My boyfriend and I have made it our little tradition that we go for dinner at Quaglino’s in Mayfair as our Valentines Day treat. It is one of our all time favourite restaurants in London as it has such a fantastic atmosphere and buzz about it, as well as the most mouth-watering menu! Quaglino’s offers both an upstairs and downstairs bar, both serving the most innovative delicious cocktails. We started off with a glass of champagne in the upstairs bar, and were then welcomed to our table downstairs soon after.
The restaurant is stunning and spans two floors. The menu is designed by Executive Head Chef James Hulme, and specialises in European classics and seafood. I decided to have their special ‘Quaglino’s Cocktail’ to start, which consists of prawns, crab and lobster on a bed of salad – it is SO good! Sam had the duck liver parfait which was also a winner. For mains, I decided against my usual order and tried the pan fried cod (and I was so pleased I did) – it was cooked to perfection and melted in the mouth. Sam decided on the slow cooked rib of beef, and that too was so well cooked, with the most beautiful flavours. The service is always impeccable when we dine here and we were regularly asked if there was anything else we wanted or desired to make our experience that extra bit special.
To finish off our evening, we had the coconut and mango panna cotta – it was light and refreshing and exactly what we wanted. We then headed over to the downstairs bar which was covered in gorgeous red roses that filled the restaurant, absolutely stunning. We spent the rest of our evening sipping cocktails and enjoying the incredibly talented live music that Quaglino’s offer. One of our favourite aspects of Quaglino’s is that you don’t need to go onto a bar or club afterwards – it is all in one place. They provide the best live bands, singers and music and we always sit and enjoy it for hours.
I highly recommend trying the highly respected Quaglino’s restaurant, we have always had such a special experience, and will certainly be back for Valentines next year (or most likely sooner!)
Olivia x