Restaurant food delivered for the last weekend of lockdown
This is the last weekend of full lockdown, although the muddled, miserable restrictions that continue to place an unfair burden upon the hospitality sector mean it’s hardly time to pull out the party poppers.
Still, if you’re looking for one last big weekend home-delivery binge before venturing out in your household bubble to enjoy a socially distanced meal in a restaurant that’s probably about to go bankrupt, here are our top picks.
Fitzdares at Home
I will never cook beef wellington. It’s one of those dishes that should be reserved for boozy sundays in low-lit restaurants. There’s something a little louche about a beef wellington, even beyond the hedonistic premise of taking a beautiful cut of beef and wrapping it in pastry. No, I will never cook a beef wellington. I won’t put myself through the heartache of not doing it justice.
Lockdown, therefore, has starved me of beef wellington. It has been over eight months since glazed pastry gave way to pink meat. What a treat, then, to have someone else do all the work and leave one sitting on my doorstep, complete with a bottle of wine to wash it down with.
It also came with a pack of cards, the reason being this beef wellington was prepared in bookmakers-cum-members’ club Fitzdares. All you have to do with your wellington and trimmings (creamy mashed potato, heritage carrots, spinach mornay, red wine jus) is stick it in the oven for 20 minutes and it’s ready to go.
I can vouch that it’s just as good as I remember from all those months ago. The wellington package for two, which includes wine and a sweet pear frangipane, costs £100. Just dim the lights, set a fire and enjoy. Order it here.
Bentley’s
Chef Richard Corrigan’s famed 100-year-old fish restaurant is available from the comfort of your home. Mr Oyster Boy offers a range of the most renowned dishes Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill has to offer, such as The Bentley’s Fish Pie, Cornish dressed crab, the classic Bentley’s Shellfish Cocktail and 6/12 Rock Oysters with Champagne Mignonette. It’s available Nationwide. Order here.
Iberica at Home
If you have a hankering for ham, then this could be manna from heaven. Michelin-starred Nacho Manzano, who grew up in the tiny village of La Salgar in the northern Asturias mountains, is now bringing his tasty Spanish tapas straight to your door.
If you live within 2.5 miles of any Iberica restaurant (Victoria, Farringdon, Marylebone and Canary Wharf), then you can gorge yourself on top-notch hot tapas, cheese, meat and charcuterie. Order here.
Vallebona
Family-run Italian business Vallebona has a selection of Grazing Boxes to inject some excitement into the last weekend of lockdown. It delivers the same charcuterie, cheeses and Italian pantry goods they supply to the likes of the River Café, Bocca di Lupo, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester and Le Gavroche, including Sardinian pasta, Tuscan sausages, jarred artichokes, antipasti and a delicious selection of cheeses. Order here.