insideKENT Magazine Issue 83 - February 2019 | Page 25

Dressed and ready to hit dinner, my guest and I headed back down to the ground floor Champagne Bar – a bright and effervescent space featuring a wide array of the finest sparkling wines including Kent’s very own Gusbourne. With two other bars to choose from, you wont go without a drink! We kept it classy with the signature Empire State (Lambay whiskey, vanilla liqueur, Campari and berry reduction, lemon juice, sugar syrup and Spanish bitters), which packs a punch with its notes of vanilla and bitters. After our pre-dinner drink we headed over to the stunning 110-seat restaurant, Number Five. The Club’s recently-launched restaurant is headed up by Executive Chef, Adam Gray, and serves a range of modern British dishes. With six starters to choose from and free-flowing sourdough mini loaves, I decided to go with the colourful roasted octopus, fennel, cucumber and herb dressing, and my guest opted for the pressed duck terrine, pear, fig and apple salad. The main menu comprised a selection of five salads, grill menu including the Devonshire Club burger, and main options of cod, pork and chicken, all with a good range of side dishes. The obvious choice for us both was the beef. All steaks are sourced from Hertfordshire Cross cattle and it was a no brainer to order a fillet and ribeye steak with a garlic herb butter, along with a mixed leaf salad and buttered sprout tops, all washed down with a bottle of 2016 Rosso di Montepulciano – Poliziano, Tuscany. There is also a nicely priced seasonal set menu available with three courses for around £35pp. With my guest unable to physically eat another morsel, it was left to me to pick one of the delights on the dessert menu. Tiramisu, pear, rum, chocolate, cheese – they all looked very attractive, but I had the urge to go for the iced lemon meringue with caramelised orange compote. A work of art and it tasted divine, leaving just enough room for a cappuccino and petit fours. Waking up the following morning, it was back down to business. That’s right, back to Number Five to try out the recently launched weekend brunch menu at a reasonably priced three courses for £30pp. And don’t forget, it’s free-flowing Prosecco Bellini or Bloody Mary Gin & Tonic for an additional £15pp. I opted for the latter, and it definitely got me into good spirits for the day ahead. On offer for brunch you can pick from juices and smoothies, a full English, granola, eggs five different ways, starters, soups and sandwiches, or a full main course menu which includes a beef short rib or go East Coast USA with the taste of New York menu with (you guessed it) American pancakes with streaky bacon and maple syrup! And don’t forget that dessert menu with my favorite: the sticky toffee pudding with Devonshire clotted cream. Devonshire Club 5 Devonshire Square London EC2M 4YD [email protected] 020 3750 4545 www.devonshireclub.com Devonshire_Club Devonshire.Members.Club devonshire_club THE BEST WAY TO GET TO LONDON Southeastern runs train services into London from Kent and East Sussex, operating some 2,000 trains a day, including the high-speed from Ashford to St Pancras International in just 38 minutes. www.southeasternrailway.co.uk 25