magdalen, london se1
as ever i have a list of restaurants that i want to try. frugal january means i’ve not been eating out much but on a whim i decided that we needed a treat to get us to the end of the month. so i booked a table at magdalen, a restaurant which offers a fabulous range of british food.
opposite the unicorn theatre (london’s newest theatre for children and well worth supporting) magdalen is a buzzy restaurant spread over two floors. the walls are painted a deep oxblood and it felt very cosy on a windy wintery night (i’ll be interested to see how it feels in the summer).
after polishing off the lovely chewy bread that we were given as we arrived, i chose potted devon crab to start. this was truly delicious, gently spiced and flavoured with a hint of orange. david’s goat’s curd and greens on toast was equally good, the mild creamy curd contrasting well with the slightly oniony flavours of the greens.
we decided to share the slow cooked shoulder of milk-fed lamb for our main course. this came with potato gratin and we ordered a side of sprout tops. the meat was beautifully tender and flavoursome but, for me, it was the combination of fresh greens with the creamy potatoes (perfectly flavoured with a hint of mace) that made me smile the most.
our puddings were, in my opinion, less good. david was very happy with his apple and calvados trifle but i’d have liked it to be a little less sweet. my chocolate pot served with brandied cherries was incredibly dark and bittersweet and i’d have liked a few more cherries to balance the flavours.
magdalen is a lovely place to spend an evening, with delicious food, a buzzy atmosphere and incredibly friendly and genuinely interested staff. there are several large tables and with its good value wine list i’d love to come back with a group of friends. i just need to come up with an excuse for such a gathering…
magdalen
152 tooley street, london se1 2tu
telephone: 020 7403 1342