More Mussels from Brussels: The Abbaye

55 Charterhouse Street
EC1M 6HA
Tel: 020 7253 1612

Date of Last Visit: Thursday, June 30th, 2005

The Victims: Canadia Boy and Lee

I’m not quite sure how it all happened. We were sitting at our desks thinking about beer? And so I said, how about the Bells by Cannon Street Tube and so we went, just the girls. Well, we lost one, and then we gained two, and then we lost one of them, and then it was me, Lee, and Canadia Boy, duly celebrating one day ahead of Canada Day.

Thoughts turned from beer to food and I was rapidly wracking my brain for locales in the area I wanted to try out–but someplace where they would let me in with my Thursday-I-Have-No-Meetings attire. (Jeans, trainers.) I was vaguely remembering that there’s a cool looking relatively new place by Smithfield (which I later discovered was called, simply, "The Bar & Grill"), and I thought of that, but then I remembered that there was the Belgian too, over by Smith’s.

So we did the Belgian, which turned out to be The Abbaye, which I had been to before over in Earl’s Court. The Abbaye at Smithfield is nice, atmosphere-wise. Not over-pretentious, just normal. But we did not start off on a good note.

Firstly, we were informed that there were no mussels. NO MUSSELS! This place is all about mussels. So that was weird. Secondly, we ordered Delirium, the Belgian beer, and they did not put it in the cute pink elephant glass. I had to practically beg for a cute glass. Thirdly, we wanted to eat leisurely, ordering one dish at a time and chatting all the way through, but our first server found that a bit complicated and refused to take our order until we ordered everything together. Freak!

Also, I should note that the ladies’ toilet was blocked. Gross.

So, I was debating the fish stew and the fish cake, and our (much improved over other dude) French waitress recommended the stew, and it was pretty bad. Average. Just a little salt would have made a huge difference. Hey, I ate it anyhow, showing what a food slut I am.

Canadia boy ordered the fish cake which I envied, envied, envied. Then I had a bite and was so totally jealous, I had to order some frites to split with Canadia boy, just to feel better.

Lee went with the tuna baguette, which looked nice.  But I can’t eat tuna salad for dinner. That’s lunch food. (Perhaps introducing a new Fooditude? Never order lunch for dinner?) Lee let the French waitress talk her into the large glass of white wine, which was awesome.

Our French waitress was very sweet and should be working someplace where she makes big tips. The other dude should be fired.

The Verdict: It’s Thursday, you’re casual (and maybe you’ve got your bike), and you want some good beer and decent food.