Festive Seasonal Menu 2012 @ All Bar One

Tonight I was invited to go and sample this years festive menu at All Bar One.  I must say that All Bar One Portsmouth must be praised for holding these events, as not many other restaurants at Gunwharf do.  So what did we sample?  Well the complementary Prosecco and the welcome by Jonny and the team were both warm and friendly.  We were handed the festive menu to peruse whilst the kitchen were busy preparing the dishes.  The festive menu starters are:

French onion soup with cheese crouton
Roasted Portobello mushroom topped with baby spinach and goats cheese
Chicken liver, pork and mushroom parfait
Prawn cocktail.

All dishes (excluding parfait which was not available to sample) were tasty and to the standard you would expect from All Bar One.

Main courses are:
Roast turkey wrapped with bacon
Salmon wellington
Rib-eye steak (£3 supplement)
Shallot, parsnip and sweet potato tarte tatin

Here is where I tell you that I was very impressed with the salmon wellington and the vegetable tarte tatin, which I would love to go back and eat again.  Vegetarians would be super-happy with this dish oozing taste, texture and......, and the salmon wellington was made with a buttery shortcrust pastry which I did not expect (please do not change this for the usual bland, and potentially soggy puff pastry synonymous with Wellingtons), accompanied with a delicious...... cider and tarragon cream.  These were the stand out dishes of the night!

Shallot, Parsnip, & Sweet Potato Tarte Tatin

Salmon Wellington

Desserts are:
Sticky fruit pudding
Lime & lemon tart
coconut and chocolate tart

Sticky Fruit Pudding

Unfortunately of the desserts listed only the sticky pudding was available, and it's very much like a sticky date pudding.  A cheese selection and coffee and mince pies are also available at an additional cost.

So all in all it's a thumbs up for the slight variation and welcomed refreshing change to the traditional and predictable festive menu's we see throughout November and December in all restaurants. I had almost forgotten that it was a festive menu which personally pleased me no end!  3 courses will set you back £22 each and must be booked in advance.  There is also a buffet menu available at £15 per person but this is for a minimum of 10 people and must be booked too.