<div class="page old_photo"> <article> <header style="background-image:url(/uploads/531f7479dc75e.jpg);"> <div class="box"> <div class="intro"> <h1>Restaurant Review</h1> <p class="byline"> </p> </div> </div> </header> <div class="main"> <div class="container"> <p class="summary"></p> <h2>We go back to MAC!</h2><p>Having had countless coffees and a few lunches in Canteen at The MAC, I had (embarrassingly) yet to try it out for their evening offering.</p><p>So deciding to brighten up a wet Friday night, myself and a pal decided to visit the venue to sample their goods after dark.</p><p>We were greeted by the superb Paul who was attentive, informative and friendly throughout the course of the evening. Despite being rushed off his feet, he took time out to check on us and engage in conversation. He answered any questions with ease and was happy to share suggestions.</p><p>Paul explained that they were serving from two menus that evening – the Tapas Menu and the regular Evening Menu. We were both famished so after browsing the delicious sounding tapas dishes, we quickly turned our attention to the evening menu.</p><p>We decided kick-start the evening with some cocktails from their extensive list. My friend went for the good old Mojito and I decided to try the rather sunny sounding Peach and Cranberry Caipiroska.</p><p>Drinks ordered, we had time to take in our surroundings. For those who have yet to visit, The MAC is a stunning piece of post-modernesque architecture, think lots of exposed concrete and pillars.</p><p>The dining area downstairs consists mostly of intimate booths which are given character thanks to the use of wood and lighting. The seating is comfortable and the booth layout adds a sense of privacy.</p><p>Our drinks and a bottle of water were promptly brought to our table. By this stage I was still debating whether a Seafood Chowder was such a good idea as a starter given that I had also picked out my dessert. I sought some guidance from Paul who advised that the chowder was pretty filling with the fish cuts, carrots and potatoes, so I decided this time that my eyes would not be bigger than my belly and opted out of a starter.</p><p>My dining companion ordered the Seasonal Soup of the Day which today was potato and leek. It came served with a selection of breads. The soup got a double thumbs up. I decided to concentrate on my cocktail as a liquid starter and I am happy to confirm it was every bit as delicious as it sounded.</p><p>My main course is one of those dishes which makes your mouth water literally as soon as you start to read the description on the menu. Canteen at The MAC pride themselves on using sustainable ingredients so I decided that since I’d passed on my seafood chowder, I would have the Sustainable Fish of the Day as my main. Today this was Coley, an oily white fish.</p><p>The fish was baked with a chorizo crust and served with buttered greens, lemon and scallion potato croquettes and caper butter.</p><p>When the dish came out, it looked absolutely fantastic and I am delighted to report, it tasted even better than it looked. The fish was cooked so tenderly that it flaked with very little effort from my fork and the croquettes were the perfect combination of fluffy inside with a crispy, crunchy exterior.</p><p>My friend is a bit of a steak slave so he ordered the Grilled Marinated Flank Steak. It came with roast shallots, oyster mushrooms, sweet potato wedges and Chimichurri sauce.</p><p>Again the presentation looked amazing and the steak king decreed “mouth-watering”.</p><p>So having been well behaved and not had a starter, there was no way I was missing out on dessert. I’d had my eye on the Apple and Blackberry Crumble since I’d first spotted it on the menu. My foodie friend had the dark chocolate and ricotta parfait.</p><p>Both desserts were a resounding success. The crumble was the perfect winter warmer with tangy apple pieces and blackberries. It was the most vibrant pink colour underneath the bed of crumble.</p><p>The accompanying vanilla ice cream and cinnamon coated apple shreds were equally amazing.</p><p>Canteen at The MAC offers a unique dining experience, different to what you would expect from a “normal” restaurant. The food is exceptional and the service was great. The quality of food alone is well worth visiting Canteen at The MAC for more than just their quality coffees.</p><h2></h2> </div> </div> </article> </div><!-- /page-->