If your encounters have been limited to greasy pub grub or fish and chips from food court “Western” stalls, it’s time to broaden your horizons.

Situated along the river in the buzzy Robertson Quay neighbourhood is Carnaby, a modern British gastropub serving up elevated comfort food classics.

Having first soft-launched at Gourmet Park Kampong Bugis, the restaurant is helmed by chef Adam Penney, the former executive chef of Potato Head.

The vibrantt 85-seater space, which takes its cue from the eponymous Carnaby Street in London, is a celebration of retro British music and culture.

With themed wall decor, a playlist of hits from the swinging ’60s, and a menu that showcases the best of British and local produce — drawing inspiration from Chef Adam’s childhood in Dublin and the UK — you’ll feel like you’ve been transported straight to the +44.

Although you could totally come by for date night, we recommend visiting in a group and ordering sharing plates for the best experience.

Keep it light with starters like the Smoked Herring Kipper Pate (S$18), a creamy, zesty Scottish smoked herring pâté with horseradish, cream cheese, and cracker-like melba toast for dipping.

There’s also the Chicken Liver Parfait (S$19), a rich and smooth chicken liver pâté enriched with port and brandy, served on toasted sourdough with sweet caramelised onion jam and pickled red shallots.

However, the starter that impressed me the most was the unassuming Ox Tomato Salad (S$21), comprising slices of juicy marinated Italian tomatoes with lovage, crunchy shallots and the most complex-tasting Rockstar cave cheddar — a type of cheese aged for 18 months in Welsh slate mines — along with malt vinegar and a caraway salad cream.

Each bite was herbaceous, salty, sweet, and funky in all the right ways — a very, very good combination of flavours and textures. And I’m not even the biggest fan of raw tomatoes.

Moving on to the signatures, the Beer Battered Fish & Chips (S$36) comes with all the fixings. Golden snapper is battered in Brewdog Punk IPA and vodka before being fried in rich beef fat (sorry, pescatarians), before being served alongside crispy fries, homemade tartare sauce, minty mushy peas, and torched lemon.

That being said, the batter here is the real star — light and airy, yet perfectly crisp with just the right amount of crackly bits.

Another classic, the Steak & Guinness Pie (S$35), sees seared chunks of beef and tendons in a rich, deeply savoury gravy made by simmering chicken stock, Guinness, and aromatics for six hours. It’s then topped off with a puff pastry lid that has the right balance of flaky and doughy.

You might, like me, find yourself craving a pint of Guinness (on tap, of course), but unfortunately, Carnaby doesn’t offer it. Oh well.

On the pie front, almost everyone at the table had second helpings of the Smoky Fish Pie (S$34), a traditional British staple similiar to that of shepherd’s pie.

The golden potato mash top (with immaculate piping, if I may add) gave way to a filling of smoked herring, haddock, golden snapper, leeks and carrots, all bound in a thick, creamy concoction of fish stock, mustard seeds, and milk.

Of all the mains we tried, it was the Carnaby Burger (S$36) that won me over — unsurprisingly, given Chef Adam’s Three Buns and Potato Head background.

The patty — a blend of chuck and ribeye cap — was literally dripping with juices, topped with a unique cave-aged cheddar that’s sweet, nutty, and well-rounded, along with homemade watermelon relish, house ketchup, and a secret Carnaby mayo on soft buns.

It was so good I almost completely disregarded the fries and coleslaw.

No British meal is complete without dessert, and at Carnaby, the menu stars nostalgic treats inspired by Chef Penney’s childhood favourites.

For something that oozes “comfort”, zero in on the Sticky Toffee Date Pudding (S$16), a British winter must-have, consisting of a rich, dense, and stodgy date pudding drenched in caramel butterscotch sauce and homemade vanilla ice cream.

If you’d like to end the evening on a fun, boozy note, go for the Trifle IPA Curd & Jelly (S$19), a playful twist on trifle, featuring beer-flavoured jelly and dark chocolate custard, balanced out with tart raspberry compote.

As for the “Allo Treacle” Tart (S$16), it had a gooey salted caramel filling, a dollop of Chantilly cream, and candied lemon zest, but it was the thin, crisp, and delighfully buttery tart case that truly stole the show.

So, if you still think British cuisine is “bland and uninteresting”, a visit to Carnaby will change your mind. I know I’ll be back when they launch their Sunday Roast menu.

Reservations can be made here.

Carnaby
Instagram | Website
60 Robertson Quay #01-01, Singapore 238252
5pm–10pm (Tue), 12pm–2.30pm, 5pm–10pm (Wed to Fri), 11am–3pm, 5pm–10.30pm (Sat), 11am–3pm, 5pm–10pm (Sun), Closed on Mon

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Photos by Christabel Tan

The post Carnaby serves up elevated British comfort food by the former Potato Head Folk chef, including fish & chips, steak & Guinness pie, hearty burgers & more appeared first on Confirm Good.

Tucked away in a stunning colonial-style shophouse space along Robertson Quay is The English House, a well-known restaurant concept by culinary giant Marco Pierre White (dubbed “the first celebrity chef” who also once made a young Gordon Ramsay cry).

It is best known for serving up both elevated British classics (like the popular Sunday Roast) alongside Hong Kong-style dim sum.

With a menu showcasing signature dishes like the Traditional Fish & Chips (from S$52 for cod) and Stoddart’s Scotch Fillet of Beef Wellington (S$168 for two), it’s no wonder that meals here naturally wind up on the pricier side!

However, the restaurant, which labels itself as a brasserie and not a fine dining establishment, has come through with an aptly named “Inflation Menu“, featuring single S$9.99++ dishes that change daily. Considering how the a la carte mains are typically priced upwards of S$35++, this is incredibly value-for-money.

Think of it as their way of “saying thank you and giving back to the community” as part of their ethos of “empathy, compassion, and generosity”.

Contrary to the image above, The English House Inflation Menu is available for dine-in only during both lunch and dinner from Monday to Sunday (that’s daily), according to an Instagram post made on 8 May 2023.

Ever since its launch on 1 May 2023, past specials served have included Crispy Lemon Chicken Egg Fried Rice, Buddha’s Delight Vermicelli, Slow-Braised Stoddart’s Scotch Shin of Beef Ragu Calamarata Pasta, Ox Cheek Pie, Acorn Fed Pork Belly with Tofu and Rice, and Hong Kong Soya Chicken Wing and Braised Egg on Rice, just to name a few.

So, yes, you can expect a good mix of fusion dishes inspired by British and Chinese cuisine. And who knows what they’ll put on the menu tomorrow?

Just stay tuned to the restaurant’s social media pages for the Inflation Menu’s special dish of the day. Unless you’re the sort who enjoys surprises.

No end date has been specified for the time being, but we hope this unique offering will last for at least the next couple of months. I mean, how often can we enjoy restaurant-quality fare at the low, low price of S$9.99?

As such, we recommend hitting up The English House for its Inflation Menu as soon as you can!

The English House
Facebook | Instagram | Website
???? 28 Mohamed Sultan Rd, Singapore 238972
???? 11.30am–3pm, 5.30pm–11pm (Mon to Fri), 11am–3pm, 5.30pm–11pm (Sat), 11am–10pm (Sun)

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The post This swanky colonial-style British restaurant has an affordable S$9.99++ Inflation Menu that changes daily with dishes like pork belly fried rice, pasta, beef pie & more appeared first on Confirm Good.