I went to Detoxretox last night and shared the bangers and mash, the coconut curry, the sticky toffee pudding and the poached pear with AndyO.
It turns out that the ginger sponge slices that come with the pear were made with one of my recipes, so the owner came over for a chat. He was very friendly and approachable and said they do plan to open daytimes from the summer.
The name of the place suggested a cafe-stye bistro bar with smoothies and stuff, to me, so I was surprised that the place actually has the look and feel of a modern, gourmet restaurant like you get in London. I think the name has the potential to mislead people.
I found the food very high quality, with clean, fresh flavours that were perfectly balanced. It was much better food than you get in Greens and I'd recommend it to anyone who feels like a treat.
I would have preferred more tofu in my curry and passed this feedback on; they agreed with me. I would have also preferred two poached pears instead of one, as the amount of soya cream I got with it was too much and I ended up lapping the remainder off the spoon. The bangers and mash were the best that I've had in any place, anywhere. The gravy was amazing. The toffee pudding was also gorgeous, with a lingering caramel flavour and a zing in the custard caused by the fresh thyme. I'd go back for the pudding alone.
Two mains, two drinks and two puddings cost just under £40, so the place is out of my price range for regular visits, however consistent feedback on dining websites is that people want a gourmet veggie place in the city centre, not just another cafe. I hope it does well.
