upstairs restaurant at EDT

[michy]

Hi! Just to let you all know we have relaunched the Upstairs dining room as a Restaurant, new chef and new menu. The menu ethos is locally sourced and seasonal, mainly British influences and including some classic retro dishes. If you would like to give the new menu a try you can enjoy 20% off your bill for up 4 people providing you book in advance. 020 8693 1817. We look forward to welcoming you! Thanks Michele

[lordship_bod]

ooh good stuff michele. I do like upstairs at EDT. how long is this offer open for?

[Michael Palaeologus]

Excellent. Another restaurant on the Lane.

Preferred the comedy on Thursday night thank-you.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Michele

It's a great room upstairs and I really hope it does well - as you probably know that space has been relaunched quite a few times without much success on the food front so hopefully lessons have been learnt

The ideas for the menu sound spot-on but if you have a mooch around the forum you'll see comments about other restaurants and what people like and don't like so that might prove "educational" as well

I'll be along to check it out soon for sure

All the best

[annaj]

I had lunch there with friends on Sunday (we were planning to eat at the fair, but the food stall had run out of food!)but I'm not sure if it was the old or new menu.

It was an average roast - nice meat, lovely vegetables, disappointing yorkshires (thin, crispy and oily).

Very good puddings and lovely, friendly service.

I'd definitely try it again.

[James]

I went to the EDT when it was a sort of pizza place a while ago and it was great - lovely food in a nice atmosphere with great, friendly waitresses. I can't understand all the criticism.

[Strawbs]

HI Annaj

Did you see very many vegetarian options with no cheese?

Probably didnt look so didnt notice if you know what I mean but I was hoping to know before I paid them a visit..

thanks

Strawbs :))

[annaj]

Strawbs, as an ex-vegetarian I always look!

It was a very limited set lunch menu (three starters, four choices of roast and three puddings) but there was a vegetarian starter and a vegetarian roast option.

No idea about the full menu.

Hope that helps

[Strawbs]

Brilliant Annaj thank you!!!

[Cassius]

annaj Wrote:

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> as an ex-vegetarian I always look!

sorry to take this off topic but why did you give up being a vegetarian, were you one for a long time and did you feel any ill effects when you started to eat meat again?

[annaj]

To answer your questions in order...

1. Changed my mind. The reasons I'd stopped eating meat (aged 11) no longer seemed as important to me and I was aware that my diet was really unhealthy. I think you can be an extremely healthy vegetarian if you take the time and trouble to prepare balanced meals from scratch, but I wasn't doing for various reasons and I really noticed the lack of protein in my diet in the state of my skin and hair.

2. Complete vegetarian (no meat, fish, animal fats or geletine) for 22 years.

3. No. Aboslutely not. Have never felt better. My skin and hair improved noticably very quickly as did my ferritin and folate levels.

The last thing I want is to cause vegetarian outrage, but for me going back to meat has been a really good decision. As I said, I think it's easily possible to eat a healthy vegtarian diet (my mother is very healthy vegetarian) if you think about your diet enough, but it is easier if you eat meat and fish.

Also, well, meat and fish are really yummy (with apologies to HonaloochieB for using a banned word) and it's been really exciting rediscovering tastes I'd completely forgotten.

If you want to know more feel free to PM me.

[Loz]

'Yummy' is fine, unless you then follow immediately with 'mummy'.

That is, of course, you are describing how to cook them. Roasted, whole, with an apple shoved in their gob is my recommendation...

[david_carnell]

Loz Wrote:

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> 'Yummy' is fine, unless you then follow

> immediately with 'mummy'.

>

> That is, of course, you are describing how to cook

> them. Roasted, whole, with an apple shoved in

> their gob is my recommendation...

A new menu suggestion for the EDT perhaps.

Along with "toddler thermidor". Like a lobster they scream if you plunge a toddler direct into boiling water so make sure you put them in a freezer to send them to sleep first. Or skewer them between the eyes.

Michy, take note.

[michy]

Hi,

Thank you all for your feed back much appreciated! To answer some of your questions:

1. The offer runs 13th to 30th May

2. Vegetarian dishes: Starters Garlic mushrooms on toasted soda bread, new season asparagus with a chilli dressing. mains: garden pea and mint risotto with pesto and parmesan, sugar snaps, baby leaf spinach and feta salad.

The menu comprises of 5 starters, 8 mains and 3 desserts with regular seasonal updates and changes as well as seasonal specials.

