BELGO & BLOOM, KINGS CROSS

Having been to Belgo several times in the past, all of which were enjoyable, I was looking forward to checking out their latest dual concept venture with the Bloomsbury Group in Kings Cross.
The two venues have been designed by London agency Superfutures and are located within the newly refurbished Crowne Plaza Hotel (formally Holiday Inn).

Inspired by a love of gin and passion for food, Bloom Kitchen and Bar pays homage to the locality, and the famous artistic set, The Bloomsbury Group, a collective of bohemian writers, poets and intellectuals, including Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell, that were renowned for their influential, private and exclusive rendezvous. 

We were welcomed by the manager, Joel, smartly dressed in a cravat and neck scarf featuring Bloomsbury prints, the type of clothing that reflect the members of the original Group.
The place looked chic and refined, yet exuded a warm and welcoming ambience, and we happened to pick the right day when there was live jazz playing the evening.
We started off at the bar with some drinks from their gin-inspired cocktail menu, already eyeing the relaxed lounge area at the other end for after-dinner drinks. 

We were then shown to our table for the evening within the swanky-looking Belgo Restaurant, famed for its fresh mussels which are rope grown, grit free and fully sustainable from the Shetland Islands. The 140-cover restaurant was adorned with quirky feature lighting, big banquette seating, reclaimed wood booths and eclectic artwork, with floor to ceiling stained glass screens that break up the restaurant into smaller intimate dining areas.

Whilst we sipped on our welcome cocktails (a sweet and refreshing strawberry mojito, if I recall correctly ... ), our waitress popped open a couple of bottles of Lindemans Faro from our ice bucket, to be paired with our starters - a dark, ruby-red Belgian beer that had a nice balance of sweetness and tartness. Our starters included deliciously crunchy and oozy Cheesy Croquettes, flavoursome King Prawns in Garlic Butter, and Belgo Potted Pate. 

We progressed on to the sharer mains of Sliced Sirloin, Double Cooked Frites, and of course their Famous Moules, served two ways: classic Moules Marinière ('traditionelle' with cream) and a fragrant Thai-inspired one that I really enjoyed.
This was paired with Delirium Tremens, an inviting golden liquid known for its sweetish palate with lots of warming alcohol, and was elected as the best beer in the world in 2008. It's ABV of 8.5% will surely have you seeing pink elephants if consumed in large quantities ...

And finally, we finished with a sweet dessert of homemade waffles topped with ice cream, paired with one of my favourite beers, Fruli, made from pure strawberries and high-quality Belgian white beer - a much sweeter and zesty beer that would appeal even to the non-beer lovers.

Yet another fine evening of plentiful food and quality Belgian beers - Belgo certainly always makes sure that we're well-fed (and watered!)

With our bellies filled and satisfied, we retired back to the lounge at the Bloom Bar to wind down with some cocktails and jazz. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday evening, or any other evening for that matter - I would definitely be tempted to return and relive the evening, and hopefully try out the artisan food menu from the Bloomsbury Kitchen as well.

Click HERE to download a 2-for-1 voucher, valid on all Blooming Gin Cocktails at Bloom!

The Cheekster, signing out x

 

The meal was complimentary, but views remain my own.

LOBSTERFEST AT BELGO

Love lobster? Then Belgo has definitely got  treat in store for you. 
For the 11th year in a row, Belgo, well known for their iconic moules, frites and bieres brand, are hosting their legendary Lobsterfest.
For this ever-popular Lobsterfest, diners can enjoy four specially created lobster dishes, alongside Belgo's exclusively crafted beer and schnapps cocktails, created in house by expert mixologists and beer sommeliers.  
We visited the Covent Garden branch, which was conveniently located just round the corner from my ballet class, so I hastily ran over after, hungry and ready to feast on some delicious lobster.

We started off with some cocktails: Marie had the Jimi Hendrik whilst I had the Slagarita, a Belgo margarita topped with a whole bottle of Slag Pils. I'm not usually much of a beer person, but I have to say that I very much enjoyed mine, especially in this lovely summer weather (yes, it actually finally feels like summer in London!)

I was initially tempted by the Lobster Linguini, but then couldn't resist ordering the Whole Dressed Lobster, served hot with bearnaise sauce and spinach. The lobster was nicely cooked, and also came with a side of crispy double-cooked fries - yum!

 Marie had the "Lobster Waterzooi" (pronounced Vatter-Zoy), Belgo's luxurious interpretation of Belgium's national dish, which was a creamy soup-stew and great for dipping with bread.

The other two mains included the Lobster Linguini and Surf n' Turf Burger - both of which also sounded just as tasty. If only I had a larger appetite ... 

The Lobsterfest menu is available across all 5 restaurants in the Capitial until Sunday 28th August 2016, so there's still plenty of time to treat yourself!

The Cheekster, signing out x

The meal was complimentary, but views remain my own.

BELGO, HOLBORN

Currently with five restaurants scattered across London, this was surprisingly my first time visiting Belgo, which specializes in Belgian food and beer. The Holborn branch has recently re-opened its doors after a refurbishment, and although I am not aware of how it looked before, it certainly looks pretty impressive inside -  the interior is rather spacious, with an industrial style decor of exposed brick walls and metal fittings.

Previously a former Lloyds Bank building, it still echoes some of the banks facilities, with the basement safe now the Belgo beer cellar. The new layout has maintained the Belgo signature open plan kitchen, rotisserie chicken displays and the iconic 'Delirium - Pink Elephant' beer tap. Belgo's concept has focused on keeping things simple with their mix of their famous moules, frites and bieres - Belgo Holborn is the first branch to feature the new logo, which has been updated to give equal billing to the range of succulent rotisserie chicken, grills and tempting cocktails, which I'm sure is positively great news for all!

Upon arrival, I was greeted with a sweet and refreshing Fruli Mojito  before being whisked over to my table where more beer awaited me (!)
Belgo is well-known for serving 52 handpicked, craft, bottled beers - many are exclusive in the UK to Belgo and are shipped directly from Belgian monasteries where the beer is produced using traditional methods dating back thousands of years.
 I don't often drink beer, but I did taste the Mongozo Gluten-free Buckwheat made using orange peels and coriander, Delirium Tremens, a strong golden Belgian ale, and Fruli, made from pure strawberry juice and Belgian white beer, which was sweet, fruity and my favourite amongst them - clearly because I have a sweet-tooth.
I also surprisingly did enjoy the Brugse Zot, otherwise known as 'Bruges Fool', a golden beer brewed in the historical town center of Bruges.

Now on to the food where we were served some sharing/taster dishes from their menu. We began with some starters: Cheesy Croquettes, King Prawns in Garlic Butter, and Belgo Smooth Brussels Pate finished with Delirium Jelly.

From the mains, we had a taste of their famous moules served two different ways (Traditionelle and Marinière), double cooked frites, and their take on surf 'n turf with asparagus.

And just in case we were still thirsty, there was plenty more beer and shots to go around...

We finished off with some waffles with dark chocolate and white chocolate sauce, and a cherry coulis.

It was overall a nice taster of what Belgo has on offer, and I would be interested to visit again for a full dining experience, and more of those moules.
Thank you Belgo for a fun evening, and I look forward to returning soon.

The Cheekster, signing out x