THE VENUE
Hidden behind a pawn shop facade, the ex-venue of Madame Geisha has been turned into a glitzy, prohibition-era themed restaurant and club. Dirty Blonde is a high-budget affair with premium spirits going into their beloved cocktails, and the kind of considerate, slick furnishings which suggest a lot of time and money went into the design. With intimate booths, a large open bar area that turns into a club and a restaurant on the higher floor, it caters for all your swinging 20s needs (a fact clearly noticed by the birthday party in flapper dresses and discreet bob wigs). It’s the kind of place that commands a dress code and has bookable VIP tables, which, to be frank, wouldn’t make it my usual choice. But as a life-long fan of flat shoes, dive bars and pubs with dogs and old men in, I suspect I’m not their target customer either.
THE FOOD
Putting these preconceptions aside, we arrived on a Friday evening after being invited to review their new Spring/Summer menu. The menu is available to preview online, and it looked varied with a loose American theme, including burgers, hot dogs and ribs. That’s not to suggest this is diner fare – 21-day aged steaks, sea bass and risotto were amongst the other offerings. The American theme is interpreted in a way that pretty much everyone’s catered for and the staff are happy to make substitutions and suggestions. I’m happy to confess that there aren’t many variations on macaroni cheese that I’d turn down, but my starter of mac ‘n’ cheese lollipops (£5.95) was commendable: presented well, reassuringly hot and with rich provolone and smoky tomato dipping sauces. My dining companion’s lobster and crab tacos (£7.95) were on the small side, but delicately spiced.
My main was corn-fed chicken with a bacon waffle, chilli corn bread, crisp bacon, sautéed greens and a chasseur sauce (£15.95), which is a combination that makes my mouth water even as I remember it. The chicken was fresh and tender; the sautéed greens were deliciously salted. The chilli corn bread was a bit thick and doughy for me and the bacon waffle wasn’t quite bacon-y enough, but both complemented the meal. I also tried The Dirty Dog hotdog (£11.95) which was thick and meaty with inspired beer battered jalapenos.
The food is high-quality and the portions are hearty. We saw a couple coming in to share a cake over some cocktails, a group having a full three-course meal and others just coming in for burgers and chips, all dining next to each other. The wide appeal of Dirty Blonde’s new menu means it’s suitable for a lot of needs, from casual snacking to serious dining.
THE CONCLUSION
Someone’s put a lot of effort into making Dirty Blonde feel authentic. Men with slicked back hair and waistcoats swagger about, the cocktails include ‘Prohibition Punch’ and the ‘Jay Gatsby,’ the waiters sport top hats and attentive smirks, and the atmosphere is of laid-back glamour. The new menu has a lot going on, but it doesn’t compromise on taste or careful preparation. We left at about 10pm so I can’t vouch for the club but the bar and restaurant make for a fun environment to get a cocktail and some food before a night of decadence.
Find out more here.
Words by Jessica Marshall McHattie
Disclaimer: they let me eat for free, and I love free food.
