We booked a table for the steak night special the other Wednesday evening.
Swiss Cottage has a very pleasant bar/waiting area - quite atmospheric with no windows. The waitress takes your order as you relax with a drink, then calls you through to the restaurant when your table is ready.
The restaurant itself is only very small, with c. 30 covers. Unlike the bar, the room is very well illuminated with several large windows. Decor is direct from the 1960's/70's - even the teak sideboard at the end of the room. A large overhead sign points out the direction of the bar - this the only doorway in the room, and the one you just entered by. Amusing to some.
We ordered crab cakes for starters. Home made, sizzling hot, and served with a side salad. Very tasty.
For the main meal we took the special - two sirloin steaks and a bottle of wine for the grand price of £16.95.
The steaks were a good size and quite tender. Unfortunately the waitress mixed up our orders - one a medium rare and the other medium to well done. Quite an achievement considering we were the only people eating at the time, and the distance to the table from the kitchen is only a matter of a few feet.
The steaks were served with mushrooms, onion rings, boiled and roast potatoes, cabbage, carrots and cauliflower. The cauliflower was too hard to be edible, but everything else was very good.
We ordered red wine, and chose a Californian Echo Falls, which, for the price, was excellent.
The meal was filling, and we felt unable to tackle the dessert card.
For two starters, two sirloin steaks and a bottle of red wine, the final bill came to c. £26.00, which we felt was very good value indeed.
The service wasn't perfect, but the staff were very friendly, courteous and helpful. Black polo shirts and jean type trousers as a uniform are perhaps better suited to a fish and chip type restaurant, but that is intended merely as a constructive comment.
Free evening parking is available in the large public car park directly opposite.
Recommended at the price. read more