We love some places because they’re the perfect place for drinks after work, with a casual atmosphere and great cocktails. Others are ideal for romantic dates whilst some restaurants are great for lunches or light meals.
Very rarely can you find a place that ticks all these boxes, somewhere where the food is as good as the drinks and atmosphere and The Folly near Monument Station is one such place. Obviously being in the heart of the Square Mile, the mid-week after work crowd were out in force during our visit, with the crowd pretty evenly split between drinkers and diners and a menu divided between sharers and light meals and full-on main courses. Some venues that don’t specialise in a particular area can suffer from being Jacks of all trades without mastering any so it’s refreshing to find a well thought out menu with great flavours and even better service.
Our meal kicked off with the Borough market flatbread to share, a huge rectangle of light dough topped pizza-style with chorizo, piquillo peppers, rocket and sun blushed tomatoes all sourced from just across the river. A very pleasant surprise, we imagined the plate would be presented with the ingredients separated as a selection of different items, so to have them presented all atop the bread was a great start.
To follow, we ordered the crispy duck and noodle salad, presented in an ironic cardboard takeaway box. A huge portion, the duck was shredded and fried to perfection and served with crispy vegetables and noodles in a plum and sesame dressing. Even as a large portion, it was still a good option for a warm sunny evening. The other meal that we sampled was the lamb burger, a thick and juicy burger topped with feta and piquillo peppers. The cowboy fries on the side aren’t to be missed, drizzled with honey, chilli and garlic; part spicy, part sweet, all awesome.
And for the indecisive, there is only one option for dessert: the pudding shots. Three little tastes of the classics available on the dessert menu served in tiny individual glasses. The chocolate brownie and the creme brûlée were good, but the knickerbocker glory was a personal favourite. Whatever you’re looking for and whatever mood you’re in, The Folly will almost certainly have what you need.
www.thefollybar.co.uk
41 Gracechurch Street, EC3V 0BT