Empress

Went here last Friday and was amazed. Really outstanding food at affordable prices. The cecina especially was exceptional, but really everything was excellent. Venetian lambs liver was soft and the onions with it caramelised to perfection. Gorgonzola and radicchio salad far better than most in Italy. And delicious desert wine and affogato to finish. Will be going back often.

I've had a mixed relationship with the Empress, being a Victoria Park local and wanting to love it but always struggling slightly with the food (I often found it greasy and overpriced). I was sad to visit it last weekend - my first visit since its rebirth - and find the interior stripped of all character and turned into a minimal gastropub. The decor and bar there before were unusual, but had lots of character. Now everything is grey and cream, the bar has been stripped right back and the menu completely renewed. I missed the excellent cocktails that the Empress used to have, but the new Spanish-style menu is interesting and I would happily try everything on it. I ordered lamb, and my vegetarian friend had crispy polenta with mushrooms and parmesan (there was only one veggie 'big plate' and a couple of smaller plates, so I'd recommend the Empress to the more carnivorous only). My lamb was delicious - perfectly cooked - and came with roast potatoes and kale. The potatoes were tasty but extremely hard (I was slightly worried that in the attempt to cut into them I was going to send them flying off onto another customer's lap!) and the kale was, well, kale. I was disappointed that for £12/14 all I got was kale (and not one or two more veg) but I can't fault the taste and texture of everything. Service was fine, but there were no condiments on the table and none were offered at any point throughout the meal. We were also served still water and bread as soon as we sat down - without being asked if we wanted it, so assuming this was complimentary - and then discovered that we'd been charged £1 for the privilege when we came to pay the bill. Not an astronomical charge by any means, but I do think water at least should be free, if not the bread too. The food was very well cooked and presented, and fairly priced, but it's not somewhere I'd rush back to. It's like the new management has brought in what the old management lacked - good food - but sacrificed the great cocktails and the character of the place. A shame, but somewhere I'll give another chance.

4 for dinner on Saturday night. New management seem to be making a good job of it. Food very much on a Spanish tip but done well. Tbone steak from Ginger Pig butcher according to the waitress and tasted like it!
Little bored by the whole little plate thing but worked well as shared starters here.
Good night out.