Friday lunchtime and at a loose end. We’ve arrived on the train from the north – not frozen this time but basking in the low 30s, hotter than our glorious capital. What a summer – just as well we’re old enough to remember 1976 (Triumph Spitfire with the hood down all summer, since you’re asking) to compare. We didn’t much care then – no children to worry about, postage stamp of a garden and concerned more about how long we’d get through the month before going overdrawn. About the 14th or 15th from memory.
We’re down (up? – who knows? Cream and jam or jam and cream?) for A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bridge Theatre, near Tower Bridge. Stunning production – 5 stars the broadsheets gave it – but we didn’t stand as part of the crowd. We paid for the (second) best seats – one row back. Front row £135/ticket. £135!! Fabulous theatre with a great, great director – Nicholas Hytner. But you’re well into four figures with tickets, train, hotel, dinner x 2, lunch, drinks…all for two nights.
Dinner at The Ivy next door. Not the original obvs but not too shabby, and no danger of being consigned to Siberia, as in the original. The original? Yeh, we’ve eaten there a few times. Always good food but the table location? We had a good one once. We’re not regulars – three times in thirty years? Does that count? One course and a water at this little outpost near Tower Bridge.
So we’re at Spring at Somerset House, by Skye Gyngell. We’re having the two or three course lunch for £29/£33. Garden salad, Sea Trout and remoulade, and damson ice cream with meringue. They do a Scratch menu too, early evening, made up of leftovers. Think pasta course made from the trimmings off ravioli and a ragu with the left over bits of lamb. And bread pudding. Perfect. We weren’t there for that but happy to give it a go sometime – mind you, £40 for leftovers…
It’s a great setting with those random fountains in the courtyard in the summer, and skiing rink in the winter. Have we got those at home…mmm let me think?
Restaurant Spring, Somerset House complete with fountains…
PS Since we went Skye Gyngell has died at too early an age. Revisit her inspirational cooking with her cook books.
A few pictures of the floor of the Bridge Theatre’s Midsummer Night’s Dream…
sleep | eat | enjoy 