Bold, Dartmouth Park

London Eats

6 Jun

Bold London This week I was fortunate enough to be invited along to try the menu at newly opened Bold, near Kentish Town. My good friend Chloe was invited to review, and she asked me to be her plus 1. We were offered a starter, main, dessert and drink each, and I was so impressed with this little café, that I thought I’d also share my thoughts. Bold Cafe & Restaurant What is it?Serving up Middle-Eastern cuisine, Bold Café & Restaurant is run by a lovely couple from Istanbul. Living nearby, I had previously walked past the café before, and was intrigued by its beautiful décor. I didn’t realise at the time, but this café is the guinea pig café featured in the BBC show Fleabag! Having been a huge fan of the show, I couldn’t believe I did recognise it. But the owners have done a fantastic job of renovating the premise.In fact, they were six weeks into refurbishment when the BBC asked for permission to film there again for season two! They had to revert the café back to its former dingy look for the show to film, but now it’s undergone a huge transformation. Think stainless steel work tops, marble tables, dark blue velvet seating, and lots plants – plants hanging from the ceiling and walls! It’s an interior dream. Bold Cafe London Bold Restaurant NW5 What to eat?And the food’s pretty good too! We chose a couple of starters that included a feta filo pastry cigar shaped delicacy, with a red pepper dip. Plus, a red pepper yogurt dip with crispy flat bread. The lovely owners also treated us to a selection of cold meze – including wonderfully creamy hummus served with smoky chorizo, the juiciest and biggest olives I’ve ever seen, and sweet baby beetroot.I would highly recommend the cold meze selection! It’s a great starter to share between two. Bold London Middle Eastern Restaurant For main, I opted for a falafel wrap, served with fries. Whilst Chloe chose a turmeric bowl, served with lamb kofte. Chloe hands down won on the main front. The turmeric bowl looked so colourful, and the turmeric spiced chickpeas were cooked to perfection. Served with pilaf rice, yogurt and beetroot, each accompaniment was perfectly pair with the kofte. My falafel wrap was nice, but I would perhaps choose it again as a lunch option instead. The portion size was also very generous. I would’ve preferred one half of the wrap, some fries and a side salad. But maybe that’s just me with a small appetite. Bold Middle Eastern Cafe Or maybe it was because the owners also treated us to an extra main – a new recipe they’ve created, which isn’t on the menu just yet. A fantastic beef brisket burger in a brioche bun, with a slice of cheese and a row of sliced pickles. Served with a light and peppery apple salad, this burger was dreamy! We offered a suggestion of serving it with a smoky or chilli sauce, but other than that it was delicious as it was. Bold Cafe North London Finally, with barely any room left, the owners very kindly offered us two desserts, both being traditional of their heritage. The first was a lemon parfait with a biscuit crumb, sliced strawberries and mango, creating a beautifully presented dessert. The bitter lemon was perfectly balanced with the creamy parfait. This was a great dessert to share – another generous portion. The second dessert was a traditional Turkish syrup soaked sponge, with shaved coconut. This was a little too sweet for me, so I much preferred the lemon parfait. Bold London Cafe Overall4/5