Only a seven-minute walk to Fumo - I was late, of course. But still the fourth there - six of us were to come for food, seven more for drinks afterwards, and our organiser had booked a long table down the back. It was just beginning to fill up, at 5:30 - and what lovely decor! What would have been a dark, windowless space down the back was lifted by the light colours, and the airiness was increased by the fake windows, filled with mirrored glass.
Unfortunately, that was the best part - by far - of the meal. This is supposed to be an award-winning restaurant - hah! As I remarked to someone else at the table, this was a perfect demonstration of why I don't eat out more. So many things were wrong that I had to make a list..
Let's start with the service. Granted, they were busy - but wasn't that to be expected, in the early evening in the heart of Theatreland? This turned out to be one of those places where it's impossible to get a waiter to come to you. Oh, and don't come if you're hungry - after we finally managed to place our order, it took half an hour for food to start arriving. And then it arrived casually, individual dishes served as suited themselves - it was another 10 minutes before I got my meal! Pity the lady beside me, who ordered a side dish of spinach to go with her main - the spinach didn't arrive for another 15 minutes after her main, by which stage she was nearly finished!
We were starving as we waited - platter after platter of bread was ordered, and when the lady at the end of the table ordered brown, she got white. (Butter was available, on request.) Seeing that the "large" wine glass was only 175ml, I shared a bottle with another lady. (I ended up finishing most of it, of course - as usual!) It was doubly confusing why the dishes took so long to come out, considering the portion sizes - these are all small plates (priced at what I would normally expect to pay for full-size ones), and you're well advised to order two per person. We didn't. Pasta did seem to offer a more substantial dish.
Meantime, the staff were getting antsy that our whole table hadn't arrived, considering there was a queue to get in (bad judgement on their part, but anyway). So, although our organiser had cleared with the person on the phone that it was ok for half our party to arrive later. we were made to sacrifice the end of the table to another group. Finally, pity me when my dish finally arrived - the beef tagliatas were advertised as "marinated in garlic and chilli", and "topped with rocket and parmesan". That's not what I got. Instead, I got a long plate, which contained four slices of beef (to be fair, good quality), accompanied by a dish of garlic sauce with whole chilli slices floating in it (!), and some rocket and parmesan at the end. "Marinated", the beef was not - and what I was supposed to do with whole chilli slices, I'm not sure. Very disappointing, and I refused to pay the full service charge.
Having consumed most of that bottle of wine, I meandered down the road to the theatre - only a couple of minutes' walk. We were in the second row - and my, it's a long time since I was in this theatre! Nice and ornate, as typical of the West End:
This is loosely based on Molière's play, Dom Juan - in that it includes a seducer, his sidekick, lots of amorous adventures, and a talking statue that brings doom. As the title implies, it's set in Soho - and there's lots of cavorting. David Tennant acquits himself well as the infamous debaucher - but honestly, I didn't find much to interest me in the first act. Some funny touches - in the hospital waiting room scene, keep an eye on the lady over the side, keeping a shocked eye on proceedings! Still, I couldn't warm to the man. But it does improve in the second act, when not everything goes his way.. oh, and that clock they project onto the safety screen to show how much time is left in the interval is handy! Currently booking until 10th June.
Afterwards, around the corner to Brown's - where we got a table without trouble, and I had another drink, although I didn't feel the need for more food. I was the only one, though - the others were all still hungry. And they were better, faster, and more cheaply fed than in Fumo's. Friendlier service, too - always a good place to stop off!
This evening, I'm back to Ireland for Easter - tomorrow, my mother and I are off to La Bohème, at the University Concert Hall. We'll have to sneak in some alcohol - it's a dry day, although this will be the last year of it.
Tuesday, back in London, and back with Funzing - London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less, for a talk on the Science of Paranormal Activity. Unless I get a better offer, in time - it'd have to be a good one, I'm interested in this!
Next Wednesday, London Literary Walks is off down Brick Lane - and so am I.
Next Thursday, I had my usual placeholder of free comedy in Hammersmith - courtesy of Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Greenwich, and London Live Comedy. Of course - much like Funzing - I usually end up cancelling these, when something better comes up. And lo and behold, it did - Walking Victorian London is off to see Six Islington Squares. Does sound better - costs £12, but I haven't been charged yet.
Ditto the comedy on the 21st - or I may go to the cinema that day. As usual, watch this space..!
On the 22nd, I'm off to see the Naked House Cleaner! Venue to be revealed just the day before.. ooh!
On the 23rd, I'm on a walk of Hampstead Village Highlights, with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts. Be good exercise, leading up to my own sponsored walk in September, in aid of Cats Protection.. Helen and I are going as Dick Whittington and his cat. She's the cat.
The 24th, a summery treat! The Man with the Hat is taking both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to the Globe (ah, it's been too long..). For one night only, the Comedy Store Players will regale us with Shakespeare-inspired improv. As usual, London for Less than a Tenner standing in the yard, Let's Do London - for less! in lower gallery seats. Which is where I go - couldn't take standing for that long. Better savour this trip - he only has four more events scheduled, three of which I'm going to, with no word on whether he'll continue longterm. And if he doesn't (Heaven forbid!), that'll leave a huge, hat-shaped hole in my life..
The 25th, London European Club again - it'll have been a while! They're off to an informal evening of classical music, in Peckham.
The 26th, London Literary Walks is doing the Sloane Ranger.
The 27th, Helen and I are on an Underground treasure hunt, courtesy of Walk, Talks and Treasure Hunts. TFL goodies to be won, it seems.. Then back to Ireland for the bank holiday weekend - which I'd forgotten was a bank holiday, or I'd have stayed over an extra day!
Instead, for 1 May, I've booked The Ferryman, with LDAM, at the Royal Court.
And 2 May, those same three Funzing groups have advertised a talk called Origin of Vampires: Fact or Fiction?
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