The Happenstance, 1a Ludgate Hill,
London EC4M 7AA
26/10/2013
She said: Hungry and in the City with
the skies about to open we headed into The Happenstance, part of the Drake and
Morgan chain of trendy bar-restaurants in the City. I’ve always had mixed
feelings about the group. The settings are always inviting – modern, bright,
impressive spaces with great cocktails but the food is always mediocre. I still
remember abandoning my pasta at another of their joints (Refinery) when it was
overcooked beyond recognition. Still, as a new addition to the group we thought
we’d give it a go. I ordered a bruschetta with mushroom and pesto which was
good but lukewarm. Foolishly I opted for the crab and crayfish linguini which
was hot, edible but slightly overcooked and, as seems to be a theme in chains,
the fish was being rationed. My rose martini cocktail was amazing and drink
prices reasonable. In conclusion, I would recommend The Happenstance and its
fellow venues for drinks and nibbles but move on to somewhere else for proper
food.
He said: The Happenstance is, for me,
the least memorable of the ‘pubs’ in this chain of gastros. The décor was
typically bright, mismatched boho-chic, and the drinks were excellent. But my
Thai curry was a let-down: the rice over-cooked, and the curry under-spiced and
probably made from a jar. But even if the food seems like an after-thought,
it’s worth coming here just for the mixed drinks, which are genuinely good, and
very well priced [for London] at under £8 each. Some of the kitchen’s offerings
might just do the trick to mop-up the booze and keep your head straight. But if
you’re going to eat at The Happenstance, then you had better order something
deep-fried.
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