sometimes i love how cheap frugal my friends and i are. it was liz's birthday last month, and with the end of the old job and the start of the new one, and - ya know, life, always getting in the way, we just hadn't yet caught up to celebrate. a few weeks ago a group email went around suggesting we go out for dinner, somewhere central, somewhere cheap, somewhere where old fussy britches (me) could eat in peace. a few restaurant names were tossed about, too pricey, not pricey enough (as if), too meaty, too wet (carmen doesn't like wet food... i know, she's odd)... we just couldn't decide.
then, louise (jokingly, i think) suggested kettner's. i've been to kettner's before with clients (they paid), and another mutual friend of ours talks about that place like it's the place to eat. she's having her wedding reception there, apparently. it's the real deal. it's not cheap though, that i knew, and before i even managed to get those words into the email, liz had already replied with those three words us cheap bitches love to hear: "they take tastecard".
the tastecard, if you're not aware, is like the key to the city. essentially, you flash your little green card and you get magnificent discounts. at kettner's, the discount is 50% off your starter, main and desserts... that's half price, for those non-mathematicians out there. knowing that everything but our £7 wines were going to be ridiculously cheap, we went for three courses. because... it would be rude not to, right?
while the other girls went for sophisticated dishes like the steamed cornish mussels in white wine cream and garlic, and the asparagus dish with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce, i went with the unconventional option and ordered the double cooked chips. because... why not. i wanted potatoes. for my main i ordered the lock duart salmon, smoked haddock and prawn fishcakes, that came served on a bed of wilted spinach and a sorrell butter sauce.
just check out these deliciously fishy balls:
after our mains, carmen and i decided wanted dessert. because we couldn't decide between the creme brulee and the sticky toffee pudding (with roast peanut ice cream!), we decided we'd each order one, and share them. well, when the sticky toffee pudding was put down in front of me and the creme brulee in front of her, we instatntly decided we didn't want to play that game anymore! look how bloody marvellous the pudding looks! yes, popcorn on the side! i can't even! it was absolutely delicious. to be fair, i had a mouthful of the brulee, and it was also divine, but not more so than my first choice. with the tastecard discount, the desserts worked out to be about three quid each too, which... is a bloody steal for soho!
all in all and for three courses and a glass of wine (which actually worked out to be more than the cost of my main meal!) i paid about twenty quid including a tip. twenty quid that should have been forty quid, had we not had the help of our little friend, mr. tastecard (ps. this post is not sponsored by tastecard, the good folks at tastecard have generously opened a competition for you all to enter to win a free annual membership. everyone who enters will also receive a free 30 day trial. enter here!) it just really is the dining revolution!).
after all the food, i decided to walk back to waterloo to get home. i'm super glad i did too, because with big old bertha doing her thing around our fair country, i swear the city has never looked prettier. zero filters have been placed on that picture above, it was seriously this stunning walking across the river. not that she's not always turned out, our london, but this night she had her glad rags on and was ready for a show.
after all the food, i decided to walk back to waterloo to get home. i'm super glad i did too, because with big old bertha doing her thing around our fair country, i swear the city has never looked prettier. zero filters have been placed on that picture above, it was seriously this stunning walking across the river. not that she's not always turned out, our london, but this night she had her glad rags on and was ready for a show.
tell me guys, do you use a tastecard, or, are you not as shameless as the rest of us?
