Festive Dining at The Arkley - Restaurant Review

It’s the most wonderful time of the year when London’s best restaurants and eateries pull out all the stops to deliver magical food and tipples to let us know that Christmas is finally here. From festive afternoon teas to Christmas lunches and dinners, I’m posting a series of reviews featuring London’s Best Festive Menus. Next up is the Festive Menu at The Arkley in Barnet, London.

The Arkley is a modern bar, pub and restaurant, all rolled into one. Located in the leafy suburb of Barnet, it offers a lovely and spacious dining area along with a beautiful bar complete with a cosy fireplace and comfy lounge chairs. It is a great place to enjoy a few drinks as well to dine and indulge in good quality wholesome food.

Food?

Their Classic Festive Menu offers three courses including a range of fabulous seasonal favourites throughout such as Duck Liver & Port Parfait, Maple Pork Belly And Pig Cheek, and, of course, Christmas Pudding.

The Deep-fried Brie in Panko Breadcrumbs With A Spiced Fruit & Sloe Gin Chutney, and Creamy Garlic Mushrooms on Toasted Sourdough Topped With Blacksticks Blue Cheese are both highly recommended.

Both starters looked delicious and the brie was wonderfully crispy and oozed decadently once cut. It was delicious with the chutney which gave a lovely sweetness to the dish. The garlic mushrooms were also lovely and worked perfectly with the blue cheese of which there was plenty.

For mains, it had to be the Roasted Turkey, served with Fluffy Beef-dripping Roasted Potatoes, A Honey Mustard Duvet And Pork & Clementine Stuffing. The roasted turkey was smothered in gravy and was juicy and full of flavour. The pork and clementine stuffing was excellent and I was surprised at how well the honey mustard ‘duvet’ worked with the turkey but it was also a great addition to the dish. The potatoes were also nice and fluffy as well as plentiful.

We also tried the 10oz Rib-eye Steak which is served with Twice-cooked Chunky Chips, Roasted Mushroom, Confit Tomato & Parsley Butter. It’s of course a classic dish and the steak was cooked to a perfect medium as requested and melted in the mouth. The chips were super chunky yet crispy outside and fluffy inside and the sides were all great accompaniments to the dish.

To end our festive meal, we went for the Caramel Crème Brûlée served with Home-baked Sultana & Oatmeal Biscuits, and Apple & Plum Crumble topped with a Demerara Sugar Crumb and served with Custard. Both were delicious and ended our meal on a sweet high.

Price?

Available until the 30th December, the three course Classic Festive Menu is £27.95 per person with an additional charge for some dishes on the menu. They also offer a four course Indulgent Festive Menu, with a glass of Prosecco on arrival, a choice of premium dishes and luxury chocolate truffles to finish for £34.95 per person.

For an extra £15 you can upgrade to their five course Extra Special Festive Menu, with a glass of Moёt & Chandon Champagne on arrival, rustic breads and olives, a choice of premium dishes and a cocktail of choice.

Overall?

We had a great time trying out the festive menu at The Arkley. The food may not be fine-dining but it is delicious and served in a lovely relaxing space with very friendly staff.

All in all, if you’re after a great choice of dishes, a good selection of beers and cocktails and a comfy and a cosy environment, then I highly recommend trying the Festive Menu at The Arkley for a great dining experience.