Great atmosphere but shame about the food
Written by Foody Judy @ East End Life Monday, 22 September 2008 18:17
As the rain started to pour we were pleased to escape into Smith’s bar and kitchen, the restaurant under the Days Inn hotel on Hackney Road.
And we weren’t the only ones. Before long the place slowly filled and the crisp room gradually filled with chatter making it feel much better than the usual lonely hotel dining atmosphere.
The service was excellent - really attentive - so our orders were quickly taken. Dining in a hotel chain hadn’t filled us with huge expectation, so it was with a wary eye that we glanced at other people’s food. But it all looked and smelt great and when our starters arrived we really enjoyed them.
The dolcelatte and parma ham parcels were lovely and were a good size. My friend’s calamari was also a nice texture with a lovely dipping sauce. So far, so good and we were quickly served our main courses. So quickly in fact you could practically hear the microwave ping.
My chicken and prawn penne was nice enough. The portion was a decent size but the chicken was quite chewy, the flavour was a bit bland and while I ate most of it I certainly wasn’t wowed. The grand total of five tiny prawns hiding in the sauce made it a sparse tenner’s worth.
My friend’s steak and ale pie left a lot to be desired. The peas that came with it looked like they’d been nuked in the microwave and the mash potato tasted as if it had come straight from a packet. The pie didn’t fare much better with the bits of meat that were to be found under the soggy pastry proving tough and stringy. It’s personal preference really but to top it off, the whole lot had barely been introduced to the gravy.
As my friend picked through it we were a bit disappointed - the prices certainly are not cheap and you could be forgiven for expecting a bit more for your money.
The ambiance remained pleasant; the restaurant was really clean with simple, fresh décor and ample space between tables. People chattered happily as they got stuck into their desserts but we opted out.
Despite my friend having left much of the main course we didn’t want to gamble on pudding.
So instead we took a chance on the rain easing off.
Smith's bar and kitchen is at 41-437 Hackney Road, Bethnal Green, E2.
Tel. 7613 6500.
And we weren’t the only ones. Before long the place slowly filled and the crisp room gradually filled with chatter making it feel much better than the usual lonely hotel dining atmosphere.
The service was excellent - really attentive - so our orders were quickly taken. Dining in a hotel chain hadn’t filled us with huge expectation, so it was with a wary eye that we glanced at other people’s food. But it all looked and smelt great and when our starters arrived we really enjoyed them.
The dolcelatte and parma ham parcels were lovely and were a good size. My friend’s calamari was also a nice texture with a lovely dipping sauce. So far, so good and we were quickly served our main courses. So quickly in fact you could practically hear the microwave ping.
My chicken and prawn penne was nice enough. The portion was a decent size but the chicken was quite chewy, the flavour was a bit bland and while I ate most of it I certainly wasn’t wowed. The grand total of five tiny prawns hiding in the sauce made it a sparse tenner’s worth.
My friend’s steak and ale pie left a lot to be desired. The peas that came with it looked like they’d been nuked in the microwave and the mash potato tasted as if it had come straight from a packet. The pie didn’t fare much better with the bits of meat that were to be found under the soggy pastry proving tough and stringy. It’s personal preference really but to top it off, the whole lot had barely been introduced to the gravy.
As my friend picked through it we were a bit disappointed - the prices certainly are not cheap and you could be forgiven for expecting a bit more for your money.
The ambiance remained pleasant; the restaurant was really clean with simple, fresh décor and ample space between tables. People chattered happily as they got stuck into their desserts but we opted out.
Despite my friend having left much of the main course we didn’t want to gamble on pudding.
So instead we took a chance on the rain easing off.
Smith's bar and kitchen is at 41-437 Hackney Road, Bethnal Green, E2.
Tel. 7613 6500.
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