Gregg's Table

Christopher J. ( 30s, Male, London )

I was delighted to hear that Gregg Wallace had taken over the restaurant which was formerly ‘Alfies’, a souless, entirely merit-free dining experience patronised primarily by guests of the hotel who presumably didn’t know where Bermondsey street was. We dined at Greggs on their ‘official’ opening night and I’m pleased to report that the dining room has been transformed into something resembling an inviting restaurant, the bar has been pared back and the kitchen opened up a little more with the added touches of a bookshelf arrangement with artistically placed 70’s condiments. Working the room was the man himself, wise cracking, table hopping and generally beaming widely at everyone whilst keeping an eye on the kitchen which did seem to be feeling the strain of a full house.

In order to taste as many dishes as possible, we opted for 6 starters between the pair of us. Avocado Prawn, Mushroom Vol au Vents, Spam Fritters, Crab and two Fish Mousse. I eventually liked the Fish Mousse although the consistency was a bit unusual, the texture was of a blancmange which I am sure was deliberate, although had expected something lighter and fluffier but it was enjoyable once I understood it. The avocado prawn was a real delight although the Mushroom Vol au Vents cried out for more filling to counter the sturdy pastry case. The Spam Fritters were tasty although again, the batter was too thick and thus sponged up too much oil whilst the Picalilli almost dissolved my toungue it was so overwhelmingly acidic. The Crab with capers and egg on the other hand, was faultless. Our side of Dauphinoise were as good as you would find anywhere.

Some of the dishes I tried could use a little refinement and portion sizes some uniformity but I am confident once the new brigade settles in these problems will be ironed out, particularly with Gregg at the pass. Pricing is also very attractive indeed – starters in single figures and the generous looking mains averaging around £15. This is simple, honest and hearty food and I'm already looking forward to my next visit.