Feeling Festive at Frankie & Benny's

Hello there!

'Tis the season to be jolly or in my case, stuff my belly full of wonderful food. Yes it's almost Christmas time and honesty hour, it's not my favourite time of the year. I'm a little bit of a grinch but when it comes to eating delicious food and seeing my family, I'm all over it.

The lovely people at Frankie & Benny's invited myself and 3 friends to try out their new Christmas menu. Most of my life, my parents have been the ones to provide Christmas dinner for me and I have obviously loved it. Seeing as I'm not a great chef, I decided they were the ones who deserved to have a big meal cooked for them. Along with my little brother, it was time to see what was in store for us.

Once we entered, we were swiftly taken to our table and greeted by this wonderful sight. I knew it was going to be a Christmas dinner but I didn't expect crackers and poppers. It was a lovely little treat and I'm sure other people in the restaurant were staring at us whilst we put on our Christmas hats and attacked each other with the poppers. 

After all that excitement, it was time to order our food. Our waiter was really friendly but seemed a little confused by the Christmas menu at first. I get the feeling we were the first people in to try it. Once we got past the slight confusion, it was time to order and then eat!

THE STARTERS

Cheese & Bacon Skins

Smoked Salmon Bruschetta

Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

Pulled Beef Salad

First up, of course, is the starters... that's why they are called starters. I went for the Pulled Beef Salad which I had quite mixed feelings about. The beef itself was really tasty and the rosemary bread was also a big highlight but I felt the dish has a right onion taste about it. This came as a surprise as there was no mention of onion on the menu itself. I imagine though this wouldn't be a big deal for normal people. As I've mentioned before on my blog, I hate onions with a burning passion. 

I alas didn't get chance to try the other starters but I heard no complaints from my party. I've actually had the chicken tenders before in the passed and was a big fan of them then. 

The Mains

Maple Flavour Glazed Gammon & Fries

Mojito Salad with Chicken

Bacon Cheese Burger

Frankie's Festive Dinner

So for my main, I went for the Mojito Salad..... Of course I didn't, thought the salad actually did look pretty tasty, I had to go for Frankie's Festive Dinner. It was 'Christmas Dinner' after all. 

I quite honestly was rather taken back by the size of my portion. I'm still not even convinced that it was meant for one person. Half a roast chicken, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls, rosemary roasted potatoes, mixed veg and red wine gravy aka the full works. In a nutshell this was an amazing festive dinner. Everything on my plate was all kinds of wonderful. The chicken was cooked perfectly and that red wine gravy was actually beautiful. I was almost tempted to ask for the recipe of the gravy. The potatoes were full of flavour but maybe a little bit over done. I found some of them were a little hard but as soon as I smothered them in the delicious gravy, I didn't care so much.

I was hoping to try out the other dishes but I was too preoccupied with the battle I had on my plate. Sadly I wasn't able to finish it all but trust me, I put up a good fight. 

The Desserts 

Red, White & Blue Sundae

Peach & Raspberry Pie

Chocolate Yule Log

After those amazing and, especially in my case, large mains we were all feeling a little bit full by the time dessert arrived but we were not going to give up. My parents went for the 'safer' option of the Red, White & Blue Sundae which was slight quite a big portion. I can never refuse a chocolate based dessert so of course the Chocolate Yule Log was the one for me. The log itself was incredibly rich but also incredibly enjoyable especially paired with my favourite flavour of ice cream, mint choc chip. Anyone who claims to hate mint choc chip should never be trusted.

My brother decided to go for the Peach & Raspberry Pie which looks deceiving in the picture above. As much as he really enjoyed it, he was struggling to finish it all. It was like a never ending pie but due to encouragement (bullying) from the rest of us, he managed to do it. 

Overall Verdict 

I really enjoyed our Christmas meal at Frankie & Benny's. I sometimes felt the portion sizes were possibly a little too big especially when you are going for the three course meal but then again, I would rather a good amount of food over a tiny little plate. The service we received through out the night was great as well. Yes it started off a little shaky at the beginning but from then on out it was all smooth sailing. The staff made sure we were always happy with our food and kept us refreshed with delicious cocktails. 

If you are looking for a tasty and reasonably priced (£16.95 for 2 Courses, £19.95 for 3 Courses) Christmas dinner with friends before the main event happens on the 25th, I highly recommended booking a table now. Just mentally prepare yourself for a big meal and maybe even plan a walk after. I certainly wasn't planning to get a bus on my way home. 

Thanks again to Frankie & Benny's for having us along! 

Till the next time

X

*Though my meal was complimentary, all views are my own