10th November 2007
Lively and Good Value
After a few hours of shopping on Oxford Street, it was cold and dark and we needed a drink and some nourishment. The problem was it was Friday night and we hadn't made a reservation. Would we find a table at somewhere other than a chain restaurant? Thankfully we did, and Shampers was that place.
I had read the great reviews about Shampers on TrustedPlaces and added it to my mental list of places to try next time I needed a meal in WeHo (as my friend ramanauskas calls it!). Shampers is a lively, cosy bistro and wine bar, with a big wine list, and a good value menu with plenty of daily specials.
Rocking up just after 7pm, we were very happy to be given a prime table, though advised that we would have to vacate it by 9pm. The room was buzzing with after-workers unwinding after a hectic week. It was noisy, but the right kind of noisy.
We wasted no time in ordering. A basket of tasty baguette appeared not long after, and although our first wine choice was unavailable, the waiter suggested a similar one which was excellent (and cheaper).
To start we shared the Grilled goats cheese with bacon and salad. Mmmm....I do love goats cheese! Main course was the Roast Grouse with vegetables for me, and the Grilled Quail with meat balls for Alex. Talk about value for money - the serves were big, and the prices much less than the norm for these types of dishes. Oh, and they tasted very good too. Fiddly to eat though.
Dessert was a disappointment - we shared the Bread & Butter Pudding which was incredibly bland. Thankfully I had saved a mouthful of that delicious wine to wash it down with.