3. Sorry about the yorkies, will get that sorted!

4. Sunday lunch menu will be including some dishes from the alacarte, not just roasts, as of next week.

[michy]

Hi,

Thank you all for your feed back much appreciated! To answer some of your questions:

1. The offer runs 13th to 30th May

2. Vegetarian dishes: Starters Garlic mushrooms on toasted soda bread, new season asparagus with a chilli dressing. mains: garden pea and mint risotto with pesto and parmesan, sugar snaps, baby leaf spinach and feta salad.

The menu comprises of 5 starters, 8 mains and 3 desserts with regular seasonal updates and changes as well as seasonal specials.

3. Sorry about the yorkies, will get that sorted!

4. Sunday lunch menu will be including some dishes from the alacarte, not just roasts, as of next week.

[michy]

......sorry Michael forgot to mention Comedy is still going but, it has switched to a Sunday night. Next one is 8th June. Its not certain at the moment whether it will be fortnightly or monthly, but I will let you know as I do!

[Bumpkin]

Get yourselves down here forumites! Mr B & I had a fantastic meal here last night - took advantage of the deal and was very reasonably priced. Had the most amazing asparagus ever tasted - about 4 times thicker than your average measly stalk and chilli sauce went beautifully with it to my slight surprise. Steaks from William Rose were very tasty with a great sauce, only slight complaint was the crumble was bit too hot - otherwise one of best meals had out in ages.

Only one other couple in the restaurant though so needs a bit more support... Lovely surroundings though & great service - hope this one stays.

[Strawbs]

.

[MrBen]

Went there last night and was also one of only two couples in there. But thats kind of because they have only just started re-marketing it. I have always loved the space - elegant, suitably faded decor, nice background music and candle lit tables. I think it's actually quite a romantic spot.

Anyway here are my honest comments:

- I had tempura Whitebait for starters with garlic mayo and fresh lemon - 8/10

- Steak and chips with watercress salad - 6.5 / 10 (chips could be a bit better, steak good but not amazing, salad a bit bland but good)

- Superb service from the waitress with the tied back hair. But if its quiet you sometimes have to find them for the bill.

Cant comment on how fit my missus is and go off on a tangent like AA Gill so will continue on food:

She had:

- Asparagus - 9/10 awesome British in-season asparagus.

- Steak - as above. I always compare it to the Gaucho Grill but that is Argentinian so prob not a fair comparison.

If I could make a suggestion it would be:

- Keep up the quality of the food and we will come.

- Change the menu to use in season ingredients and keep the British theme

- Do something with the entrance door downstairs - it looks like a fire exit. Hard to get passing traffic into an upstairs space - perhaps a bigger menu board ...fairy lights....

I like the bar at the back too. All in all a good venture and good service and one I'll be supporting.

[ct]

I know the 'C' word is usually frowned upon in here, but MrB's comments got me thinking (the fire exit bit). If done right it could be as good as Four o Nine in Clapham - if not even better as the environment upstairs at EDT is loads better. Be good to have a speakeasy type place in ED which wasnt the kebab place

[michy]

Hi, very much appreciate your feedback and comments all taken on board! Just to let you all know, the entranceand stairway is all being refurb'd, in fact our interior designer was here on Tuesday making final plans, and even the Dining Room is going to be spruced up a little too! Unfortunately, as often happens, the launching of the new menu and the decorating didnt coincide as originally planned!!

I'm forever curious regarding the great 'chip' debate - fat or skinny???? soft and crispy? stringy?? crinkly?? (you probably dont remember those ones, a great 70's chip!). What makes a great chip??

[michy]

Hi, very much appreciate your feedback and comments all taken on board! Just to let you all know, the entranceand stairway is all being refurb'd, in fact our interior designer was here on Tuesday making final plans, and even the Dining Room is going to be spruced up a little too! Unfortunately, as often happens, the launching of the new menu and the decorating didnt coincide as originally planned!!

I'm forever curious regarding the great 'chip' debate - fat or skinny???? soft and crispy? stringy?? crinkly?? (you probably dont remember those ones, a great 70's chip!). What makes a great chip??

[SimonM]

>> What makes a great chip??:D

[RosieH]

and I'd add to that, that sometimes you want thick (but dear god, never wedges), twice fried as Simon says in beef dripping, crispy on the outside, light and fluffy within, but sometimes you want matchstick.

for me a steak-frites is always skinny chips, but then that's probably because i think of it as steak-frites and not "and chips"

am excited - will be checking it out as soon as possible

[SeanMacGabhann]

chips with steak should be cooked as per Tony Bourdain @ Les Halles IMO - best I've had