Lifestyle | Rabot 1745 Review

Regulars here will know that we are huge brand fans of Hotel Chocolat, so when we were invited along to Rabot 1745, we jumped at the chance to sample the delights of their Borough Market restaurant. Having had a taste of some savoury and sweet culinary delights at previous events, an opportunity to spend a festive evening huddled up in their Borough Market restaurant sounded just about perfect...

The design of the restaurant is very rustic with lots of wooden fixtures and soft lighting - think a balmy evening in St. Lucia! It's a really authentic feel, with a stunning balcony terrace overlooking the hustle and bustle of the market. We spied furry blankets for wrapping yourself in on extra chilly nights - perfect for people watching below with undoubtedly the most delicious hot chocolate of your life...

We kicked the evening off at the bar with some special cocktails- classic favourites with a cocoa twist! Flic opted for the Gin Martini (cocoa gin, dry curacao, orange twist) and I (Lauren) chose the Pretty Pink (a prosecco, honey and rose water combo). Both were delicious and stunningly finished with fruit and flowers. So far, so good!

At the table we sampled the delightful Cocoa Nibs; a Hotel Chocolat alternative to nuts or olives, akin to a pistachio (you have to crush the outer shell to try the cocoa bean inside). Totally yummy.

For a starter, Flic chose a seared pork terrine with rum-grape-cacao chutney and I went for the 'Not So Scotch' Egg with the cacoa nib crust - both were beautifully presented and delicious. The terrine was meaty and the chutney was the right level of sweet and savoury. The scotch egg was cooked to perfection - a slightly-soft-but-not-runny centre and a yummy crunchy crust. We both dug into each others choices (what are besties for!) and agreed that they were equally scrumptious.

Main courses had us torn. We are burger lovers at heart and Rabot had their own version, but honestly it felt like sacrilege so we were good. Flic went for the lamb; slow braised and cacao glazed with garlic mash and buttered carrots, whilst I opted for pork three ways; meatballs, pork belly, crisp dry cured bacon, cacao beer braised onions, white chocolate mash and roast jus. Both were intensely rich, flavoursome and didn't disappoint. Being the greedy girls we are, we also asked for a sneaky side of chips, which were served with three choice of 'dunks' including a chocolate aioli (beyond delicious, trust us)! We were both left wondering how to recreate white chocolate mash at home (it pairs perfectly with the salty pork dishes). Hmmm...!

We are ashamed to admit that we were too stuffed for dessert, although having previously tried the brownies and mousses which graced the menu at other events, we know that we would have been in for a right treat! If you arrive with a bigger appetite than us, don't miss them.

For those who haven't acquainted themselves with cocoa cuisine before, we understand that using chocolate in savoury food effectively could be daunting. But trust us when we say that the food isn't overly sugary or sweet, or all brown and white. In fact, the cocoa adds a deeper level of yumminess which even those who don't have a sweet tooth will love. We give Rabot top marks and would recommend a visit to all! Next time we would love to try out the afternoon tea - it sounds like heaven!

Thank you so much to Sam and his team for taking such good care of us at Rabot 1745, and to Beau Jane and the team for arranging our visit!

Have you visited Rabot 1745? We would love to hear your thoughts or recommendations for our next DINE experience! Drop us a comment below or tweet us @PrettyPoshOMG.

Felicity and Lauren