I discover Dining Room 121’s early bird menu is perfect mid-week treat easy on the purse
Two courses of expertly cooked dishes for less than £24 is a win in my book
I am always on the lookout for good food being served in great spaces.
I have visited The Dining Room at 121 Friar Gate Derby several times.
As it has been a while and they also have an ace early bird menu, I thought it was high time to pay another visit.
The dining room has a comforting air.
Dimmed lighting plus darkened wood in an intimate setting makes you think you’re almost having dinner at your well-to-do great grandparents house in the country.
Like pretty much all early bird menus, The Dining Room’s offering is compact, offering four starters, four mains, three desserts and a selection of sides including truffle chips, honeyed chorizo and more.
What’s different about The Dining Room’s early bird menu is that every dish is one that I can see myself enjoying (bar the beef which is a meat I don’t eat).
Derby is still enjoying double digit temperatures on the weather front, so I started my two course menu with grilled watermelon and halloumi.
It was served with Greek yoghurt, pomegranate and dukkah.
I used to belong in the ‘fruit should not be cooked’ camp, but honest to goodness, cool watermelon with chargrilled edges is now one of life’s simple pleasures.
To be clear, there is nothing simple about this dish. It takes great skill to retain moisture of the water-heavy fruit and still render it fleshy.
But chefs at The Dining Room are accomplished, so I wouldn’t expect anything less.
Mint gel brought more summery vibes to the already sunny plate of food, being the perfect partner to squeaky, salty halloumi.
I could have easily eaten this dish as a main, it was so good.
Dining partner had Moroccan lamb kofta served with harissa yoghurt, date purée and almonds.
Lightly spiced meat skewers were succulent and well seasoned.
Addition of Romesco sauce was a clever touch, pulling through the nutty flavour from the sauce to the slivered almond garnish.
I had a chicken Milanese main on a bed of herby mash, with a side of tomato and spinach sauce.
I enjoyed the garlic notes of the potatoes and the tangy tomato dip.
What I loved about this dish was succulent chicken fillets - two in total - that came balanced on the mash.
The dusting of Parmesan cheese provided a nice dramatic effect.
Dining partner had bavette of beef served with rocket salad and peppercorn sauce.
He said the steak was tender, peppercorn sauce had a nice punch, and accompanying chips were nice and chunky.
I wish I had room for dessert, next time I will definitely check out sticky toffee pudding.
Dishes are expertly cooked, service is warm and friendly, and Derby is lucky to have an independent eatery serving the highest calibre of food in the city centre.
Read more: What's On in Derby?
The Dining Room’s early bird menu costs £23.95 for two courses and £29.95 for three courses.
It is available Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm till 6pm, with a maximum of four guests.
What we ate at The Dining Room 121 Derby
Two early bird menus at £23.95 each
- Starter of grilled watermelon and halloumi
- Starter of Moroccan lamb kofta
- Main of chicken Milanese
- Main of bavette of beef
Total (not including service charge) £47.90
Location: The Dining Room at 121 Friar Gate, Derby DE1 1EX
For more information, menu and to book a table, click here.