Although I’d heard of and seen Garfunkel’s many times before, I hadn’t ever experienced a meal there. Perhaps it’s the fact that there are so many of them around that I always assumed I’d end up in one at some stage, but never quite ended up making it. Due to this, I didn’t really know what to expect. Some sort of folk singer-songwriter duo was the only image in my head the entire journey there and it was only once inside that I realised I did have a preconceived interpretation of what to expect – and I was totally wrong!
I suppose I was expecting something akin to a steakhouse with deep red chesterfield-style upholstered booths and mahogany tables, maybe a carpet that darkened the place that little bit more… As it turned out, the restaurant I entered was unrecognisable from the image I had built in my head. This stylised-gloomy room was in fact bursting with light. So what about the original image I was aware of in my head? Was everything flavoured exclusively with ‘Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme’? Would there be ‘Dangling Conversation’? Would the waitress be called ‘Cecilia’? OK, none of that is funny. And the answer in all cases is no. Let’s get back on track.
It certainly was busy at the time of arrival. Following a short wait we were guided to our table. The salad bar is something similar to what one might find in a hotel but it also reminded me of an ‘EAT’ outlet. I know not why as it was salad abound, and no packaged sandwiches in sight, but perhaps it was the mirrored metal that reminded me of it.
‘Oh, come on’, you’re saying right now. ‘Talk about the food’.
OK, weeeeell, for starters, I went for the forgotten favourite Prawn Cocktail. It was as a Prawn Cocktail should be! I’m not sure why but I’ve always found it a bit weird that it is served at room temperature – but why wouldn’t it be!? It was a good choice all the same. The other half of this particular dining experience opted for the Antipasto Misto. Proscuitto ham, salami Napoli, coppa, pickles, it was the most Italian foil to my 70s English classic. I couldn’t resist pinching a few bits and was pleased I did. The flavours melting into tongue was just the appetiser I needed.
As for the mains, we both went for choices from ‘The Grill’ and were not disappointed. The 8oz strip sirloin, medium rare, was very good considering the price compared to location whilst the BBQ Chicken Melt had a bit too much BBQ sauce for my liking (because I’m not really a fan of it anyway) but was enjoyed by my counterpart.
I think my only gripe was with the drink selection but really that’s just my own pickiness coming into play. The fact that the only beers were your standard mainstream lagers (although Staropramen was on draught which I didn’t really expect) isn’t actually surprising when thought about, since this is an across-the-board restaurant where relatively quick turnaround and a menu consisting of favourites is the order. A choosy-beer-list provider this place is not. And you wouldn’t want it to be.
Neither of our selections were particularly adventurous or unusual but Garfunkel’s doesn’t attempt anything left field or quirky. It knows what it does and sticks to it. Mainstream food served quickly is the order of the day and unfussy, relatively simple fare means it is a trustworthy option when you’re looking for a place quickly and can’t really be bothered to wonder if you will like what you will get or not. For what it does, what it is, and what it wants to be, Garfunkel’s does it very well indeed.
Written By Priscila Lemos
Date posted: 15/02/2012
