Eating in an off license
When my friend Katie sent me a WhatsApp message asking if I fancied a night out in April obviously, as always, the answer was yes!!! She had been recommended by another friend of ours to try the pop up restaurant at The Vine King in Reigate. £75 per head for a seven course meal including wine with each course. That’s about all I understood about the night out until we arrived. The Vine King is actually an off license. Think Odd Bins or Threshers and you would be spot on. The shop was set out with five or six tables (18 heads I believe). The guy that greeted us was the sommelier for the evening and what this man didn’t know about wine wasnt worth knowing! Salted Events were responsible for the food while The Vine King hosted and provided the wine. What followed was probably one of the best meals I have ever had. The menu : Campaillou Bread & Brown Butter Smoked Code Roe Taramasalata & Tomato Jam Croutons Cured & Roasted Salmon, Braised Fennel & Leek, Lobster Vinaigrette & Sourdough Gremolata Roasted Pork Fillet, Braised Belly, Baked Potato Foam, Roasted Cauliflower & Grilled Asparagus Selection of cheeses Iced Lemon Perfect,Shortbread, Roasted Pineapple, Walnuts Each course was served with a different wine to compliment the dish. As each wine came out, it was explained to us why it had been picked and a little background. An email sent a few days before the night asked about any dietary requirements which meant Katie (who can’t eat shellfish) didn’t miss out. The food was great, wine and service were spot on and location was intimate without being pompous. Obviously it goes without saying the friends we shared the evening with just topped it off. We laughed from start to finish. And, after all the wine and a few after dinner espresso martinis at Urban9 over the road, we went home comfortably pissed! http://www.thevineking.com/pop-up-tickets/26th-april-reigate-pop-up-restaurant