Tried & Tasted: Urban Meadow Café

Call them what you like – tapas, mezze, or cicchetti – I love the idea of sharing dishes, so I was very pleased indeed to try out the newly opened all-day dining outlet at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hyde Park, writes Colette Doyle. The Urban Meadow Café’s motto is “farm to fork” – it lays great emphasis on using fresh, seasonal ingredients and my interest was piqued by the promise of the “grazing” section on its menu.

Together with its sister property in Ealing, this hotel has undergone a massive refurbishment to the tune of £20 million, so it’s all fitted out brand spanking new. The décor here is bright and airy, whitewashed walls with a copper leaf motif and wooden flooring, making for a relaxed vibe, in keeping with the casual dining theme.

The grazing section of the menu doesn’t disappoint and offers some tasty options (these can either be eaten individually as starters before the main, or you can select a few together for a light meal) in the shape of crushed avocado toast, feta & mint salad and fried calamari. Spoilt for choice, I opt for the burrata, which is a gorgeously creamy mozzarella served with toasted focaccia spread with pesto. My companion is also dithering given the amount of dishes to choose from, but finally plumps for the pressed duck terrine with apricot chutney; it looks so tempting I quite fancy trying it, but alas he’s too quick for me.

For the main course I select something from the salads section – gem heart lettuce with chorizo, red onion and black olives; feeling very virtuous, I add a side of carb-laden macaroni cheese. Throwing caution and his healthy eating regime to the wind, my guest ploughs ahead with a hearty dish of grilled mutton chops and buttered mash.

When it comes to dessert, I tend to prefer savoury to sweet, so I go for the British cheese board selection, while my escort for the evening picks the rhubarb and almond tart served with one of my all-time favourites, clotted cream. Sadly, my companion seems to have no interest in the concept of sharing, so I can only gaze longingly at his plate and resolve to try that next time.

For casual dining with plenty of choice in a classy location – and friendly, unpretentious service to boot – the Urban Café makes a perfect pit stop next time you find yourself in Bayswater.

To make a reservation, call 0207 792 7066, or visit urbanmeadowcafe.com.