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Review: Paul Nelson
GREENWICH is an odd neighbourhood regarding places to eat for
the regular Londoner and for the tourist, it holds out little
that cannot be found on the front at any seaside resort.
In fact, with young couples drifting about with their arms around
each other, foreigners frankly lost, and Americans and Chinese,
who seem to make up the bulk of the rest of the tourists, I stand
by my comparison with, say, Hastings or Southend.
As at the seaside, in Greenwich you will find fish and chip shops,
burger bars, trendies serving all kinds of hot, spicy foreign
foods of dubious origin, the inevitable Thai restaurants and donor
kebab joints, plus the bone-crunching, monotonous 'traditional
bar food' in all the pubs.
Imagine, then, my round eyes and gasp of wonder on finding Davy's
immediately outside the Greenwich Docklands Light Railway station,
in Greenwich High Road.
Davy's looks like an old-fashioned pub, sawdust on the floor,
oak tables, chairs and settles, but there the resemblance ends.
Facing you as you enter is a bar that stirs the traveller's heart.
It is well stocked and managed to perfection by a friendly and
efficient staff who, when you are settled, give you the attention
due to visiting heads of state.
Sipping an unhurried aperitif, the menu not only makes your mouth
water, it brings tears of joy to the eyes. Before the entrees,
there is a choice of Soup of the Day, Chicken Liver Pate (with
a hint of brandy and served with orange marmalade and hot toast),
Scottish Herring Fillets with red onion and potato salad, Scottish
Smoked Salmon (can be ordered as a main course), and garlic Field
Mushroom chargrilled with garlic and pesto.
My partner chose Buffalo Mozzarella, Vine Tomatoes and Basil,
with a pesto dressing, which was pronounced excellent, and had
the authentic look and taste of its Italian original and was extravagantly
praised.
Its pretty arrangement of the colours of the Italian flag - red,
white and green - is what gives it the name Tricolore.
I had the herring fillets which, with the sweet onion and cool
potato salad, melted in the mouth.
The choice of main courses from the menu is equally tempting
and there are additional dishes of the day displayed on the blackboard.
The cold entrees were Smoked Chicken Caesar Salad, with cos lettuce
and croutons dressed with shaved Parmesan cheese, and Avocado,
Pancetta and Stilton Salad on a bed of mixed leaves with baby
spinach.
The choice of hot entrees was comprehensive. Fusilli Pasta with
sunblushed vegetables, mushrooms, pine nuts and Parmesan shavings,
Bangers and Mash, Cumberland sausages with mashed potatoes and
onion gravy (not as prosaic as it sounds), surprisingly there
was Ham and Eggs, the finest Alderton Ham served with two fried
free range eggs and chipped potatoes.
Specially selected for Davy's was Best Rib Eye Steak, chargrilled
and garnished with herb butter, grilled mushroom, tomato, salad
and a choice of potatoes - this had warm béarnaise sauce
as an extra.
Chicken lovers are not forgotten, but catered for in style, with
Charcoal Grilled Breast of Chicken served with a Provencal vegetable
and red wine sauce and Dauphinoise potatoes.
Fish foodies are pampered with Smoked Haddock Fish Cakes with
lime tartare served with dressed mixed leaves, Fish and Chips,
deep fried codling fillet, served with chipped potatoes and mushy
peas and (my choice) Fresh Swordfish Steak, marinated in soy sauce,
herbs and orange, chargrilled and served with a red and white
bean salsa.
From the blackboard, my companion chose a delicious, hot and
freshly made, Chicken and Chestnut pie.
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Pudding fanciers can take leave of their senses with Treacle
Tart, served hot or cold with clotted cream or custard, Rich Chocolate
Truffle Cake, with bitter orange sauce and clotted cream, or Sticky
Toffee Pudding, served with warm butterscotch and rum sauce and
clotted cream.
Completing the meal is a cheese board with a selection of Farmhouse
Cheddar, Mature Stilton and unpasteurised Farmhouse Brie served
with green tomato and apple chutney, celery and biscuits.
As ever our eyes were roving round the other tables checking
on what we had not chosen, and though we were more than pleased
with our own choices, we nevertheless had pangs for the gluttony
of Ancient Rome.
Should we repeat the whole experience, but with different dishes?
Well, perhaps another night, though I had to admit, I was so delighted
I probably would have chosen the same again.
Interestingly, the food does not stop with the list I have outlined.
A special set menu is changed roughly each week.
For the week of our visit, we read that, on arrival, we would
have a glass of Davy's Manzanilla and a bowl of Kalamata olives,
whilst we pondered a different collection comprising Soup of the
Day, Smoked Salmon Blinis with crème fraiche and mock caviare,
or A Pint of Prawns in the Shell.
This could be followed by Chargrilled Salmon, served warm on
a bed of salad leaves with a Greek yoghurt and cucumber dressing,
Swordfish Steak identical to the one I chose, or Fusilli Pasta
with sunblushed vegetables, mushrooms, pesto, pine nuts and Parmesan
shavings.
All the main courses are served with a large glass of Davy's
White Burgundy, the whole to be followed by Chocolate Truffle
Cake with burnt orange sauce and clotted cream or Brie de Meaux
served with celery and biscuits.
This set menu has an inclusive price of £18.95 for two
courses, £21.95 for three.
Mention of the burgundy reminds me that I have not referred to
the wine list, which is extensive to say the least.
The choice comes from Australia, Argentina, Spain, Italy and
South Africa as well as France.
There are 15 white wines and 16 red, mostly inexpensive, though
you can push the boat out with sparkling whites and champagnes
ranging from £16.50 to £49.95.
The dessert wines, Ports, Madeira, Cognac and Pudding Wine are
also attractively priced.
Several of the wines, some spirits and sherries carry Davy's
own name.
The firm was founded in 1870 and is a fifth generation family
business spanning the licensed trade, wine merchanting and wholesale,
shipping, off licenses, managed and tenanted houses, hotels, segar
(cigar) and snuff purveyors, a private wine cellar business and
the Davy's Wine Bars.
There are private function rooms available with private bar,
and bespoke parties, wine tastings, quiz nights, game evenings
and wedding receptions can be catered for, and the firm has other
branches around London.
The evening provided the two of us with a very satisfactory blowout
(tempered by the fact that an elegant sufficiency remained our
watchword). Indielondon highly recommends Davy's.
Dinner for two with drinks under £60 - all prices included
VAT, service charge was not included. The reviewer remained anonymous
to the management.
Davy's Wine Vaults, 161 Greenwich High Road (next door to
the DLR and Greenwich rail stations). Reservations 020 8853 0585.
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