Food is spectacular any day of the week, that’s a given, but when it’s a Sunday afternoon and you’ve been treated to the luxury of a lie in and a subsequent morning spent relaxing in pyjamas, a few hours spent drinking wine and enjoying good food, it’s bliss.
A restaurant and bar with an impressive cocktail menu and 241 cocktails from 12-7pm (which is understandably popular), Ego at The Hollybush in Stockton Brook is always a good shout for delicious dishes and a sociable drink with friends or family. Offering Mediterranean style dishes with tastes of Spain, a sprinkle of Italy and the rich flavours of Greece there’s a beautifully lit, chic but cosy atmosphere at Ego, which is consistently busy both for lunch and evening sittings.
Although a Sunday roast with all the trimmings was of course on the menu (and bloody scrumptious they looked too) when I’m eating out I’m always spoiled so much by the offerings on the menu that I feel like I’m wasting the perfect opportunity to discover new dishes that I rarely order “just a Sunday Roast”. With a selection of hangings kebabs, pasta, risotto and a variety of meat & fish dishes including Andalucian Pork Fillet, Iberian Belly Pork, Moules Frites (and a pretty good selection for veggies) I certainly was spoilt for choice. I’m the kind of person who opens a menu and can’t decide until the very last second what to order, why is it never socially or financially feasible to order one of everything? Answers on a postcard.
For starters I ordered the Grilled Goats Cheese on toasted brioche with aged balsamic vinegar, caramelised red onions, orange & apricot chutney. I love goats cheese and I adore the bitter creamy taste especially when complimented by contrasting sweet flavours such as the caramelised red onions. Absolutely delicious. Dan always orders paAte without fail and I have on good authority that the Chicken Liver & Rosemary Pâté served with clarified butter, toasted bread & chilli tomato marmalade was pretty damn tasty.
For my main I settled on the Pan Roasted Cod Loin served with wilted spinach, potatoes and a white wine tarragon sauce with a selection of wonderfully crisp and colourful vegetables. I tend to default to fish dishes when I’m eating out because I just love the texture of a well cooked fish fillet and how it just flakes apart in your mouth. I’m also a sucker for any kind of sauce served with fish, be it bernaise, hollandaise, tarragon or a good old parsley sauce, I’m definitely a spud & sauce dunker (ladylike).
A classic creme brulee is a sure fire comforting pud to round off a delicious dinner and to avoid feeling like we’d eaten one too many courses attempted to share it, sadly for Dan, my idea of sharing puds is two spoonfuls for me per each spoonful for him. Don’t feel sorry for him, he had a Bailey’s coffee to wash it down and copious amounts of white wine.
As well as their 241 cocktails until 7pm everyday, Ego at The Hollybush have a number of alluring offers throughout the week including 2 course meals and a bottle (yes, A BOTTLE) of house wine for £19.95 and my favourite, Steak night. Despite not trying the roast this time, I already have plans to head back as in a town full of carvery style Sunday lunch eateries, Ego is a breath of fresh air for fresh and flavoursome meals in a relaxing ambience.
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