the huxley - the rutland hotel

the summer sun was finally shining on this teasingly mild sunday morning. the expansive georgian windows at thehuxleycombined with the weather make this the perfect spot to watch the world go by.  i’ve enjoyed the odd burger and hot dog here before (and maybe a pint or three), but today was all about breakfast.

used thehuxleyfor 3 days whilst staying at the caledonian

eggs benedict and nice coffee to start the day

all for around £32 for the family

nice little saving when you consider the waldorf is £27 each for breakfast

and thehuxleyis 5 steps away

i choose thehuxleyto take dad for lunch because the seating looked comfortable and that makes all the difference to him and being able to enjoy his meal. the menu isn't ideal for someone with  his simple taste but they kindly accommodated dads request for the blt on brown bread rather then f.ocaccia.

i ordered the piggy burger which was pulled pork, maple glazed bacon, pork scratching crumbs with chips. 

the food arrived in red plastic baskets. i could not believe they felt it appropriate to serve my dads sandwich and salad in a red plastic basket. to top it off the sandwich had been left uncut so he was had to cut through it while stabilizing the basic. it was a disgrace and i have to say their choice of serving dish ruined the meal for us both.

serving dishes seems to be a weak point with them as dads coffee came in a clear glass mug. looked great but had no finger hole so each attempt to drink it meant holding it from the bottom as the handle slipped through his fingers.

the food itself was good. my burger was a meat indulgence. lots of flavour and the chips were some of the nicest in the city.

dad couldn't stop raving about the delicious bacon but that may have been to make me feel better for my choice of venue. 

this venue has achieved the perfect balance of classy yet funky in their decor. why they serve food in cheap plastic baskets is beyond me. 

i wont go back until i hear the basics have been banished.

i visited thehuxleyfor lunch and had already decided that i was going to be "boring" and just go for something simple. however, the flatbread with falafel caught my eye. unfortunately it was served with coleslaw which i for various reasons cannot eat, so when i asked the waitress if i could have it without the coleslaw i was rather impressed when she returned just after a minute to ask if i wanted something else or at least some dressing because otherwise it would be quite bare. 

even though the flatbread was still a bit dry (yes it is my own fault for not having it with coleslaw, but i genuinely think falafel is made to be dry) i loved being in there because of the mixture of people (families, couples, group of lads and girls sharing a bottle of bubbles). thehuxleyseems for of a place for some casual drinks or cocktails that you have with a sharing platter and some snacks. 

it's safe to say that i won't have the falafel again, but i'll definitely come back to try those amazing looking cocktails the family was drinking next to me. the orange one in a cocktail glass with a passion fruit looked yummy!

decor wise thehuxleyis an interesting mismatch of leather seating, re-upholstered vintage cinema seating and wooden chairs and bar stools, eclectic yes but in a safe west end kind of way.

the dishes we had at thehuxleywere fairly good, but nothing was particularly outstanding