San Miguel

A trip to the plethora of eating places in Greenwich made it hard to decide where to go. A lively interior and promise of lamb shanks drew us to San Miguel.

Food

We decided to hedge our bets by ordering both the festival feast and their ordinary menu. The Lamb Shanks slow cooked with carrots, celery and mushrooms was not on their normal menu, and they had nothing about the festival special, so I had to ask for it. They were able to deliver it though, even if I felt I was the only person in the restaurant to have ordered it. The serving was very generous. A huge shank fills the plate, with a big ladle full of the celery sauce, plus carrots, broccoli and potatoes. The meat was a bit dry, especially the outside bit, but the inside bits of meat was quite tender. The Piri Piri Polo (£10.95)- Another House Special. Chicken Breast. Cooked with Chilli and Spices was off their normal menu. I was really surprised with this as it was hot! Not so fiery hot but enough to give your senses a real kick. The chicken breast was as nice as chicken breast could be, very tender. I had actually expected the sauce not to be so creamy though. This was again served with a generous helping of vegetables.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

A bit like an old school tavern. The interior is quite dark, with a small bar at the front, and an open kitchen, where you can watch the chefs flambee almost everything at the back. There are these orange leaves hanging from the ceiling.

There were quite a few people eating there on this Friday evening, most of them enjoying some tapas with another glass or two.

Rating - 2

Service

Well, our first waiter was a bit clueless on the festival deal, and it seemed most of them were too. It took awhile for them to find someone who knew what was going on, and we had to give them our festival booklet to show to the boss. The waiters were so funny though, and really really nice, making sure that we got what we needed, joked around with us, so that all is forgiven.

Rating - 4

C-factor

My festival feast was £10 including a glass of wine, and they only charge 10% service. I guess it must be very competitive around there.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 13.5

Info

18 Greenwich Church Street
London
SE10 9BJ
Phone +44 (0) 20 8305 1720
Website