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.

CHINESE CRICKET CLUB: QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY MENU

I previously visited Crowne Plaza during their hotel showcase where we had a little sample of the food at the restaurant, but this was my first time dining at the Chinese Cricket Club. 
Located within Crowne Plaza London - The City,  just opposite Blackfriars station, the restaurant is known to specialize in Sichuan cuisine, led by Executive Chef Ken Wang.
Judging by its location, I would assume that it's main clientele would be business and city workers, but also caters well for the wider public, as we observed a large family reunion that took place on the evening that we visited.

A special Queen's Birthday menu was on offer that evening, on the day of the big street party on The Mall, designed by Chef Ken Wang.

We started with some dumplings which were freshly prepared and handcrafted in their kitchen. Unfortunately I missed out on the past Dim Sum masterclasses, which I'm sure would have been good fun! We sampled the prawn har gau and scallop and prawn sui mai which are classic favourites. The prawn inside was fresh and juicy and topped with some caviar that gave a pleasant popping texture. The scallop and pork was just as delicious.

The mains consisted of beef tenderloin with black pepper and Yu-xiang chicken Sichuan style, served with a portion of brown rice and egg fried rice. The beef was really soft and tender with bits of straw mushrooms. The Yu-xiang chicken was also tasty, which is a classic Sichuan stir-fry dish which consists of shredded chicken cooked with carrot, bamboo shoots, and peppers in a pungent sweet and sour garlic sauce. 
Both dishes were quite simple but still tasty, and with lots of sauce to have with the rice.

Our meal ended with a slice of birthday cake which was a light sponge cake with cream and cherries.

Overall it was a simple and satisfying meal, although I would be interested to see what the main a la carte menu would be like. 
If you happen to work in the area, they also do an Express Lunch and Dinner menu for those pressed for time... 

Check out their website for further details.

The Cheekster, signing out x

The meal was complimentary, but views remain my own.