The Delfina is a very unusual restaurant. Unlike almost every other restaurant in London, the only evening they are open is Friday, but open for lunch Monday to Friday. At the weekend and on other nights, the venue is available for hire for assorted events like weddings, photo shoots, product launches and gallery evenings. It is certainly a very versatile space.
The most striking thing upon entry is how light and airy the room is. White furniture in a white room with high ceilings and expansive artworks on the walls, it does have the atmosphere of eating in an art gallery. Also noticeable is the space in the room, the tables are all positioned at distance from each other, a very pleasant change from many other restaurants which seem not to have grasped the idea of personal space.
This led to us being unsure of what to expect from the food, but we were thoroughly impressed. Our starters consisted of roast pigeon breast with artichokes and blackberries; and wild mushroom ravioli with chestnuts, tarragon and truffle cream. The pigeon was rich and full of flavour, complimented perfectly by the tartness of the blackberries. The ravioli, although a relatively small portion, was delicious with the flavour combination of the mushrooms, chestnuts and truffle cream working very well together.
Next up was a feast of red meat, char grilled Scottish rib eye steak with leaf salad; and a combination of roast rum of beef and braised shin with mash and parsnips, plus side orders of chunky chips and seasonal greens. The steak was huge and well-seasoned which we liked although if you prefer your steak to have a more subtle taste it may be worth requesting less seasoning when ordering. The roast rump was equally as tender but the shin may have been the highlight – a strong, rich flavour which melted in the mouth. The chips are worthy of a mention too – crunchy coating and fluffy inside, cooked to perfection.
Having left just enough room for a dessert, we ended the evening with the cheese selection and a banoffee pie. Both were beautifully presented, the cheeseboard had Brie, vintage cheddar and a particularly tasty Stilton; while the banoffee pie was presented in a deconstructed form. Caramelised banana, soft toffee sauce and banana ice cream were presented apart with flaky pastry.
We would definitely recommend the Delfina, despite it only beings open one evening per week they appear to have found a winning formula. Combine all this with very efficient, helpful staff and this is a restaurant we’d be delighted to go back to.
50 Bermondsey Street, SE1
www.thedelfina.co.uk