Everyone has a soulmate friend, your bestie that you will be with you for your whole life.
Anna is my soulmate friend. We met at school when we five years old, back when I was a mere tiny teaspoon…
And went on to secondary school together.
Our paths diverged when we went to different universities.
But our friendship never changed.
We love to celebrate our birthdays together and this year for Anna’s birthday, I was treating her to a night on the town!
First the outfit of the day.
The bejewelled dress is from one of my favourite designers, Needle and Thread. The sparkly Louboutins were a present from Mr Silver, he’s a man of taste!
We started the night as we meant to go on with a glass of champers at 28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen on Maddox Street.
28 – 50 offers thirty different wines by the glass, carafe or bottle and a choice of forty champagnes with four available by the glass. There’s also a French bistro menu if you need to line your stomach from all that wine!
Next it was on to dinner and the venue was Pollen Street Social, a restaurant we’d both been keen to try for ages.
Jason Atherton is the man of the moment! He already has five incredibly popular restaurants in London, including Berners Tavern, and the newly opened City Social. He has achieved worldwide acclaim with several restaurants in Asia and a plan for a new one in Dubai.
Pollen Street Social is the jewel in Atherton’s crown. It opened in 2011 and was awarded a Michelin star after only six months.
I find some Michelin restaurants can be a bit staid and stuffy, but Pollen Street Social is the opposite. It was lively and buzzing!
We started off with another glass of champagne poured from this magnum.
Then we amused our bouches.
At an amazing restaurant like this I must alway mention the bread, it is my favourite thing after all…
Though a simple sourdough or white baguette, the bread was cooked freshly and perfectly crisp on the outside.
As best friends always do, we chose to share everything.
Line caught Devon squid cooked in cauliflower with roasted squid juices, ink rice and sea herbs. Everything on the plate was perfectly cooked with each ingredient marrying together in harmony.
Orkney sea scallop carpaccio, kohlrabi, frozen pink grapefruit, lemon skin puree and samphire. The dish was so light, fresh and zesty! We were in heaven!
We waited in eager anticipation of the main course…
Breast and confit leg of guinea fowl with a gorgeous little guinea fowl bolognese. I had worried that this would be too heavy but as it was so perfectly portioned it was ideal!
Sea bass with parsley mousseline, cockles, winkles and broccoli was another star. Just check out those gorgeous emerald greens!
A gorgeous little palette cleanser.
And the who doesn’t love best friend bonding over chocolate.
And this was comfort food at its best!
But this strawberry sensation was the real show stopper! Much more light and refreshing.
But it didn’t end there with the sweet treats.
The meal ended with three delicious kinds of petit fours. I love all the little extras that Pollen Street Social gave us and the birthday girl definitely felt very spoiled!
Pollen Street Social was totally exquisite and the perfect place for best friend birthday bonding. I’m definitely looking forward to trying more from the maestro Mr Atherton!
