42 Holborn
On our recent weekend in London, Lesley and I were looking forward to some great food. This restaurant was chosen by Lesley partly due to Mediterranean menu but mostly because of its proximity to the hotel we were staying in The Hoxton – Holborn.
With an early evening booking, 42 Holborn was unsurprisingly not very busy even on a Friday night. Throughout, the staff were delightful and attentive. There are reputedly 42 items on the menu, (see where they got the name?) but I can neither confirm nor deny this. We decided to select food from the small plates menu. A little bit of negotiation and we ordered a selection we were happy with and with a general understanding that whilst we wouldn’t necessarily share, we would at least taste each other choices . To be fair as Lesley does not really like shellfish, I was going to do better on this deal!
My selections were:
Red Prawns £12 with baby gem, avocado and aioli. This was so incredibly tasty the aioli was sharp and creamy and complimented the avocado. When surrounded by the lettuce this was the ideal wrap. I would say for £12 I hoped for more than 3 red prawns, but they were delicious!
Calamarri Fritte £11 My son Ben has a rule that if Calamarri is on the menu he will always order it. This worked well for us as a starter before one of the humongous pizzas served at
Giardanos in Chicago! The serving here was a little more refined but huge for a small plate. Lightly fried in batter with a sprinkling of fresh chilli and fresh lemon it was served with the aioli on the side. I was super happy polishing off the lot.
Beef Bresoala £14 This item tempted both of us. Beef strips with crumbled bread, balsamic and parmesan. The beef was rare and perfectly cooked. The menu described the bread crumble as crunchy, which was not really in evidence, but the sharp/sweetness of the vinegar and saltiness of the cheese seasoned the dish beautifully.
Patatas Bravas £7 Honestly, I ordered this because I was unsure of the size of the small plates, and I thought I might need some starchy carbs! They were delicious, literally the best I have ever tasted. Our waitress agreed they were good but we could get better in her home city of Madrid. I would 100% order these again.
Lesley’s selections were:
Tuna Tartare £11 Lesley selected this on the basis of living dangerously! Neither of us had tried it before and with Avacado, red onion, cucumber, olive oil and a special sauce made by executive chef. Erdal Atlas. We both enjoyed it but the dish was overpowered by the sharpness of the red onions.
Fried Halloumi £7 This dish did not disappoint. It was a plentiful portion with a nicely balanced honey and pomegranate sauce. Highly recommended.
Parmesan Fries £5 They were ok but the only item from our selection that were not 100% consumed.
Drinks Alhambra 1925 beer £5 & San Pellegrino sparkling water £4
Total £.79.87 (INC 12.5% service charge)
We enjoyed the restaurant vibe, service and food. Would recommend and could be tempted to return!