Like all Londoners I spend the entirety of the summer months looking for that elusive alfresco spot to while away after work…
sipping on banging cocktails, ordering small plates when peckish and ideally not having to share with the rest of the sweaty population.
So imagine my surprise when I found all this and more at Ham Yard Hotel – located just behind busy Soho, I have no idea how they managed to nab this massive spot without us noticing!
We went on a sunny night after work and started the evening with some expertly prepared cocktails – we LOVE sparkling cocktails and this place has a whole page dedicated to them!
Try the refreshing Summer Punch with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries & Prosecco or have the Choc Orange for dessert, with you guessed it, chocolate, orange & Prosecco!
We ate in the main restaurant but the small sharing plates looked so delicious! We particulary liked the sound of the spring bean and white truffle salad and chorizo sausage rolls with rapeseed mayonnaise. The naughty melts sounded the perfect thing to soak up those cocktails – home made rosemary focaccia with fillings such as hot salt beef with mustard mayo, and truffled mascarpone, glazed smoked ham and pickles.
If you can tear yourself away from all this and want something altogether more luxurious then the a la carte menu won’t disappoint!
We kicked things off with the summer minestrone, a vibrant green bowl of goodness, & seared scallops with tempura courgette flower, crushed peas & chilli – both perfect choices for a hot summers evening & lovingly presented. I was so tempted to order a third starter, but we’ll have to come back for the burrata with heritage tomatoes, olives & basil.
I ordered the red mullet with candied aubergine, quinoa and saffron yoghurt and while it was perfectly nice, I had serious food envy over the exceptional poached cod, with parsley risotto and pancetta. What a dish! The fish was poached to perfection, so juicy atop it’s glistening green risotto, while the crunch of the pancetta was the cherry on top. I urge you to order this!
Again, it was tricky to make a selection with a menu that had plenty of fish options, (just what I want in this weather!) as well as heartier meat options for all you carnivores!
Portions were filling but not heavy so we had room for dessert. Each priced at a reasonable £5, these portions were comparatively huge!
I had the chocolate pot with raspberries and popping candy – far more sophisticated than it sounds and lucky for me it went on and on – the tart raspberries cut through the chocolate to avoid any sickliness.
The blueberry pie was cute as a button with a great big dollop of clotted cream on top. True comfort food at its best.
I’ll be very surprised if you manage to leave without stopping off for a cheeky after dinner espresso martini – and quite frankly – why would you??
A great addition to the area, bringing refined, yet relaxed, great quality food & service.
We’ve left our towel out to keep our spot in the sun.
https://www.firmdalehotels.com/a/restaurants-bars/london/ham-yard/