Apollonia Restaurant

Restaurant - French in Stanmore (Middlesex)

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25-29 Church Road
Stanmore
Middlesex
HA7 4AR

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Excellent food, glamorous surroundings

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Value

White, light bright surroundings. And lip-smacking good food, as good as it looks.Our booking was taken on the phone. I had said we are not to time and might be half an hour late. They said no problem. We arrived an hour late and they were not really interested in whether we had booked. This place is big inside. On Saturday night half a dozen tables full. Another half a dozen empty. But not lonely - I was met at the door immediately I entered. And told about the car park at the back. A couple of tables had birthday parties and one was presented with balloons. Then some drama - an exciting large sparkler fountain about a foot high and wide as my hand.DecorGlamorous, modern, white, sparkling clean. White chairs - so comfortable you don't even notice them.Window tables have the interesting view of the passing traffic. (Once we saw an extra-stretch limo.) Yet you are sheltered by Venetian blinds for privacy. Plus the barrier across the pavement immediately outside keeps pedestrians at a distance.Window tables are wipe-clean, whilst the larger tables for birthday parties have white cloths. I thought that was to make them feel special. My son cynically suggested it was to hide the cracks when you created a large table from two halves. It's lively. Some tables had large orange or yellow flowers. Yet restful. Overhead track lighting and uplighters are bright but not glaring. Sound level is fine. Despite the lack of tablecloth it's not noisy nor echoing. You have the fun of seeing others but are totally private. Carpet deadens the sound and recorded music fills in.An unusual touch - curtains to kitchen - saves banging and collisions.The main bar at the back is big. A small unused bar at the back on the right side looked as though it could be handy for private functions, or soft drinks only, maybe for children. Bottles are attractively displayed above it, illuminated behind glass.DrinksTap water was served in an elegant, modern white designer porcelain jug.ServiceServers were a bit wary when we first arrived but eventually they thawed. Surely they should be smiling and joking and jollying up the customers, not the other way round? They did manage to call 90 year old granny 'the young lady' which we've now heard in several restaurants.Saturday night they serve a three course set meal for £25 per person. Coffee and drinks and service are extra.Brown or white bread was offered from a large basket. I thought the brown was excellent. One person commented that the white was 'doughy' (undercooked and chewy rather than light and crisp). But I hate bread which is full of holes and collapses and disappears like candy floss. I like filling bread which you can chew on. (My son says, 'Like the African view of meat'.) So I rate the white bread okay. Butter was in small individually wrapped portions. DrinksI asked for the wine list. No drinks by the glass. I asked for a list of wines by the glass and cocktails. They didn't seem to have one. But I believe it's a legal requirement to show prices. (A law brought in, I believe, not simply for the convenience of consumers, but after Soho clubs which charged exorbitant prices like over £100 for a bottle or glass of champagne ended up with fights, in two or more of which customers or club staff got severely injured or killed. Or so rumour has it. The rumour I've started, anyway.)I understood that a glass of house white, red or rose costed £4, but a bottle was £13.50. So for only £1.50 you get leftovers for a second glass or more to take home. I asked what the rose was and the server brought two bottles. One was a zinfandel - my favourite! I choose that. The price on the bill was not £13.50 which I'd expected, but £18.50. Our glasses were refilled so fast that there's none left over. Can't complain, my son says. I shall know for next time.StartersChicken liver was delicious. So was the sauce on the ribs. Soup went down well, too. We were now in a really good mood. What with a good wine and super starters.Main coursesI wanted to order the duck with lemongrass but it was finished by 8.30 pm Saturday evening. 'We had only six of them,' said our server. Obviously you must arrive early, or phone and reserve it. I'll know for next time. So I looked at veal or chose the chicken with white sauce and mushrooms. My favourite. Yes, I know anything with sauce is fattening.The platter of vegetables is served out generously. After the doorstop size bread and a starter I can't finish my main course so I ask if I can have it wrapped up to take home. They don't usually do that, and not being a take-away restaurant they don't have foil dishes which would cope with sauce, but are quite willing to wrap up food for me in tear-off foil.The steak my son fancied cost four pounds extra supplement. But we had enough choices not to need that. He opted for a steak with brandy and peppercorns. Makes a change.We liked granny's plain chicken with tabouleh (tiny shredded green raw leaves with a fresh addition - maybe light tangy herbs or lemon).DessertsDesserts are from the trolley. A huge choice. A giant bowl of colourful fresh fruit - it really is fresh, not swamped in syrup. Healthy. You can taste the flavours. An antidote to the sugar in the other desserts. Three kinds of chocolate dessert - brownies, cakes (I thought it was only so-so, a bit light and flavourless, but I only like fudgy, heavily chocolate cakes). The person who ordered it was happy.) I was pleased with my sticky chocolate dessert - which looked like a tart. The cheesecake, bread pudding and other desserts looked equally appealing.CoffeeDelightful teeny v-shaped espresso cups appealed to the eye. And good strong-flavoured coffee was just right.The milk jug and sugar bowl are on a white china tray. The sugar bowl contains the wrapped brown sugar.A plate has chocolate biscuits and mints wrapped in silver foil. I seem to have a chocolate in orange foil which has orange flavour. A pleasant change. And pretty. PriceThe bill comes to about £108 after they've added service (£98 before service). That was for three three-course meals, a bottle of wine and two coffees. We were very happy with the food. Meals are slightly cheaper if you go midweek, and you can have two courses instead of three. Granny wants to have two courses. The server doubts whether this is possible. Granny is charming but she is 92 and she is quite prepared to tell all five members of staff why she can only eat two courses. She is prepared to tell each person twice. Or three times. I point out to the server that she should tell the manager that the restaurant is half empty and they should be glad to get our business. I am so helpful. I have not even pointed out that we could be repeat customers. Perhaps that is what they are afraid of. The server wisely refuses to commit herself or be drawn into a confrontation. She goes off to ask.Fortunately the server returns and says granny can have two courses. They made the right decision. They have kept our goodwill. They lose nothing. I then speculate as to whether we will be charged for three but served two. Why not have the extra course wrapped up to take home? It's only £7 something. Then we order three courses for granny, and, faced with a plate of food, granny eats anyway. ServiceServers were smartly dressed and efficient. If they don't know the answer to a question, they tell you they will ask. Service was obliging but slightly tepid. Not enough smiles.They seemed to greet another customer who must have been a regular with the warmth of a lifelong friend. I'm sure when we return they will recognize us and be friendlier. Completely efficient. Everything came up quickly exactly as ordered. And a member of staff briskly asked us if everything was all right a couple of minutes after serving every course.Location & ParkingEasy to find. Near the traffic lights. Long frontage with a barrier along the pavement.Park behind the restaurant. When you come in from the car park through the back way the wooden stairs are quite steep so not for wheelchairs nor invalids who are provided for at the front. You walk through the smoke created by smokers outside the door. Can't wait to go back. Food was so good. Wish we'd tried this place years ago.

A User - 12/10/2008 | report this review

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We offer these services

  • Licensed
  • Outdoor Seating
  • High Chairs
  • Free Parking

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