Dear Diary... Our night at Smiths

On my birthday this year, my husband and I, along with a few friends, booked to go to London to visit a restaurant I'd been recommended so many times! It is not the cheapest of restaurants so it's not one we would frequent weekly but it was worth every penny and the bill spilt 6 ways was actually less than we had anticipated!

For a starter, I really really fancied the Tian of Avocado, Cornish White Crab and Peeled Prawns, whilst most of the others wanted an array of everything so ordered the Assiette of Shellfish – Oyster, Crab, Wild King Prawn, Mussels, Cockles, Clams, Shell-on Cold Water Prawns and they told me there would be enough for me too! My husband doesn't like many of the shellfish options so ordered the flavoured king prawns. The platter was more than enough for everyone but I was so glad I'd picked my trio - it was absolutely delicious! 

Assiette of Shellfish – Oyster, Crab, Wild King Prawn, Mussels, Cockles, Clams, Shell-on Cold Water Prawns

Not brilliant light, Tian of Avocado, Cornish White Crab and Peeled Prawns

There was still some of the platter untouched once my husband and I finished our starters, so I began eating from the Assiette. My husband decided to be daring and tried a cockle, some crab and a clam! The verdict: "they're not actually that bad!" Everything was so fresh and well-presented; it had turned a die-hard fish hater into a mild fan! I tried my first oyster which my friend captured on camera! 

My first oyster!

On to mains; the steak was the favourite of the day amongst our table! 

My husband's main

The Special; Sea Bass

I love pretty much all seafood and as we were in a restaurant that specialises in fish; there was no question of what type of meal I was going to have! Salmon is usually a favourite of mine but when I saw the day's special of Sea Bass, I decided to order this - the dill sauce perfectly complimented this delicate fillet. My husband and I shared some seasonal vegetables, creamed spinach and dauphinoise potatoes which were all flavourful, delicious and mouth-watering!

I did not have room for a dessert and could see looks being exchanged across the table! Everyone else ordered one so I did too! When mine came out; I could see what the shared looks had been about (see picture below) and my husband said "you almost did it to me AGAIN!" (For those of you who don't know our proposal story; I will post later!) 

Birthday Girl's Chocolate Nougat Cake with Salted Caramel Ice-Cream

Baileys Cheesecake

The wine we were recommended and shared between my husband and I was delicious; perfectly to our taste.

A beautiful way to spend my birthday evening, with great company.

Birthday ootn

I would gladly recommend Smiths of Wapping to anyone who appreciates fine dining with a view!  

Obviously, on a Saturday you are encouraged to book to avoid disappointment and your table is yours for 2 hours during their busy evenings. Their website, for reference, is http://smithsrestaurants.com