isola

Happy New Year!!! In fine tradition, my resolutions for this year are as follows : Yep... I will... something. Anyway, we went to Isola in Knightsbridge on New Years Eve for their celebration dinner & drinks, and it was fantastic. Anna was wearing her newest Little Black Dress, and looked awesome :-) We hadn't been there before, but we will be back. They did a set menu for the evening, with a choice of three or four courses. I had Parma with melon to start, and Anna had pumpkin and lentil soup. The Parma was unlike any I've ever had in the UK - each piece melted in my mouth, with almost no chewing required :-) The main was blackened chicken served with asparagus tips and spring onions. The chicken was also fantastic, cooked pefectly, and with a subtle and tangy sauce. Anna had lamb with potatoes gratin and a selection of vegetables. It also rocked. Desert was a medley of sorbet and ice-cream that defied belief... the strawberry sorbet could well take first place in the best desert ever eaten :-) Anna had Apple tart, which rocked too. Full marks for the pastry chef :-) I found a great wine to accompany the chicken, but I can't remember the name, so I'm going to have to go back and check the wine list. We finished with Vin Santo for Anna, and a nice '86 port for me. My only complaint with the whole meal was that the port wasn't decanted properly, and had a lot of sediment in the glass. Before the meal we had some coctails in the bar upstairs. I have to mention the service - it was both professional and friendly. Our waiter both knew what had to be done (in Anna's professional opinion), and did it with a smile and friendly manner all the way through. At midnight, the Maitre'D, manager and our waiter came around to wish us a happy new year. All in all, it was a fantastic night.