We’ve celebrated some of our most memorable moments at The Ivy. We’ve had teary ‘last’ meals before the kids went to university, toasted big birthdays and kept decades-old friendships alive.
We’ve never, however, celebrated Nineties food at The Ivy or anywhere. It wasn’t a decade that reached foodie heights in our lives although admittedly we were living on alcopops and prawn cocktail crisps so we’re not the best judges of that. The Ivy has created a menu designed to prompt a bit of Nineties nostalgia titled Cool Britannia. Think Brit Pop, the Spice Girls and Kate Moss.
Cutely priced at £19.96 for two courses, the special menu is reasonable. Sides are extra as are optional nibbles. We recommend a bowl of tasty truffle arancini to kick things off paired with a punchy Champagne Supernova cocktail – a heady mix of Cointreau, cherry and lemon topped with Champagne. The chefs have reinvented one of their original Nineties dishes – the legendary Bang Bang Chicken. It’s been refined and morphed into skewers of robata chicken with Bang Bang peanut sauce, sesame, coconut, lime and coriander.
TOP DRAWER
A kiln-roast salmon rillette served with crushed avocado, basil pesto and thinly sliced radishes piled onto dark rye bread was fresh and zingy served with a delicate herby salad. The classic French onion soup with oozing cheese and croutons tasted great with that trademark deep almost beefy flavour. In truth we couldn’t taste any difference from the usual Ivy a la carte version, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
A veggie coconut curry with sweet potato, spinach, broccoli, sun blushed tomatoes, lemongrass and crispy lotus root was absolutely top drawer. Perfectly spiced, it packed just the right amount of punch, was loaded with the green stuff and more importantly tasted delicious. We never ate curry like this in the Nineties. (Refer back to the prawn cocktail and alcopop disclaimer.) Then onto the chicken. Is there anything more old school than a chicken supreme wrapped in pancetta? This version had had a 2026 glow up though. Succulent chicken, smoky pancetta, a rich red wine and port sauce served with silky mashed potato and earthy chestnut mushrooms hit the spot.
SPOONFUL OF NOSTALGIA?
We probably haven’t ordered a dessert in a restaurant since the Nineties preferring to swipe a spoonful of the other half’s pud, but when in Rome and all that. Sticky toffee pudding was a real treat with its super soft sponge, gorgeous caramel sauce and clotted cream. Then there was a boozy mango vanilla sponge soaked in rum served with mango purée, Chantilly cream and fresh lemon balm that was a refreshing end to lunch. Dessert is £8.95.
It was cracking lunch and there’s much to admire – we’ve always had a great meal at The Ivy. Whether we were transported to the Nineties I’m not so sure, but Cool Britannia is an ideal excuse to go and sample something a bit different. The menu is available Monday to Friday from 11.30am – 6.30pm and Sunday from 11am – 6.30pm until 3 November.