I visited Etc in Penarth to experience their Motown supper club and it was truly superb. I was really impressed with the opulent ‘GATSBY’ decor, which really heightened the elegant ambiance. The fusion inspired restaurant and cocktail bar was really inviting and had plenty of staff to cater for your every need. I felt really comfortable and relaxed, it was almost like I was in my own home having a dinner party. The space is intimate and charming, with beautiful lavish surroundings. The Laurent Perrier champagne tower display is fabulous along with their glass enclosed champagne and spirit display, with some of the worlds finest champagnes and spirits. Their sound system is state of the art and the Motown artist sounded superb.
I chose their special cocktail of the night to start, which was vodka based and included coconut, pineapple juice, grenadine and angostura bitters, it was a tropical explosion and extremely moorish. I also opted for one of their smoke infused cocktails which was a truly memorable experience. For starters I ordered their ‘Bread of heaven’ which is homemade Welsh bread accompanied with cheese and leek butter, mustard butter and bacon butter. The bread was served warm and was really light and tasted splendid with the accompanying butters. The bacon butter was a favourite of mine and paired well with the homemade bread.
For my main course I chose their ‘Meryl Sheep’ offering, which was a herb crusted rump of lamb accompanied with potato terrine, pea purée, seasonal vegetables and ratatouille jus. The lamb was brushed with mustard and served pink, it tasted exceptional. The potato terrine was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and was a perfect addition to the lamb. The pea purée was fairly thick and smooth, which is exactly how it should be served, it tasted delicious along with the expertly cooked seasonal vegetables. The ratatouille jus was a perfect accompaniment with the lamb and had subtle notes of garlic which beautifully complimented the whole dish.
I was too full for a desert but I did try some of my guests desert ‘Exsqueeze Me John Lemmon’, which was lemon cheese cake served with a lemon topping and chilled limoncello. The cheesecake was really creamy and rich and the lemon sauce was extremely zesty. The limoncello gave the dish a really nice kick to it. It was all of your lemon dreams come true!
The managing director Konsa Micallef and her team should be extremely proud of their offerings as the service, food and ambience could not be criticised at all. I would like to add that the restaurant didn’t know I was going to be reviewing the evening, so it was reassuring that their excellent reputation is extremely well deserved. The staff were attentive and followed the correct etiquette you would expect from them. I was really impressed with this as the restaurant was full but I still felt like we were truly looked after. The whole evening from start to finish was an incredibly exuberant journey incorporating fine food and drink and I can’t wait to go back! Etc restaurant also offers lunch menus along with afternoon tea options, including a recently launched gentlemen’s afternoon tea, which I can’t wait to try. I really can’t recommend this restaurant enough, anyone who appreciates the finer things in life along with warming surroundings must visit.
