THE IVY CAFÉ BLACKHEATH

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the trials before the opening of the brand new Ivy Café located in the heart of Blackheath, London. With something for everyone The Ivy Café is the ideal spot for those who love classic dishes served all day long.  Breakfast, Weekend Brunch, Afternoon tea, Snacks & Cocktails (its 5 o clock somewhere) you name it, they’ve got it! 

As someone who classes themselves as a fussy eater I often find myself sticking to the same British classics like Burgers or Fish and Chips. This time I told myself I needed to step outside of my comfort zone and try completely new dishes, so that’s exactly what I did. 

I visited the restaurant with one of my best girl friends, Frankie, who suggested we order the Zucchini Fritti to share as our Appetiser - for those of you wondering what that is, it’s crispy courgette fries served with a lemon, chilli and mint yoghurt. At first I was a little sceptical and couldn’t decide if I liked them or not however when I added the yoghurt dressing my tastebuds told me to keep eating! The dressing complemented the courgette beautifully and I kept going back for more.

Soon after our starters followed. Frankie went for the Duck Liver Parfait and I went for the Wasabi Prawns with Salt and Pepper Squid. I have never been a lover of prawns but the aim of the day was to be brave with my food choices.  I remember a friend of my dads telling me you have to try foods at least 15 times before you can say if you like them or not. I’m not sure how true that is but I ordered the prawns and I’m so glad I did! They were cooked to perfection and the wasabi mayonnaise was divine, it gave the prawns a lovely little kick and I would 100% eat them again. The salt and pepper squid was some of the best I’ve ever eaten too! 

Now let’s talk about mains! On the train to blackheath I remember saying to Frankie I was probably just going to have the burger. My mind was made up until I spotted the Aromatic Duck Curry! “Fragrant coconut duck curry with lemongrass, lime, chilli, roasted cashews and steamed jasmine rice.” Frankie ordered the English Fillet Steak with a side of creamed spinach and I went for the curry. There was so much meat and the curry was absolutely bursting with flavour, I didn’t want the dish to end. Ive eaten a lot of curry in my life but I honestly think this has made it to number one on the favourites list. 

Instead of a pudding we treated ourselves to a Café Cosmo cocktail. “Cranberry, Vodka, House Triple Sec infused with Vanilla & Citrus, Peach Bitters and flamed orange zest.” Everyone knows just how much I love cocktails so this was a definite winner for me and I can’t wait to visit my local Ivy for a few cocktails after work very soon. 

Overall the food was absolutely brilliant, portions were huge too! The staff were very friendly and attentive, you couldn’t fault the customer service and I will definitely be returning. 

Sarah x