If you find yourself in the City of London on a hot, busy day, Corney & Barrow Masons Avenue is just the ticket: excelling in both shade and class, this Masons Avenue hangout is everything you have ever dreamed of and more. A word of advice: pay attention to your watch — here hours seem to fly by like minutes, and before you know it you’ll be spending an entire day eating like those ancient Londinium Romans used to do back when the City was still a part of the Roman Empire.
The Venue:
Corney & Barrow Masons Avenue is quietly tucked away between the Bank of England and Liverpool Street station. It’s seclusion makes it an ideal place to dine for City of London workers, but it’s also a perfect place to eat if you’re visiting the Barbican or the Museum of London, which are only eight minutes away.
Corney & Barrow venues pull in a well dressed crowd of city slickers throughout the week.
The Ambiance & Clientele:
We arrived in the early afternoon to find the restaurant full of suited and booted city workers, enjoying their afternoon breaks. Everyone was at least in their late twenties or early thirties, and it became apparent that even though there isn’t a dress code, the high degree of customer service and menu options maintains a strongly business-like aesthetic.
The wine offering at Corney & Barrow venues is second to none.
The Food & Drinks:
Before I even looked at the food menu, my eyes locked on the Bourgogne Blanc Les Setilles, a white chardonnay which I later discovered tasted a bit like green apples. To start, we had the poached eggs with hollandaise sauce and green beans, and the Rosemary and tomato confit with serrano ham. While we dined, we were lucky enough to have a word with the head chef who told us about his love for Thai food and his adventures developing ideas for flavours in Chinatown.
Needless to say, by the end of the conversation, I was suddenly the hungriest person on earth. His Sriracha chicken is hands-down the tastiest poultry I’ve had since coming to the UK: it has a moderate amount of chili spice, but there also seems to be a significant amount of soy, honey, and ginger. The juiciness reminded me of my mother’s turkey on Thanksgiving.
Knowledgable bar staff at Corney & Barrow are more than happy to offer recommendations.
Summary:
Corney & Barrow Masons Avenue is clearly an organisation which maintains high standards, but nevertheless makes you feel extremely comfortable. I can imagine that this place is a hotspot for dating couples and business people looking for quality service and food without having to deal with the daylight robbery typical of some haute cuisine City restaurants.
