31 Jul 2026
Matt Adams hides away from the heatwave to enjoy the seasonal delights on offer at the St Albans brasserie…
Less than five minutes after sitting down and we are already being relocated to another table because the six-year-old sent her drink flying across plates, menus, cutlery, chairs and a large portion of the nearest wall.
The time may have come to press pause on the burgeoning career of St Albans’ youngest restaurant reviewer…
To be fair, she’s had a good innings, working her way through a diverse selection of local eateries including The Silver Cup, Cinnamon, The White Horse, Iberos, The Saint and Sinner, Megans and Pho. But it was The Ivy where it all began, and fittingly then, where it ends.
Connie’s reached an age where there is an uncanny alignment between fussy eating and limited attention span. This means she’d much rather munch on some fries in a local boozer and do some colouring as opposed to stretching her culinary boundaries at somewhere she would herself describe as “a bit fancy” and not having room for her sketchbook on the table.
So here we are then for an unexpected last hurrah, sampling The Ivy’s Wimbledon-themed summer menu while trying to work out whether a portion of olives and a loaf of sourdough constitutes what might be considered “a meal” for a growing schoolgirl.
With the realisation dawning that any future restaurant visits will require the additional cost of a babysitter, my partner Hillary and I decided to push the boat out and start off with cocktails, if only to take the edge off should Connie prove “you wouldn’t like her when she’s hangry” and Hulk-out while waiting for her food.
My Match Day Margarita combines Casamigos Blanco tequila with Beesou (an all-natural bitter honey aperitif), lime, hot honey and peach, with a spicy dip around the rim, while Hillary’s was a more conventional Cucumber and Rose Margarita with the same spicy bonus, and both were warming, salty and bursting with flavour. Down the hatch indeed…
For a starter, I went for the Spicy Jackfruit and Roasted Peanut Bang Bang Salad, having been impressed with The Ivy’s Asian offerings in the past and being a big fan of jackfruit as a meat substitute in general.
This dish included chayote – a type of Mexican squash – sesame, white mooli (Japanese radish) and shredded Chinese leaf, with sprinklings of coriander and peanut and deep-fried wonton strips for a vast array of different textures.
Fresh and fruity, with a nutty depth and spicy kick (more Bang for your buck!), it is a triumph of balance, no ingredient overpowering any of the others, but working together to achieve a fiesta for the tastebuds. It was so good I was tempted to scoop up the remaining sauce with my fingers (don’t worry, I resisted)…
In complete contrast, Hillary opted for the Potted Shrimp with Seasoned Butter, a dish with nostalgic echoes of traditional British tea parties, served with dill-pickled cucumber and granary toast. Rich and buttery, even a small spoonful was bursting with flavour and it delivered on all expectations, being a perfect portion of classic comfort food.
Although I’m a big fan of The Ivy’s grill dishes, I decided to experiment with my main course and opted for the Moroccan-style Boneless Half Chicken, which was served with toasted almonds, ras el hanout tomato sauce (with a blend of spices including cumin, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander and pepper), aubergine, olives and golden raisins, backed up with some fluffy jasmine rice.
Tender, sweet and exotic like a holiday fling, it was a treasure trove of tastes, with the sultanas offering tiny little bursts of sharp sweetness that brought the whole dish together triumphantly.
Hillary’s Gochujang-glazed Aubergine Salad was a fascinating fusion of sesame, pickled radish, wonton, sticky rice, and jalapeno and avocado dressing. The aubergine lacked that sliminess which sometimes spoils the fruit, instead melting in the mouth alongside the various layers of salad, with bold Korean flavours coming to the fore with every bite.
(Meanwhile Connie is doing her best to slice up her portion of chips using an olive skewer, having turned her nose up at a perfectly decent veggie burger. All class that one.)
With just enough room for a shared dessert, we opted for the Centre Court bombe, a play on The Ivy’s staple dish of ice cream encased in a chocolate shell which is then melted using a hot sauce.
Designed to resemble a tennis ball, it comprised a white chocolate shell and foam complete with strawberry coulis and shortbread, perfectly encapsulating an English summer afternoon in every mouthful, and the perfect finale to our meal.
Since it opened in 2018, The Ivy Brasserie in St Albans has become something of an old friend, there to provide a reassuring cuddle at good times and bad, with a standard of food and service which is always consistently excellent, and this occasion was no different.
Connie has been coming since March 2020, when she was less than three months old, and while it will be a shame that she won’t be joining us for future visits over the next few years, we’re sure the staff will appreciate the breather as much as we will. And by the time we’re brave enough to take her back again, hopefully she can restrain herself from unleashing further chaos and focus on enjoying the food and surroundings…
