with Lois, chatting over the days events, with attentive waiting staff keeping our drinks glasses topped up. The wine list is remarkable.
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Then along came the second course, beautifully presented ham hock terrine, quails egg and pickles, a tasty dish to tickle your palate, possibly my favourite of the evening. I loved the delicate taste of the quails egg, a first for me, the ham terrine and the acidity of pickles complimented perfectly, all the flavours worked well together, layered with texture. Resting after the first two courses, we sipped on Champagne cocktails, nattered and talked about photo shoots we have been snapping lately. I was feeling relaxed, the busy-ness of the day had evaporated and I was soaking in the fab atmosphere, anticipating each new food offering.
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Our main course was presented and it almost looked too good to eat (if you know what I mean?) Lois was pleased with her choice, it looked and smelled amazing, a combination of crispy lamb belly, borlotti beans with red peppers infused with aromatic sage – meat lovers, you will love this dish! I chose a vegetarian dish, baked aubergine, goats cheese, tomatoes and fragrant wild garlic, dressed with rocket. Truly, what’s not to like? Let me tell you, this was a gastronomic delight, not too heavy, just marvellous! I can’t resist aubergine on a menu, especially with the combination of goats cheese (another must) these flavours go together like rock and roll, a dream dish and I enjoyed every mouthful!
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The pace of the meal was just right, not rushed. Our fourth course was a modern take on the cheese board highlighting Ossau Irraty, a French curd cheese made from ewes milk, with a mild nutty taste, served with pickled cherries. I admit, I was slightly hesitant of this trying this dish, but it was the just the right amount of cheese, soft and hard, and those pickled cherries pricked my taste buds, tangy, sweet and delicious, all at the same time. We enjoyed a short break in our eating and took in the character of Cigalon. I gave little resistance to the lure of the cocktail menu, I was transported to holiday reminiscences by a cool long perfectly blended fruity combination, with a slight hint of coconut.
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Refreshed, we returned to the menu for the main attraction, the true delight of the evening, Dessert! It has to be my favourite course and when I saw cheesecake laced with amaretti, passion fruit and basil on the menu I knew this was the dessert for me. Lois, a sucker for chocolate, chose a dark chocolate moelleux and raspberry sorbet, soft, rich and looked equally yummy as my cheesecake. They were so pretty. I savoured every morsel of the crumbly biscuits and soft cheesecake, packed with zesty passionfruit, the taste combination worked perfectly. As you can see, I highly recommend the cheesecake!
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We had a wonderful time at Cigalon, the restaurant is beautiful (as you can see) the service is impeccable provided by genuine friendly staff. Now you might be wondering about the price of quality food and fine dining…. how much will a five course meal in Central London set you back? Well our meal cost only £35.00. I couldn’t believe the price. It was such incredibly good value, the food, service and atmosphere, they excelled at every level and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I would highly recommend booking a trip to Cigalon when you’re next in Central London, it will not disappoint! Check out the different menu options and spoil yourself. If you are looking for a private dining experience, they have the most beautiful room to hire, a graceful space of your very own, fancy with fantastic service, perfect for any special occasion. We had a wonderful time at Cigalon, the restaurant is beautiful (as you can see) the service is impeccable provided by genuine friendly staff. Now you might be wondering about the price of quality food and fine dining…. how much will a five course meal in Central London set you back? Well our meal cost only £35.00. I couldn’t believe the price. It was such incredibly good value, the food, service and atmosphere, they excelled at every level and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
I would highly recommend booking a trip to Cigalon when you’re next in Central London, it will not disappoint! Check out the different menu options and spoil yourself. If you are looking for a private dining experience, they have the most beautiful room to hire, a graceful space of your very own, fancy with fantastic service, perfect for any special occasion.
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Thank you Cigalon for a wonderful evening of fine dinning.
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