REVIEW
GOING ‘OUT OUT’! By Gilly Balcombe
It was the week we’d all been waiting for – the week when pubs, restaurants and cafés that have outdoor space could finally begin serving their customers, after months of closed doors in the hospitality sector. Your Editor and I decided we weren’t about to be left out of all this excitement, and we booked a table for lunch at one of my favourite pubs, The Stag in London’s Hampstead. Well let’s face it, the weather that week wasn’t what you’d call promising but, as with everything else, the staff at The Stag had it covered. On arrival our booking was checked, we were asked for an NHS QR code, or contact details if we didn’t have one. We had chosen a two-hour time slot beginning at midday. Every single member of staff was wearing their mask correctly, over nose and mouth. We were taken through to our table in the garden, where the tables were all well distanced and we were given a huge 44
space to ourselves. And covering the entire area were what I can only describe as two enormous tent tops, open at the sides to allow the circulation of fresh air and with judiciously placed outdoor heaters. The undersides were strung with fairy lights, there were plants here and there, and the result was that the garden was a warm and inviting space. Signs had been put up to remind customers of the sanitary regulations. Anyone reading this who’s been to The Stag knows that the quality of the food is excellent, and this lunch service was no exception. As our starters we ordered, and shared, Macaroni Balls with Chipotle Dip and the Spinach & Artichoke Dip with Homemade Pitta Bread. The macaroni balls were crisp and golden and piping hot, just the right type of delicious, unctuous comfort food for a dismal day in London, and the chipotle dip delivered a wonderful hit of Cibare Magazine
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