Percy & Founders is an all-day British-European Bar and Restaurant/Lounge. It is absolutely gorgeous inside. It has a sophisticated and contemporary feel, with an art-y edge through its huge open spaces, glass room dividers, marble bar tops and prints on the walls. However the atmosphere still gave a touch of homely-ness, with the bookshelves, candles and cosy corners. As for size, the restaurant spreads around two bars and is huge.
I went along last week with Helen ( The Hels Project) to try the autumn menu... and catch-up of course ...
We had a warm welcome and were given a cute and cosy corner to get settled into. Service remained friendly and the team were all very attentive, not only with us but the tables around us too. They kept our water topped up and checked if we needed anything else throughout. They were great.
Percy and Founders offers a seasonal modern British menu.
It is available every day for breakfast, lunch & dinner, with menus also available for traditional Sunday roast and brunch at the weekend. The main all-day menu has a wide range of options from Rock Oysters and Monkfish & Atlantic salmon fish cakes to start, to a Wagyu beef burger, Garlic & thyme roasted squash, Galloway grass-fed 250g fillet or Pan-fried Cornish sea bass for the main course. There are a good handful of vegan options (or twists) too, which is always good to see.
We skipped starters in favour of saving space for the desserts we were already eyeing up. In other words, the Sticky toffee pudding & clotted cream ice cream and the Chocolate pecan brownie, maple & banana ice cream, among the others, convinced us we needed to make sure we could fit one in.
The Fish goujons with house-made tartare sauce, peas & skin-on-fries, down very well.
The fish was very tasty, nice and crispy on the outside. The peas were fab on the side, used almost like a sauce - in Hels words. The skin-on fries were good too, not overly crispy but lightly salted. I had a touch of food envy, however, my option was just as delicious...
The Winter vegetable tart with herb salad & whipped English Fettle was a fantastic vegetarian option. The tart itself had a fantastic crumbly pastry case and was filled beautifully with ribbons of winter vegetable, accentuated by the caramelised onion. The whipped English Fettle was strong, a lot like feta, and went very well with the tart.
We had some extra fries, to solve a little of the food envy on my behalf, as well as a side portion of Heritage carrots, chestnuts & sage. The heritage carrots were delightful. They were a la dente, with just a little roasted chestnut sprinkled over and sage. Definitely one to order.
Having left enough space for dessert, the only struggle was deciding between the options. But I think we nailed it.
The Bramley apple & blackberry crumble with vanilla ice cream was absolutely divine. Arriving in a hot skillet style dish, the crumble itself was thick, soft enough and there was a good layer of apple and blackberry underneath. The ice cream didn't melt too quickly either, which is always great!
The Ruby Port poached pear & Madagascan vanilla cream actually arrived cold which was a little unexpected, but very tasty all the same. The poached pear wasn't too soft, and it had a beautiful flavour enriched by the port. The cream was thick, and along with a little crumble on top, it really was one fab bowl of textures and flavours which all came together very well. ONe for if you fancy something a touch lighter, and not a hot dessert.
We, of course, had a drink alongside. The drinks menu at Percy and Founders features a very extensive wine list, with bottles and glasses at all budgets. There are plenty of spirits, a large list of cocktails, and a good selection of beers too.
There are also a handful of mocktails too, and these are what caught our eye most.
The Autumn Sunset, a mix of Charitea Mate Sparkling, cherry & vanilla syrup, lemon & orange juice, was our fave. It really did taste autumnal, with the cherry adding a deeper flavour. It was absolutely delicious.
The Apple & Ginger Mockito was awesome too, consisting of apple juice, Franklin & Sons ginger ale, fresh mint & lime. The ginger and apple together provided a fantastic combination, and made for one great substitute for the classic alcoholic beverage.
The citrus kiss, a mocktail made from LemonAid Lime, Grapefruit, agave syrup, lime & orange juice, was exactly as named.. Very citrus. It was refreshing and delicious, and fab alongside our dishes.
To sum up, we had such a fab evening at Percy and Founders thanks to the lovely, welcoming and friendly service, fab food and great mocktails. It's a gorgeous, sophisticated spot for a good meal or drinks. We'll definitely be heading back at some point!
Summary - Percy & Founders:
- Price: Starters range from £9.50 to £11, mains from £11 to £22 (steaks a touch more), and desserts are all £7.50. Overall, pretty standard for the area, and we thought reasonable for the quality and taste of the dishes we tried. Mocktails were £5 each, which we thought was really good.
- Food: Contemporary seasonal British menu with plenty of choice, including a good handful of vegan options. Everything we tried was absolutely delicious - the vegetable tart is a must try!
- Drinks: a very extensive wine list, with bottles and glasses at all budgets. There are plenty of spirits, a large list of cocktails, and a good selection of beers too. The mocktails won us over - they were a great size and really good combinations of flavours. We didn't miss the alcohol at all.
- Atmosphere: sophisticated, contemporary and arty, yet welcoming and home-y. Yes, it's possible to be all.
- Wait: It was busy the evening we visited, so do book ahead.
Are you a mocktail convert too?
Chloe xx
* I was invited along to review the menu at Percy & Founders. All views my own.
