BE QUIET...ITS A LIBRARY!
At the start of this month, I went to the library as despite being a private member’s club, you can still dine at their restaurant- St Luke’s.
I automatically loved the theatrics of the restaurant with popular historic novels placed on the dining tables for reading, emphasising that the club is one big library. I was also informed that as a member of the club, you can check out any of the books in the Library.
Upon arrival, Jean-Baptise greeted my friend and me, he was to be our waiter for the night. I quickly felt reassured, as Jean knew the menu very well and has worked in the food/drinks industry for some time. He aided in selecting our bottle of house wine, the 2016 Pinot Grigio, Graves Del Friuli, San Simone. I was right to go with Jean’s choice, as this wine is rich, sweet and refreshing, I would later find out that this wine would pair nicely with my chosen courses. I always did prefer Italian wine!
He recommended the salmon and avocado maki rolls with Jalapeno mayo and soy sauce. This is the most popular starter amongst guests, dining at this restaurant; I was content with this choice as I adore Japanese and Asian inspired cuisine. The maki rolls are a little on the crispy side, but nevertheless still delicious, especially when dipped in the jalapeno mayo, which aids in flavouring the rolls with subtle spice.
My guest is vegetarian, so she had the artichoke soup with cobnuts, truffle oil and served with a rustic roll. My friend allowed me to taste a bit of the artichoke soup and I would describe the soup as thick, creamy and filling. What I do appreciate at this restaurant is the variety of vegan/vegetarian starter options, that the library hosts.
For my main, I chose the 25-day aged 8oz rib eye with Cornish leaves, which originally is paired with triple cooked chips. However, I opted for the Jersey mash potatoes instead, also adding a panache of winter veg. I chose to have my steak cooked medium-rare because, in my opinion, that is how a steak should be cooked. The steak was marinated and seasoned well, which could be tasted with every bite that I ate. The steak was soft and a little on the tender side, which I was glad about as I prefer it when my steak is a little chewy. Served with the jersey mash, which is creamy in texture and savoury in taste, and with a bit of mustard sauce, this was the perfect main.
For my friend, she chose the vegan burger; roasted sweet potato with chickpea and burnt pepper sauce. My friend described the burger as tasty and a great combination and use of vegetables. I am glad she really enjoyed the burger, as often when we go for dinner, she is frequently limited for food choices, due to her vegetarian diet, so it was great that she had a selection of dishes to choose from.
We shared our desserts as we were quite spoilt for choice; first to try was a Praline Éclair with salted caramel and second was the Winter berries Pavlova with Lime Curd. The Pavlova was just right, I was a bit apprehensive that the Pavlova would be quite hard, but the exterior was just right and the winter berries were sweet and rich in flavour.
After dinner, we were given a tour of the club, as the Library offer space for meetings and launches for its members, which is great as you can have a meeting or private dining with discretion.
After the tour, we headed down to the private member's main bar for cocktails. I chose the Roald Dahl, as I am a big Gin lover! My friend chose the Dino Buzzati. I love the fact the drinks are named after famous authors; this has a nice touch to the bar. The bar has a nice vibe with a live DJ, who was playing songs from the 90’s.