Split over three levels, with a professional clientele but a fun, friendly feel – The Fable is everything you could wish for in a London restaurant, complete with a ping pong table for a touch of colleague competitiveness and the most delicious skinny pornstar martinis (passionfruit and vanilla vodka). With decor inspired by fairytales and furniture including a ‘book’ booth (which like its namesake says – is made entirely from old novels), the venue has a very whimsical feel, initially slightly out of place in such a suited and booted area (Fleet Street is nearby, so everyone is power dressed to the nines), but with a welcome and friendly atmosphere, you soon realise why it’s light hearted and chilled atmosphere is so popular.
Along with my friend Ellie, a fellow writer for the site, we headed to The Fable to review what this beautiful restaurant (which is part of a chain, but similarly – independent in it’s own right) had to offer.
The menu itself is a varied affair, with separate offerings for brunch and large parties. A focal point is the ‘nibbles and titbits’, in addition to the sharing platters – the latter of which we opted for, in the form of the Mediterrean Flatbread, complete with hummus, baba ganoush & roasted marinated vegetables. Delicious but extremely filling, the flatbread had a spicy kick to it – and the roasted veg was a perfect accompaniment to tone the dish down a little.
If bread doesn’t take your fancy, you might fancy a skillet of prawns with greens, chilli, garlic, lime & flatbread to share, or perhaps some aromatic shredded crispy duck, with pancakes & hoisin sauce or a seafood board with oysters, clams, lobster, tiger prawns, crayfish salad, squid, mussels & a selection of bread. As you can see, cuisines overlap at The Fable – with no particular ties to any and a delicious but not pretentious menu of offerings.
The mains look equally as enticing, as do the daily specials – so I had a hard time perusing the menu before settling on a halloumi & hummus burger with red pepper, roast mushroom & tomato chutney. At just £8.95, I was given a huge portion by London standards (so much so I couldn’t finish it), especially with a very cute little flowerpot full of sweet potato wedges.
Ellie opted for the seared tuna salad with mixed beetroot, chickpeas, watercress, bean shoots, sunflower seeds & wholegrain mustard dressing, which she described as akin to scallops, with a melt in the mouth texture. Tuna is often hard to master, but Ellie was very impressed!
Never one to turn down dessert (as you’ll know if you follow my ‘food’ section), despite being beaten by my main course, I ordered a chocolate brownie with vanilla bean ice cream, whilst Ellie chose the mini pudding shots, three smaller deserts (although they looked ginormous when they arrived) offering samples of the chocolate brownie, raspberry sorbet & lemon syllabub.
A friendly atmosphere is often hard to find in the depths of the ‘business’ side of London, but The Fable perfectly moulds this together, with creative decor, attentive staff and luxuriously affordable, great quality food. If you’re working in the area and haven’t tried it, it’s definitely worth a look in. Even if it’s only for a pornstar martini and a round of ping pong.
**
The Fable, 52 Holborn Viaduct, London, EC1A 2FD, Tel 0845 468 0105
