Lady Ottoline
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 With super friendly staff and tasty food this pub makes a perfect first date venue. |
Date Description |
    North, Central |
Despite being named after a famous socialite, The Lady Ottoline is more relaxed and comfortable than high society! With a bar downstairs and a more formal dining room upstairs it's a perfect "all in one" date location. No need to go anywhere else...
Recently refurbished the pub is warm and cosy, still retaining an old fashioned Victorian pub feel (which so many gastro pubs lose in the redecoration process). When we paid a visit in November the pub provided a warm and welcome retreat from a freezing cold evening, but the colonial style fans on the ceiling suggest that it will be an equally cool retreat from the sweltering streets in the height of summer.
Meet your date in the bar for a couple of drinks - very relaxed, perfect for a first date - then head upstairs to the restaurant. It's quite noisy and buzzy so not great for an intimate evening but just right for the early days. The tables are lit by candlelight which helps give a more romantic edge, and make sure you ask for the table in the corner (invariably the most romantic table whichever restaurant you're in)!
The staff are incredibly friendly and well informed, giving spot on wine suggestions, above and beyond what you'd usual expect in a pub. On the subject of wine, you can order by the carafe which is something I love and a really sociable way to enjoy wine on a date.
Our food was delicious and well seasoned but my main course was big, leaving no room for desert. I'd ask the waiter their opinion on what's good and take it from there… The emphasis is on well cooked, seasonal food using good quality produce.
So, to sum up, The Lady Ottoline is great for an early stage date, particularly if you work in the City. It's got a friendly atmosphere and an old fashioned vibe which works well for a date. We went in the evening but it's my sneaky suspicion that it would make a pretty perfect Sunday lunch date - sit by the fire, get a carafe of red wine and hunker down for the afternoon!
Tags
Lady Otteline London pub city pub victorain pub gastro pubContact information
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