A dinner themed with chocolate… What could be better? Rabot 1745 is one of my favourite eateries in London and why wouldn’t it be when it is Hotel Chocolat’s creation? I hadn’t dined in the evening there before but had tried their Afternoon Tea so I knew I was in for a treat. Me and my boyfriend decided to have a little date night and it was lovely to enjoy fabulous food, that was exciting and delicious. When we go out for dinner we now prefer to choose somewhere memorable and have less dates out… that way it is more special and something to appreciate. We also enjoy cooking at home on a more everyday basis.
Our table overlooked Borough Market – another foodie heaven for those visiting London. It was lovely to have a bit of sun glistening through from the light evening we had. We decided to start with the classy cocktail list…. I chose the SALTED CARAMEL SOOTHER which was absolutely stunning! It featured vanilla infused rum, dry curacao, coconut milk, salted caramel chocolate and chocolate bitters. The chocolate rim to the glass was also a treat… although you do have to watch out for those chocolate coated lips! The boyfriend had a classic RUM ESPRESSO MARTINI which was equally delicious. I have got my eye on the PRALINE SOOTHER for next time…. Vodka, coconut milk, praline and white chocolate!
After our introductory beverages, we skipped straight to the main event. If we had ordered a starter I think we would have chosen the SOURDOUGH WITH THREE CACAO ACCOMPANIMENTS (chocolate balsamic, cacao pesto, nib butter) as this sounded utterly delicious. However, we wanted to save room for dessert! We had SEARED COD and LOIN OF VENISON. I chose the cod and it was honestly the best fish dish I have had out in a while! The coconut milk and cacao butter sauce was so incredibly tasty and the little cubes of pepper, pineapple and sweet potato worked so well with it! I am going to be trying this out at home – cacao and pineapple is a winning combination in savoury dishes! The venison was equally delicious when I tried it with the while chocolate parsnip purée and blackberry gel. We also ordered some WHITE CHOCOLATE MASH – a great decision! It complimented the dishes so well and the flavours really worked without tasting too sweet. I want to try the CACAO MAC + CHEESE sometime in the future! It is also slightly cheaper so great for those more relaxed meals out.
To finish the evening off we felt it was obligatory to order dessert! We shared THE BAFTA 2017 DESSERT (which was featured at the British Film Awards meal) and their SIGNATURE MOLTEN CHOCOLATE LAVA PUDDING. The Bafta was silky buffalo mousse combined with blueberry, raspberry and pumpkin seed notes. So yummy! Although I can make a chocolate fondant well at home the Molten Lave Pudding tasted amazing with their glorious bitter but creamy rich chocolate. Of course, you can always finish off the meal with a decadent hot chocolate or one of their Cocoa Shell Infusions instead.
Hotel Chocolat’s Rabot 1745 is such a stunning place. If you don’t want to have dinner there I definitely recommend checking out the café downstairs which is equally delightful. You can sip a dreamy hot chocolate whilst eating freshly made scones and enjoy cocoa at it’s finest… One of my favourite places in London!
