Food

Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings Restaurant

The vibe in B&H is entirely convincing, they’ve gone for calm and contemporary with a twist that makes it both warm and homely. Whatever mood you’re in will be transformed to one of tranquil contentedness once you step inside.

Found just a five minute walk from Barbican station, B&H sits on the corner of a side street in a painted brick building, which it turns out is actually competing with Doctor Who’s Public Call Box for the definition of Tardis.

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The entrance takes you straight into a huge airy space with a massive (and incredibly well stocked) bar. Round the corner is an impressive dining area, but make sure you carry on to the best bit – a long thin greenhouse style extension with dozens of plants hanging from the ceiling.

The chairs here are all variations on leafy patterned armchairs, and are mega comfy!

B&H is definitely the place to go if you want to show someone the high life. From its decor to its incredibly well presented food, it screams expensive, but the set lunch menu which we tried was really reasonable. (Three courses for £18 seems like a steal when the food is that delicious.) On top of this, the service is great and all of the staff were lovely, enthusiastic and really invested in the B&H vision.

We were impressed enough by B&H before we’d even eaten, and fortunately the food lived up to the great atmosphere of the entire place.

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We went for a roasted rhubarb salad and a ham hock and pineapple salad to start, both were twists on classic dishes, with a great combination of flavours. They were served with complimentary aniseed bread which brought the flavours of each dish out perfectly.

Then we went on to mains, and I couldn’t resist the chicken with pancetta, while my mum opted for the baked and crusted trout. The waiter suggested a side of spinach which would complement both our dishes, and he couldn’t have been more right! The spinach dish was light but creamy, and both our meals hit the nail on the head with their flavour and imagination.

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Neither of us could contemplate fitting in a dessert, but at the same time we couldn’t resist the menu when they showed it to us. We opted to share a glazed pear with chocolate mousse and light custard. This was definitely worth making room for, and literally ticked every single box you could want from a pudding.

We washed all of this down with a well priced dry white wine, and we both finished up with a coffee.

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We had the most relaxing lunch, and left feeling almost as if we’d be to a spa! I’ll definitely be going again (as soon as I can), especially if I’m eating with someone I want to impress!

Website: bandhbuildings.com

Facebook: /bourneandhollingsworth

Twitter: @bandhbuildings ¦ @bandhgroup

Instagram: /bourneandhollingsworth

Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings Restaurant 

42 Northampton Road

London

EC1R 0HU

020 3174 1156