Meatballs at The Quality Chop House
92-94 Farringdon Road
London. EC1R 3EA

T: 020 3490 6228

Helen Forrest Reviews….

This week I took the Veggie along for a meal at Exmouth Market based Meatballs (yes I know, but somebody had to try the vegetarian option, and with eight delicious sounding meatballs on offer it wasn’t going to be me!).

Although this speciality restaurant, run by couple Hugh and Shelly Fowler has only been open little over a month, the famous building which houses it is far from new. It has been proudly standing since the 1870s, when it was a working men’s chop house.

The grade II listed site offers a warm welcome, with plenty of interesting details to look at such as the gorgeous wood-work of the original six seater booths and historical photos of the chop house. It would be perfect for a first date for example. In fact the relaxed vibe from Shelly and her all female waiting staff is just as warm as you imagine it would have been for the working men who came to unwind and eat heartily here all that time ago.

With such a name as Meatballs at the Quality Chop House again not an obvious choice for the vegetarians amongst us, however a non-meat eater would be unlikely to go hungry here. The special of the Pumpkin Soup with truffle oil was a good place to start (fairly priced at £3.50 for this bowl of creamy luxury) and the Veggie was also pleased to see a couple of proper vegetarian dishes on the menu including a salad (£6.95). The alternative ball on our visit (although I am led to believe some of the specials will also be veggie-friendly) was courgette in a mild curry sauce rather than a soya-based ‘mock meatballs’ dish – all good stuff!

We also shared the Spinach, Bacon and Parmesan salad with green beans to start (£6.95), as I was saving myself for the main attractions! The salad was a nice surprise in that it was garden-fresh and lip-smackingly tasty; nicely dressed in a balsamic and shallot vinaigrette. Our charming waitress suggested the bacon come separately so we could really share the dish. For me, the bacon added a nice chewiness along with the yummy parmesan but even without this element it was a winner and would be a lighter alternative served under any of the meatballs, although it would perhaps work best with the delicate chicken balls. All the meat is free range and from top producers, add to this the range of natural wines and Meatballs ethos is clear, just like your conscious will be when you tuck in.

Sipping some tongue tingling Victorian lemonade with mint (£2.45) I had had to make some tough choices but in the end I had opted for the sliders (£5.95): these trendy ‘miniature burgers’ are everywhere at the moment so I was keen to try the Meatballs take.

The trio of your choice (£5.95), from beef to pork, chicken and lamb can be added to with sides including iceberg wedges with blue cheese sauce, a lovely fresh pasta in a parmesan cream, rice or even a pearl barley risotto (sides from £2.95 – £3.95). My choice was Pork and Rosemary, Chicken with lemon and caperberry sauce and the Greek Lamb.

Alternatively, you can go more trad and order your choice of balls (each portion of three is £3.95) to come with something underneath such as buttery – and they do mean buttery, it was gorgeous – mashed potato. The food comes presented on simple, white crockery, no self-conscious wooden boards here and it is all the better for this.

The communal eating is further encouraged by the booths and even at our early evening setting you could feel how a nice buzzing atmosphere would come as the restaurant filled up. This concept slots in nicely with our current desire to be able to continue to afford to eat out, and our increasing love for food which we can share. You can certainly imagine the place becoming a regular for local workers; one of their intriguing cocktails such as the Blueberry G & T’s (£5.95) would hit the spot after a long day in the office that’s for sure!

Shelly herself was in the kitchen until recently, but it was very nice to see her front of house, chatting to diners; where it is very obvious how much time, care and thought the Fowler’s have put into Meatballs. As Shelly pointed out the original purpose of the restaurant is the same as it was over a hundred years ago; it’s just now many of us spend our days as slaves to the computer rather than the shovel.

There was a little confusion on my part over the egg papperdelle going underneath the courgette balls, but all credit to the kitchen they decided we must know what I was doing – you are encouraged to make up your own flavour combinations after all! The courgette balls were delicious, seasoned to perfection and the egg papperdelle of a very high quality, the two flavours didn’t clash much as both were very subtle. I could have eaten a whole bowl just of the pasta, it was so silky. The Veggie was also impressed but felt the curry sauce was not really needed, the courgette was good enough without dressing.

Although the restaurant hadn’t yet filled up when we were there, it being only just gone 6pm, there was a nice atmosphere with appropriate music at an also appropriate level which isn’t always the case at many speciality restaurants.

The meatballs were all tender; mid-sized and served in glossy little buns that soaked up the sauces. The lamb was the real star of the trio, with its pink and delicious innards and the slightly charred outside marrying perfectly with the raita. I suspect the same would be true of the beef and ricotta, which I wish I had had the room to sample as well. I did however give in to temptation and tried the special Spanish Chicken and Chorizo as a bonus ball. The price of these “bonus balls” means they are no gamble (sorry!), they are only a quid each which allows you to mix and match to your heart’s content without feeling you are spending too much. This combo went down a treat; don’t be put off by the pink look of the meatball – due to the inclusion of the cured sausage – it was damn flavoursome. The ball was covered with a creamy aioli and was well-spiced, with a welcome heat coming through, making it a joint favourite with the Greek Lamb.

The Pork and Rosemary and Chicken with Lemon and Caperberry sauce were both nicely done too if inevitably a little drier, and I like the fact that the kitchen will be coming up with different specials to try such as corned beef and tandoori lamb to keep you returning, as if you needed an excuse!

To finish the Veggie and I shared Aunty Joyce’s Egg Custard (£3.65) and the Eton Mess (both too tempting to ignore: I love how the clatter is different wherever you go). The custard was delicious; my only criticism was that it was a little watery, whilst the Veggie proclaimed that Aunty Joyce could definitely make that again! The Eton Mess was a chewy delight but the liquored plums were a tad too strong for me, although I am not a drinker so probably not the best judge. Either were good ends to a very pleasant evening.

The Fowler’s have not been the first to spot the potential in dusting off this historical building, but with ‘Meatballs’ they hope to put a new casual dining spin on this iconic site. The menu is well put together and the kitchen seems in safe hands, but as you would expect after only having been open just over a month, there are still a few tiny niggles. However they have got so much right, so quickly and we would definitely return and bring friends for a good night out, especially because of those little touches such as an amuse-bouche to start and fresh tap water at the table without prompting. These all go a long way to making you feel special and indeed part of the family!

http://www.meatballs.co.uk