LET'S EAT - All Bar One

I practically jumped at the chance to RSVP when I was recently invited for a group meal at All Bar One. I always pass it on my local high street but I've never yet had a reason to go there - it always seems a bit too nice and expensive for a meal out with friends. However with the temptation of a 'festive party buffet' and a chance to get a glimpse of cocktails served in teapots, I couldn't say no and decided to treat myself - it is Christmas after all!

Being a buffet menu, there were no set starters, mains and desserts - instead the menu listed a range of savoury canapé-style bites with one sweet choice for dessert. I didn't get many photos in All Bar One itself as the lighting was quite poor, but I did manage to get hold of a copy of the menu.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant was relaxed and the staff were all fairly friendly, if a little busy because it seemed to be a heavily-booked night. The place had been decked out nicely for Christmas and we were supplied with Christmas crackers and mini candy canes to keep us entertained until the food was ready (and a good thing too, because the food didn't emerge until half an hour after everyone had arrived). Still, when it was ready the staff brought it out very quickly and we were free to get stuck in.

There were 17 people in our group but we definitely had more than enough food to go around! Everything was neatly presented and the food was suitably hot - buffet food can sometimes be slightly lukewarm but the staff clearly brought everything out so quickly that it was at a perfect temperature. I gave it a good go and tried everything except for the salad (woops). In my opinion everything was delicious; one of the things I most enjoyed were the nachos, which seemed to be a strange hybrid between pastry and tortilla chips. I've no idea what they were made of exactly, but they went down a treat! 

The mini beef sliders were hugely popular with everyone and were the first thing to go, followed by the fries (thin, crispy and perfectly salty) and the chicken skewers. I don't recall having any houmous with flatbread (listed on the menu) but we did have filo pastry parcels that had what I presume was a spinach filling inside. I thought they were tasty but they didn't seem as popular with everyone else - which just meant more for me.

My one disappointment with the food was the pudding (churros dusted with gingerbread sugar). This wasn't really a fault of the food itself but was more due to the fact that they were brought out at the same time as the savoury food, which didn't make sense at all! Churros should be eaten fresh and warm, however by the time we were tucking into them they had cooled and lost their softness. I think they would have been delicious had they been brought out after the savoury food had been eaten. I can't say I was a huge fan of the sauce that came with the churros, which I found to be a bit too sweet and sickly, but the gingerbread sugar coating was lovely.

Overall I was really impressed with the festive party menu and my first All Bar One experience. The food tasted delicious and was definitely of a better standard than most other buffet food I've had. I was slightly disappointed by the churros, but that's the only minor thing I have to complain about. 
8 out of 10 overall!