Celeb spotting at the Wolseley

After a visit to the RA, we met up with M&G and C to go the Wolseley.  It’s a big barn of a place with hard surfaces everywhere, so the noise hits you as walk in.  We’re shown to a table up on a mezzanine level at the back, which while it runs the risk of being isolated from the service, is a good sport for celeb spotting. Between us we identify AA Gill, Melvyn Bragg and Michael Parkinson – plus a buxom Brazilian lady who insisted on hugging Parky.

I have the scallops with fennel puree to start – pretty good - and B has the “small” chicken salad – in fact a huge bowl of salad leaves with plenty of tasty chicken. Two other ladies had pea soup, and G had a beetroot salad. All declared themselves happy with those.

We’re drinking the house white, a Bordeaux Semillon/Sauvignon at £19.95, one of just 4 options under £30.  Surprisingly, the bill says we got through 4 bottles of sparkling water and just 3 of white wine – must have been a mistake there I think!  In fact, despite my worries about service, the waiter was very good at topping up wine glasses when needed.

For mains, B had the small tiger prawns which weren’t impressive – very cotton wool. My pork belly was excellent, the crackling crisp but not teeth-threatening.  Schnitzels are their signature dish: G’s Wiener Holstein was huge, while the ladies’ small ones were plenty big enough.  We had some frites and a tomato salad to go with it al, but no desserts.

The bill came to £270 for the 5 of us, including 12.5% service and a £2 per head cover charge (haven’t seen that for some time), but then I think they must have forgotten one bottle of wine. Probably worth it  for the experience, but it’s not somewhere I’d rush back to.