Metro Garden Restaurant
"Summer is here and at the first hint of sun we all rush off to find that perfect outside space for that perfect outdoors date. Well look no further Great Date Guiders, the hunt is over; salvation comes in the form of Metro."
Within stumbling distance of Clapham Common tube, Metro’s entrance is modest and unassuming, giving no hint of the paradise hidden through its doors. Do not be fooled – I urge you to wander in and let the welcoming staff escort you to the garden delight out back. Forget a picnic blanket on the Common, Metro is the clear winner for al fresco dining in SW4.
Small dining tables with crisp white cloths are dotted around the beautiful garden with ambient music and twinkling lights to help set the mood. The garden itself is gorgeous but Metro are no fools when it comes to the Great British summer and are prepared for all-weather dining. There’s a covered section giving a lovely outdoors/indoors feel and my date and I were glad to be seated under shelter when rain set in during our visit (despite extensive checking of the weather forecast of course!).
The rain could not dampen our enjoyment however and it was a delight to be looked after by Fran and her team for the afternoon. The staff cannot do enough for you and kept our glasses full and advised us knowledgeably when we struggled to choose from the menu. A small but perfectly formed wine list made it easy to pick a bottle and the Pinot Grigio went down a little too easily (the second bottle even more so!).
Our food came promptly and piping hot and was simply delicious. My date opted for the roast beef (it felt rude not to on a Sunday afternoon) and was most impressed by the laden plate when it arrived. There were delicious cuts of meat with all the trimmings, and so plentiful was the food he even didn’t seem to mind when I stole a mouthful or two which is always a sign of generous portions.
I decided to try one of the specials and thoroughly enjoyed my salmon fillet on steamed greens. It was light, tasty and presented beautifully – a shame it’s a not a regular on the menu for return visits. Completely different from my date’s choice the chef clearly has a wide array of influences making the menu fun and varied to choose from.
Dessert was even trickier to choose with so many tempting classics on the menu such as Banoffee Pie and Apple Crumble, but our waitress was happy to help and steered us in the right direction. Her recommendation of the white chocolate cheesecake was bang-on as it was amazing and I found myself perhaps more interested in my pudding than my date’s conversation at that point (but don’t tell him I said that!).
Tom’s Stinky Cheese Board was also a hit with me with a fine selection and all the usual trappings. My date seemed to think it could have been a much stinkier affair but he is French so it was perhaps a long shot that our English cheeses could impress him.
All in all it was a lovely lazy afternoon and I would be more than happy to return to Metro with its relaxed atmosphere and gorgeous garden. You’re in for a treat whatever the weather so don’t waste a second, get booking and enjoy. You won’t regret it.
Kindly reviewed for us by our Bad Date Blogger... it appears we'll need to find her a new name as this time it looks like she had a great date!
