Applebee's - Wanstead

12:19pm Wednesday 2nd July 2008

SECLUDED in the heart of Wanstead, Applebee's location is almost as mouth watering as the fish they serve up.

The restaurant overlooks George Green giving diners plenty of opportunities to indulge in people watching while they eat.

But the numerous red London busses whizzing past reminded me I was only 30 minutes from central London.

And when glancing at the menu it appeared to me that the genius of Applebee's is a dining experience that rivals any top notch restaurant in the heart of the capital but in an almost village location.

I opted for scallops with slices of fried bacon, mashed potato and a mountain of rocket (£8) as my starter.

The succulent scallops were cooked to perfect and went well with the slightly salty bacon and the mashed potato was creamy and had traces of lemon juice.

A minor gripe would be the food was obscured by the mounds of rocket which was tasty but a bit much but did not put me off clearing my plate.

For my main course I ate delicious pan fried cod cooked in a creamy sauce which was on a bed of moist mashed potato (£15.50) which was tasty and a delight to eat.

Portion sizes were just about right as I did not feel like pining for more but at the same time I was not overwhelmed by the quantity of food.

To drink I opted for a glass of south American white wine (£3.75) which was fruity, delicious and went well with my food and a half bottle of mineral water (£1.25).

The service was generally excellent although a minor gripe would be that I was asked if I wanted a drink seconds after I sat down but unfortunately my brain doesn't quite work that fast.

However that fleeting glitch aside I felt well looked after with plenty of warm smiles and enquires as to whether I was enjoying my meal.

I would put this down to being early in the week and I suspect that on a Friday evening a reservation would be needed. The decor is light with the walls being painted in creamy white with darker brown sideboards and wooden flooring.

It is well lit and customers even have the chance of dining outside.

All in all my dining experience was absolutely excellent but the prices are somewhat steep so while I will be back I suspect my visits will be an occasional treat.

APPLEBEE'S RESTAURANT
17 Cambridge Park,
Wanstead,
E11 2PU
TEL: 020 8989 1977

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