Review: Bird of Smithfield, Farringdon
Style Points: 4/5
Price: £££
Overall: 4/5
Bird of Smithfield is a classy little joint housed in a 5 floor Georgian townhouse. These narrow floors include a cocktail den, lounge bar, smart dining area, private dining area and even a hidden roof terrace with views of Smithfield market! Open from breakfast to dinner and late of time, giving plenty of time to explore all the floors.
Alan Bird, the head chef/owner has come from his previous position as executive chef at The Ivy and created a tempting offering of his own which reflect modern British cuisine.
Would I Want Seconds?
After starting with a few drinks at the bar on the ground floor, we made our way up to the narrow staircase to the cosy dining area. The menu has a focus on seafood and although there are meat and vegetarian dishes, it is clear that seafood is the speciality here.
To start I ordered the chargrilled West Coast squid, pickled heritage carrots, beets and green sauce. This was a delicious dish to start the meal of with, and I moved on to a main course of deep fried cod, triple cooked chips served with mushy peas and tartare sauce. This seemingly standard plat of comfort food was actually the best plate of fish and chips I’ve had in awhile! The highlight of the dish was the sides of mushy peas which had added ingredients to add depth of the flavour and make it much creamier to eat.
After we had recovered from the shock of such amazing tasting mushy peas, for dessert I couldn’t help but order the salted caramel, banana and coconut cake, served with rum and raisin ice cream. This was a decadent dish, mildly rather than overwhelmingly sweet dish, which finished of the meal perfectly.
Could I Afford Seconds?
Bird of Smithfield’s prices are slightly on the higher end, however the quality of the food and the classy venue justify this. Starters range from £9 - £14 for the Lambton and Jackson smoked eel and main courses are between £15 to £23 for the whole Brixham lemon sole. Desserts are approximately £7 and portion sizes for all three courses are large.
Overall:
If I am ever in search for a venue in Farringdon I will keep Bird of Smithfield in mind, as it is one of the classier joints in the area.
Perfect for a casual drink or a formal meal this is a 5 storey restaurant that ticks all the boxes.
Website: birdofsmithfield.com
Address: 26 Smithfield Street, City of London, London EC1A 9LB
Closest Tube Station: Farringdon
