I decided to celebrate Mother’s Day a little early this year by taking my mum to The Royal Hotel for a delicious three course meal and cocktails.
We don’t often have the time to spend the afternoon together, so it was a real treat to steal some mother daughter time. We arrived at 2pm and left around 6.30pm… that’s four and a half hours of pure indulgence, and it was a truly splendid way to spend a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon.
We were greeted by Matthew (the director of The Royal Hotel) who lead us to the ballroom. We were sat to the left of the ballroom – on the plush cushion seating that lines both widths of this large and opulent room – a great place to be situated to soak up the atmosphere.
Starters
We opted for something light from the ‘While you wait’ menu, as opposed to the Starters menu, to share between us. The Maldon oysters served on crushed ice (£7.50) accompanied by balsamic vinegar and oil with a selection of the Chef’s homemade breads and bites (£4.50) took our fancy. As usual, the presentation and flavours of both dishes were amazing…
Mains
For our main meals, my mum opted for the North Atlantic centre cut cod fillet, Tiger beer batter, chunky chips, peas a la Francaise, and lemon and tartare sauce (£14.50). She liked the tiger stripes that the Head Chef added using squid ink, such a nice touch to remind you that it is Tiger Beer used in the batter. This is a large dish and the fish is of the finest quality. The Tiger beer batter and squid ink, make the dish unique and particularly photogenic (great for those, who like me, LOVE taking pictures of food).
Being a vegetarian, I found there to be a lot of choice, and opted for the Braised garlic and herb puy lentil tapalone, leek wrapped green beans, sour cream leek, and sautéed asparagus spears (v) (£17.50). This Lithuanian inspired dish looked absolutely stunning and the puy lentil tapalone tasted beautiful. Additionally, it was light and nutritious enough for me to consider an indulgent pudding, which made me extremely happy.
Dessert
Having chosen very carefully (dessert is the most important part for me), I couldn’t wait for my Cherry Bakewell tart (£7.50) to arrive, and I’m pretty sure it was consumed in three seconds flat! Slight exaggeration but you get the point, it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Admittedly, I probably should’ve savoured it, along with the black cherry and crème fraiche fool, cherry and cinnamon reduction, and vanilla crème Anglaise that accompanied it, but inevitably, it was very much enjoyed. I’ll even go as far as to say, it was possibly the BEST dessert I’ve ever had… and that’s a HUGE compliment considering the sheer volume of cake I consume on a weekly basis.
My mum opted for a lighter dessert option, the selection of ice creams (£5.50), which refreshed her palette and came in a delicious variety of flavours with the added touch of delicate dark chocolate pieces and strawberries.
Cocktails
After completing our wonderful three course lunch, we headed down to the cocktail lounge. It’s great to see how radically the atmosphere changes in the cocktail lounge from day to night. My mum chose the Lychee Martini (£8.50) made up of; Sky Vodka, Kat Feh Lychee Liquor, lemon juice, sugar and lychees, muddled and double strained into a chilled martini. And I opted for the Royal Pimms (£8.00) made up of; Pimms, Tiptree Damson Gin Liqueur, shaken with mint, fresh strawberries, cucumber, lemon and summer berries then topped with Fever Tree Lemonade. Both were deliciously fresh and elegantly presented.
Mother’s Day at The Royal Hotel
You too can treat your mum to a wonderful three course meal in The Royal Hotel’s ballroom restaurant. There will be extended dining available on Mother’s Day, Sunday 26th March. Call 01702 899 222 to make your reservation today or click here to book online.
For those unable to celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday 26th, The Royal Hotel are also hosting a special Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea on Saturday 25th March. This indulgent afternoon tea starts at midday, and includes a selection of sandwiches, savouries, sweets and scones.
Yet to visit The Royal Hotel?
For those of you still to venture to The Royal Hotel, Southend’s best restaurant and cocktail bar, you can find it at: 1 High Street, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 1JE. For more information, take a look at their website and Facebook page today.