By Katie Bolton
We were invited by The Living Room in Leeds to sample their new Autumn/Winter menu.
Now anyone who regularly reads Leeds Grub will know that I always try to be diplomatic but I am prone to a bit of chain bashing once in a while. But free events are always nice…
We were sat up at the dining table and given miniature cocktails to try as we arrived, followed by starter platters to share. One was a deli board of continental meats, olives bread and hummus (£10.95) and the other a tapas board of empanadas, squid, meatballs and anchovies. (£12.95)
All the constituent parts were good, nice juicy olives, fresh bread, crisp squid etc – quite pricey on the face of it, but reasonable for two to share as a starter.
We were presented with main courses of a Pork T-bone with an apple and potato gratin and a sage and onion jus (£14.95). It was really tasty but not massively adventurous. The chicken, pancetta, orange and chickpea salad had a fantastic smoked flavour. The extra lentils and peas meant that this was actually quite a substantial filling dish. Again at £9.95 steep for a salad, but worth it if you enjoy that kind of thing.
The unanimous favourite was the Tandoori sea bass with Bombay potatoes and a spiced mango and coriander yoghurt (£14.95). Everything with this worked, it was a good sized portion, with fantastic robust flavours that complimented the fish.
The vegetarian offer was a Thai green vegetable curry, which was nice enough. There is only two other quite safe vegetarian options on the menu which look like they have been stuck there as a bit of an afterthought.
The collective favourite were the puddings. The rum and raisin crème brulee (£4.75) was FANTASTIC, as was the sharing platter which had chocolate fondue, brownies, and Eton mess as well as another portion of crème brulee.
I chatted to the general manager Ed about the food. He explained that as part of being a national chain they received their produce from a nationally agreed supply chain, this also goes for the menu which is on the whole formulated centrally, although he stated that the specials were created in house.
Of course we had a great meal, it was free… Would I have paid £15 for a main course there (plus another £3 for sides)? Not willingly. The food is all very nice, and that is all I can say for it… Nothing exceptional, no providence with regards the ingredients, nothing to make it shine out from the rest.
‘Ah, this is nice,’ I thought, taking my seat at a long, high dining table at The Living Room in Leeds, along with several journalists and bloggers who were sampling the new Autumn/Winter menu. Someone handed me a mini-cocktail. ‘It just gets better…’
The Living Room is situated in one of the few remaining Victorian buildings on Greek Street in the city centre (most of the street comprises 60s and 70s office buildings, many with bars and restaurants on the ground floor). It’s in the heart of what might be called Leeds’ restaurant quarter, close the financial district, near to the city centre shops and near to the railway station and large hotels, making it handy for both visitors and people who work locally.
The design team did a good job of balancing the feel of a gentleman’s club (I mean the old-fashioned kind with studded leather Chesterfields, not the newer pole dancing type) and a modern bar. The dark wood furnishings, crystal light fittings and heavy drapes at the tall windows gave the impression that this is a place that takes its customers seriously – no wobbly tables or cheap chairs here.
There are fourteen Living Rooms around the UK, all with the same styling, all with identical menus and all with ‘award winning staff training’ – which, of course, all adds up to the kind of slick experience that won’t offend but won’t particularly excite either. Chains like this become successful because they provide good customer service, a smart environment and pleasant if predictable menus. The problem is that what they did right in the first place becomes quite dull when the successful model is replicated in city after city after city.
Ed and Stacey, our hosts for the lunch, were delightful – friendly, chatty and agreeable. When pressed by Katie on local sourcing, they explained that, well, it’s difficult being part of a chain and they can only order from contracted suppliers. I’m sure it is possible to push the boundaries a bit. Surely chefs in a city that has the biggest indoor market in Europe can try to buy fresh supplies from there? Other restaurants in the city do this, why not this one? Stacey did say they buy their eggs locally, so maybe there’s hope that this Living Room can break from its tight corporate constraints in the future. Or maybe the egg suppliers are part of the national chain…
I wouldn’t not recommend The Living Room – the food was decent, the atmosphere pleasant, the presentation and service excellent. For an office Christmas dinner, I’m sure it would be great, with no drama about service, delivery and quality. Or I’d stop by for a coffee and dessert because, though not particularly cheap, they were all delicious and felt like better value than the mains. If you were planning a meal out with friends or a date, though, I’d probably suggest looking elsewhere.
I don’t really want to criticise the place for being reliable and predictable – after all, no one goes out to eat looking for unreliable service and unpredictable quality! That said, as I went into the room, I thought it was nice and that sense didn’t go away but wasn’t built upon either. There was nothing surprising or unique about the dining experience at The Living Room, making me feel more like a cog in a well-oiled machine than someone with senses to excite and a palette to be titillated – nice isn’t quite enough.
Photos by Zsolt Sandor