London | Courtyard Restaurant in an Abandoned School 🏫🍽️

Personal Rating: 7/10 👍 Good ambiance and creative dishes 👎 Menu changes daily, limited choices, some dishes not to my taste A hidden gem of a quaint British restaurant. Tucked away in an alley, it's located in a former Victorian school building. Ring the doorbell of the wooden door to enter, and you're greeted with a lush green lawn. The restaurant is a small house in the corner, consisting of an indoor area and a tent section. The tent's top is covered with grapevines and even has small grapes. The dishes and the overall style of the place are similar to St. John's. It's no wonder it's a husband-and-wife shop. Bread £3 Their bread is reminiscent of St. John's offerings. I love it, with a chewy texture that's sticky but not gluey, very moist and soft. However, it's not toasted. Brown Shrimp £12 Tiny brown shrimp with a parsley-dressed cabbage salad, very light and unassuming. Globe Artichoke £10 Artichoke, a large one boiled, then you break off the scale-like bracts and dip them in tangy mayonnaise, scraping the tender bottom parts with your teeth. After that, you can eat the heart of the artichoke. The texture is soft and slightly sweet. Devilled Crab £11.5 Crab salad with lettuce. The crab roe has a rich aroma without being greasy, and there are plenty of crispy fried onions. Bone Marrow £8.5 The bread is slightly burnt and very crispy. The beef marrow is made into a spread, with a texture like butter, oily but not fragrant, and it's applied thickly, making it greasy and uneven in saltiness. Not a favorite. Ox Heart £6.5 Sliced roasted ox heart, chewy and slightly juicy. It's delicious. Served with gribiche, a French cold egg sauce, mixed with chopped pickles, capers, parsley, and tarragon. Slightly sour, rich, and thick with a strong egg flavor. There are also chopped eggs. Half Grouse £20 The grouse has a slight charcoal fragrance, crispy skin, tender meat, and is pink and juicy. The saltiness is just right. Served with stewed bacon pieces, soft and smoky without being too salty. The bread is made into a slightly sweet rice pudding-like sauce, which I like. Skate £21 Cartilaginous ray fish, generous in portion and fresh in texture. But the seasoning is off. The salt is uneven, and the butter flavor is too strong, overpowering the freshness. Lamb Shoulder £10 The lamb shoulder is slow-cooked until tender, falling apart at the slightest touch. The sauce is flavorful, the chard is slightly sour, and the anchovy sauce is slightly salty with a buttery aroma. Roast Mallard £23.5 Roasted mallard duck, the meat is pink and juicy. It has a duck aroma without any gamey taste. The sauce is made from the roasted meat juices, with a hint of sweetness and sourness. Served with bitter vegetables and sweet and sour raisins, a very rich combination. But the vegetable stalks are too bitter for my taste. Poached Chicken £23.5 The chicken is very tender, with a delicious broth. The homemade green sauce has a distinct mint aroma. There are also crispy and tender green beans. Refreshing and not bland. #LondonLunch #LondonFood #LondonLife #UKLife #LondonExplore #London