We started our evening early, drinking Classic Americans in the Gentleman's bar and listening to jazz, with the windows lined in French linen and well-enjoyed beeswax candles. Our Fred's experience really started though on our journey to find the bathroom! Taking a staircase that overlooked a double floor-length wall laden with old wooden chopping boards... (if those boards could speak!), the bathroom, along with all of the walls in the restaurant, offered the most beautiful selection of original paintings — mostly portraits and still lives on thin backing boards, propped up on thin wooden ledges. The visual feast had already begun...

When the open-plan dining room was finally set, we were seated at one of four prepping tables. We couldn't believe out luck. Seated side-by-side, we shared our marble-top table with the sous chef who was prepping and garnishing starters. Here, we got to enjoy watching homemade bread being baked from their custommade hearth, fresh fish and hassle back potatoes being seasoned and dished. 

The menu, two years in the making, is curated by female Head Chef Danielle Alvarez who is dedicated to sustainable produce and the farms that create it. Nothing was over-worked, the Fred's team simply allowed their brilliant ingredients to speak for themselves. 

To begin, we shared the Pumpkin Sage Tortellini - light, fresh and simple. Delicious. For our mains: Pork with Blackberries and Corn Polenta, and the Lamb with Potato Gratin — both of which were cooked in front of us on free standing Tuscan grills. Sides of French Beans and Turnips made sure we had our greens, but with such a beautiful dessert menu on offer, we couldn't stop there. They had to twist our arm (not!) but we shared the Almond Pistachio Passionfruit Cake, and Grilled Peach with Nougat + Creme Fraiche. Full to the brim, and happy.

Before heading out again, we ducked down to Charlie Parker's — a bustling speak-easy style bar in the same venue, with a supremely low ceiling, filled with the anticipation of Friday night and the aroma of fresh lime...