Blue Check Restaurant

Reviews

• Budget Lunches & Interesting Evenings

  I had often passed the Blue Check restaurant and had heard good things about it from relatives.The outside is wide and welcoming, with the word blue in the name echoed in the outdoor colour scheme of blue lettering and white pillars. Red flowers are under the windows. An A-shape board advertises the set lunch and themed evenings.The carpet is blue and so are the uphostered parts of the high backed wooden chairs with elegant curved frames. I went for the tables with banquettes along the walls.Even at lunch time the whole restaurant, which is large, is lit by circular spherical light fittings which resemble spiralling strings of tiny white and gold fairy lights flashing on and off. At night they must look glamorous and romantic. If you are waiting for fellow diners, as I was, a table at the front has a couple of the day's newspapers.Lunch time:The lunchtime bargain, favoured by local pensioners, is the one course lunch for £5.50. Choices included canneloni, viener schnitzel (veal slice coated in breadcrumbs). One of our group had the one course and was happy with it. I ordered the three course meal. My starter was melon. I had two kinds of melon, different colours, fanned out, adorned with strawberries, two small pools of red fruit sauce and a scattering of icing sugar. Very pretty. The melon was rather on the tough side. (The supermarkets seem to have tough melons this year.)Main coursesOne of us ordered smoked salmon salad which came with avocado pear. It was colourful and interesting.My main course was duck. It came with a pleasant heavy dose of dark sweet cherry or plum sauce. Pleasantly crispy outside. Not as succulent as it can be in Chinese restaurants. I thought it was a bit dry. I could have done with slightly more heating of the meat. But one of my companions tried it and thought it okay. She says she eats anything.Everything looked really good. The added flavours were tasty. The dessert trolley included half a dozen options: vanilla baked cheesecake, Black Forest gateau, rum-soaked profiteroles, fruit salad and toffee cheesecake. I opted for the toffee cheesecake. it wasn't like a frozen mousse (which I hate) nor a crumbly cheesecake (which I love), more a sweet sticky sludge. One of my companions opted for the fruit salad, cut small like teeny dices. I asked if he'd like to give me some of his fruit salad in exchange for some of my cheesecake.He said I could have some fruit salad but he didn't want my cheesecake. The waiter overheard and offered to give me a spoon or two of fruit salad. Toilets: Large, clean, modern except for the pairs of Victorian style taps with the X shape horizontally spinning top. (I prefer mixer taps.) Looks like the management cares - boxes of tissues in the cubicles in addition to paper. Moisturizer dispenser as well as soapy gel. Three armchairs - suggesting a disco where ladies want to sit and chill out away from music and rest their over-danced feet.ComfortThe waiter politely guided me from the table I veered towards, nearest the screened door, suggesting I might prefer a table the other side in the light, near the window. He was right. I opted for the only table which had a table lamp and felt very pleased with myself.Evenings & Decor:The tables had white cloths and folded napkins.Themed evenings feature Sinatra. Several blown up black and white photos decorate the interior. We thought we identified Sinatra in one picture though we were mystified by the others.The mirrors on the side walls make the place look bigger and reflect the lights - creating a spacious feeling.White rolls. Brown bread rolls with mixed seeds on top, crisp outside and chewy inside. Good. Hot bread would have been even better but it was lunch time. Drinks:Good choice of wines by the glass but rather pricey for lunch time. For example, cocktail list included kir royale at £6, and a sweet wine (zinfandel) not much less at £5.50.Coffee is included in the £13.50 set menu, which is a good deal, and I was offered refills. Only one type of coffee, filter coffee poured from a glass jug. Seemed okay. Well presented with milk in a rounded jug and irregular shape dice-size lumps of brown and white sugar.AmbienceThe recorded music of 1960s or 80s music jollied up the atmosphere even when we were last at 3 pm.Opening timesOpen lunch times until 3 pm. They wanted us to order before 2.30 when the kitchen closed but served us the desserts off the trolley and coffees until 3 and did not rush us out.Closed Sunday night. Once we saw the lights but found a private party had booked the place.ServiceWhen you hailed the waiter he was very obliging. But rather quiet. As the place was nearly empty and I arrived alone he could have done a little job by chatting and selling me the restaurant and the area. The man I presumed was the restaurant owner or chef appeared looking much bigger and jollier and spoke to some people who I presumed were regulars. Water came promptly. Service was unhurried.

  Angella
  Review Date: 07/09/2008 Report review