A Sunday Lunch Date At The Ivy Brasserie And Garden

Lunch at The Ivy Brasserie and Garden, in Harrogate, our new home town, is always a good idea, and Sunday lunch on a rare day date with my husband, Peter, without our three children, turned out to be a truly excecptional idea!

We promised we wouldn’t discuss our trio of kids over lunch, and probably and predictably only lasted twenty minutes in all honesty but we did reconnect, laugh together and discuss a few other subjects outside family, albeit fleetingly, such as an upcoming holiday in May to beautiful Bavaria, and the fact I currently feel completely floored by all the work we’re having done in the new house. Grateful: absolutely, exhausted with the fact very little is in order, something I need in my life (I’m awaiting an ADHD diagnosis), one hundred percent! We constructed a plan of action so that the renovations will feel more bearable, and the upstairs of our house is further along now with just a few tweaks, thanks to the chat, so it was useful to get some one-on-one time to problem-solve without a child interrupting us!

But back to the food!

Dining al fresco in the brilliant and unexpected April sunshine, during a month so famous for its rain showers was utterly joyful, especially as this branch of The Ivy boasts an intimate and leafy terrace at the back of the restaurant, draped in silk jasmine flowers, with a cascading fountain in the centre. We already felt we were on our European vacay, drinking our Peach Iced Tea and a tall glass of cider in the sun, respectively!

Is there anything better than enjoying a refreshing tipple outside in the sunshine?

Well, yes, actually, enjoying an entire lunch!

Despite the heat, I couldn’t resist my French favourite of onion soup. Something I wouldn’t make at home ordinarily, as I find the croutons a bit faffy, I never refuse it when I spot it on a menu, come rain or shine. And theirs was as perfect as the ones I’ve enjoyed in France.

Peter plumped for salt and pepper squid tempura with Miso wasabi mayonnaise, sriracha, coriander and lime, which he ate so quickly I didn’t even get a bite. 10/10!

Mains included thick slices of sumptious roast lamb rump for me- full of flavour and with all of the trimmings, perfectly cooked and seasoned, served with Yorkshire puddings the size of your head, rosemary roast potatoes, carrot and swede mash, and two generous helpings of red wine gravy- making it one of the tastiest roasts I’ve ever eaten. Sorry to my Mum as it even beat her’s!

Soy-glazed cod loin with citrus-pickled fennel, wakame seaweed, sesame seeds, yuzu and herb sauce was Peter’s main dish, following on the Asian theme of his meal.

That’s what’s so wonderful about The Ivy’s menu, it’s so eclectic and varied, it suits everyone’s tastes and preferences and cater to allergies and intolerances with ease. Another success of a dish!

Outstanding food all round!

Desserts were divine, unsurprisingly, too, with creamy tiramisu and indulgent caramel truffles coupled with cooling espressos on ice.

I love that the foliage and flora theme which runs through the restaurant’s decor continues in the garnish and crockery at the brasserie which further elevates the lunch.

A truly perfect date, thanks to the delicious food, peaceful ambiance, attentive service and handsome company, of course!

We finished the date with a stroll around Harrogate town centre enjoying the last hour of our child-free time, taking in the sights and flowers, before returning back to the usual carnage of wrangling kids!

Thank you to The Ivy for inviting us!

This is a review and the meal was complimentary but as always, my words are honest.

If you enjoyed this, check out a recent review where my mother and I also dined at The Ivy Brasserie and Garden.