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Review: Jack Foley
FILM fans can really spoil themselves by visiting The Electric
Cinema, in Portobello Road, thanks to its enticing blend of ultra-comfortable
seats, stylish food and attached restaurant and brasserie, which
makes for a complete evening (or afternoon) at the flicks.
Having laid the Christmas turkey to rest for another year, I
travelled along with a group of friends to the Ladbroke Grove
venue on Sunday, December 28, 2003, to be entertained, once again,
by the final film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return
of the King.
And being accustomed to the plush environments that are usually
reserved for film critics, at the central London offices of most
of the major film companies, I have to say that this is the next
best thing for members of the public.
For starters, the comfort of watching a film, however long, is
second to none.
The interior is very modern, yet with a home-like feel, with
leather armchairs, footstools and tables for food and drink, guaranteed
to provide a more comfortable movie experience. The price is,
needless to say, a little more expensive (£12.50 for armchairs
and stools, or £10 for simple armchairs), but when compared
to the West End venues, which don’t afford much leg-room,
is well worth that little extra.
The choice of films is also excellent, with blockbusters mixed
with better quality independent films. Hence, The Return of the
King is being followed by the excellent Lost in Translation and
Elephant, in January.
To complete the viewing experience, a bar is open half an hour
prior to screening, which serves cocktails, wine, beer (Perroni
in very big bottles - so drivers, beware!) and even champagne,
for the really flash viewer. Both food and drink will stop five
minutes before the main feature starts.
And in terms of nibbles, there is a fine selection of cakes,
as well as pot food, in the form of vegetarian spaghetti (which
was surprisingly tasty) and mini chilli rice cakes, to name but
a couple of selections.
For epic film viewing, or for mere comfort value alone, the Electric
Cinema probably rates second to none in the capital at the moment.
And what’s more, the restaurant and brasserie next door
offers viewers the potential of completing the night in style.
Described as ‘ a classic brasserie and bar which is open
to the public for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily’, the
venue bears all the hallmarks of a traditional diner, with cosy
tables at the front, and an intimate, nicely lit seated section
towards the rear, complete with more leather sofas.
One criticism might be that there is very little room for manoeuvre
between tables, making things feel cramped at busy times, but
given the obvious popularity of the venue, it is easy to see why
the management have strived to fit in as many as possible.
The food selection is good, too, even if the sight of live lobsters
on ice may be a little off-putting to all but the very hard-hearted!
Beginning with breakfast, which includes ‘the Full Electric’,
at £10, comprising eggs any style, sausages, bacon, tomato,
mushroom, black pudding and baked beans, or a simple grilled sausage
sandwich (for £6) or egg and bacon bap (£6), the menu
then proceeds to offer something for all times of the day.
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We dined at around 4pm, following the morning screening of the
Lord of the Rings, and there were six of us to dissect the menu.
Needless to say, not everyone seized the opportunity, and the
steak sandwich (£10) seemed to be the food of choice for
many.
It arrived in suitably stylish fashion, wrapped in two crusty
slices of bread, and with plenty of meat to tuck into - cooked
to a variety of styles, and accompanied with fried onions and
mustard mayonnaise. An old-fashioned, silver tankard-style serving
of chips accompanied it, cooked to almost crispy perfection.
My selection was the duck cottage pie, which wasn’t quite
what I expected. Indeed, I think the waiter mis-heard my order
and served up the baby vegetable pot pie instead, which, for £11,
was packed full of vegetables and topped with puff pastry. It
was nice, but not the dish I had been expecting, and therefore
a trifle disappointing.
(Given the busy nature of the restaurant, however, it seemed
churlish to point out the mistake, as the food was still good
enough to appease my appetite!)
Of the other choices, the spaghettini with shiitakes (mushrooms),
baby spinach and port cream sauce (£9) was said to have
been a wise choice, while the crispy duck and watercress salad,
with seasonal herbs, bacon, poached egg and xérès
dressing, contained generous helpings of both meats, and was enough
to fill even the strongest palette.
Being the weekend after Christmas, however, the more costly offerings
on the menu were avoided, which means a return journey is certainly
on the cards for future cinema outings.
Of particular temptation, for instance, was the Sunday Trolley,
which, for £15, offered an enticing mix of Aberdeen Angus
rib of beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables
and gravy (and which looked melt in the mouth tasty); the seared
swordfish with crushed new potatoes, avocado and spring onion
salsa (£13.50); the pan-fried lamb chops with slow roast
tomatoes and potato hotpot (£12.50), and the char-grilled
halibut with sage mash and fish velouté (£14).
For the less adventurous, the burgers (at £8 or £9)
looked suitably grandiose and difficult to devour (always a good
sign of money’s worth, if you can’t fit your jaw around
it!), while fish lovers are well catered for, with a half lobster
costing £16, a bucket of prawns (containing six) coming
in at £12, and a hot buttered lobster at £25.
For those who enjoyed champagne with their movie, there is even
Sevruga Caviar (30g) for £40 and Beluga Caviar (30g) for
£70.
The brunch menu, which I have just described, is served until
5pm, when it is replaced by the a la carte selection, with dishes
ranging from £9.50 to £19 and only a slightly wider
selection than the afternoon sitting.
And for those who still have room (and the portions are extremely
generous), the dessert list includes such wicked delights as sticky
toffee pudding, vanilla ice cream and caramel; chocolate fondant,
iced crème fraîche; spiced honey madeleines with
stone fruit compote, and chocolate marquise, with espresso ice
cream (all for £6).
Anyone for dinner and a movie, then?
The Electric Brasserie 191 Portobello Road London W11 2ED.
Tel: 020 7908 9696.
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