I just had to write a review of this meal at Indigo, One Aldwych because it’s my favourite restaurant. I’ve loved this place for years, at first from a afar when Chef Dominic Teague decided to turn his kitchen completely gluten and dairy free overnight and not tell anyone. What’s more amazing is that no one noticed, and unless you knew, you wouldn’t be able to tell at all. The food is amazing and surprisingly good value for such a great location.
It means that all I need to worry about really are my nut and soya allergy. Soya seems really easy to avoid and nuts are used in only a few of their dishes and stored safely in the kitchen. I just feel so much calmer. Asking about allergies here isn’t a problem and staff are well educated and can answer any question you have about the sauce, the garnish etc. to put your mind at rest. So here’s what we had, to celebrate my 47th birthday in style.
The most amazing sourdough bread
This bread was homemade and just so delicious. Really soft, moist, yet held together well and didn’t crumble. It came to the table warm and my Mum, who can eat wheat bread said she would be happy to eat this and more importantly didn’t think it tasted any different.
None of that usual disappointment when a slice of pale, unbrowned looking, shop bought, anaemic, gluten free bread appears, usually dry, with no spread available. This sour dough was just such a treat. I’d actually order this online if I could and wish I’d tried to buy a few loaves to take home now.
Starter – duck consomme
I’m not sure I’ve ever had a consomme before but I loved this. The tiny mushrooms and perfectly cooked duck were just enough to whet the appetite for the courses to come.
A little bit in between
Beef main dish
This beef, with smooth (dairy free) mashed potato was so succulent and just melted in the mouth. It was a really good portion of beef and I just loved every morsel. So, so tasty.
Meringue pudding
I shouldn’t really have had this but it was my birthday and I can always find space for pudding. Lovely, light and fresh, the perfect end to our meal.
But that wasn’t all…
I had told the staff it was my birthday as it’s always worth doing that 😉 And after all that food and coffee they brought me a birthday cake.
Meet Dominic Teague
I can’t thank all the staff and especially Dominic enough for a fabulous meal. And I am so glad I let him know that I was going for a meal because I got to shake his hand and thank him for everything he does for us allergy folk. He is one of my champions, welcoming allergic diners and giving us a meal to relish and remember. You don’t feel like you’ve missed out all at Indigo restaurant.
We also had a tour around a few of the hotel rooms at One Aldwych which was great and I now know exactly which room I want to stay in, and it’s not cheap!
All in all a perfect start to my birthday. We went on to see Come From Away at the theatre which was absolutely fantastic. I would recommend you all go and see that too! Standing ovation at the end.
I will be back to Indigo soon and am already planning my next trip. Check out Indigo at One Aldwych online today and book a table. You won’t regret it.
So glad you had a good and more importantly, safe experience there. I took my very allergic youngest daughter a couple of years ago for the chocolate afternoon tea. She had a severe allergic reaction to something in the sandwiches. We tried to find out what it was, but they absolutely denied all nuts/seeds etc that would have triggered her. Unfortunately, we haven’t dared to go back.
Oh Dear! sorry to hear that Samina. I do really trust them so I wonder what did happen. It’s so scary taking the plunge and going out and eating in restaurants. The trust is such a hard one isn’t it? My two worst allergies are dairy and nuts. Having all the wheat and dairy removed from the scenario immediately just helps me feel a little safer. I know mistakes do happen. It’s frustrating now knowing what caused a reaction. That’s happened to me before too, you start to wonder if you’re developing new allergies you never knew about! Thanks for the comment and your honesty.