The Fable in Holborn

Once upon a time, not so long ago, a restaurant and bar called The Fable was built on a bustling London street, on the edge of an ornate bridge steeped in history. Ever since this magical moment, its quirky fairytale-esque décor, traditional British comfort food and warm-natured staff have enticed food-lovers, including myself and a hungry friend.

After happily consuming a sugar-rimmed, zesty Caipirinha and a passion fruit-infused, rum-based cocktail, we devoured a light starter of plump green Italian olives with large, stony pits before a colourful plate of perfectly crisp sea bass fillet arrived. This was lavishly adorned with feisty slivers of fresh red pepper and nestled on a bed of roasted potatoes, watercress and some beautifully sweet baby peas. Sea bass can often taste rather bland and is easily over-cooked, yet this tempting offering had just the right amount of seasoning and was delicately soft in texture. The potatoes were fabulously fluffy on the inside and invitingly golden-brown on the outside.

A slab of ethereal white swordfish then arrived, alongside large side dishes of emerald-green tenderstem broccoli and mac and cheese with a breadcrumb topping, oozing with the kind of joy that only fine English cheeses can bring. This fish dish was accompanied by wholesome quinoa, toasted pine nuts and dark leafy greens – the ideal dish to follow a debaucherous weekend. The nuttiness of the pine nuts merged beautifully with the mild flavour of the swordfish, whilst the quinoa and the green vegetables added a welcome earthy dimension to the dish. The steamed broccoli was perfectly al dente and we reveled in the comforting creaminess and piquant flavours of the cheesy macaroni dish, which boasted a delicate balance of mild and mature cheddar.

The sweet ending to our culinary adventure was two delightful puddings. There was a rich, gluten-free chocolate brownie, which was marvelously moist, not-too-sweet and graciously topped with a dollop of smooth vanilla ice cream to subtly tone down the decadent depth of the cocoa.  We also devoured an ample bowl of terrifically tart winter fruit crumble, which arrived at the table steaming hot and accompanied by a quaint jug of warm, freshly made custard to compliment the tang of the deep purple berries nestled under generous, buttery layers of topping.

A trip to The Fable Restaurant and Bar is a truly delightful experience, a delve into the world of rustic, Instagram-ready food.

★★★★★

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Mitra Wicks

To book a table at The Fable Bar and Restaurant, 52 Holborn Viaduct London EC1A 2FD, call 08454680105 or visit here.