This cosy bar and bistro offers comforting food and a relaxing atmosphere – perfect following an afternoon of shopping.
Overlooking Covent Garden’s piazza, Pivot’s bar and restaurant spreads across two floors and while on the surface there is something a little rough around the edges in terms of appearance, it delivers in terms of the quality of the food that it provides.
The menu, which has been curated by Chef Mark Greenaway takes the typical bistro vibe and transforms it with additional depth and flavour, taking the simplest of dishes and ensuring that you will not leave anything left on your plate.
But in addition to this, the service was warm and welcoming, ensuring that it was cosy and intimate experience that can be enjoyed by all – with attentive staff making sure that you are comfortable and relaxed for the duration of your visit.
Set right at the heart of the West End, there are several menus that are available, and on this visit me and my companion had the experience of the restaurant’s main menu, which is filled with nutritious and wholesome options that made it difficult to choose from. For starters, I had the deliciously simple Dressed Asparagus, which came with a perfectly poached egg , a wonderfully creamy hollandaise sauce and watercress, while my friend tried the Broad Bean & Pea salad (and given the fact it didn’t last long it is safe to say it went down well!).
Continuing on to the main courses, my friend had what looked like an extremely hearty and satisfying Cumberland Sausage which was served with bubble & squeak, caramelised onion and gravy, which looked a decent portion size and also clearly didn’t disappointed. I opted for the Ratatouille & Wilted Kale, which came with roasted cashew nuts and was perfectly satisfactory – but it didn’t feel quite enough for a main course so I also opted for a creamy portion of Buttery Mash alongside. Again, the portion sizes were nicely thought out and I didn’t feel overwhelmed when seeing it arrive to the table.
To complete the meal, I opted for the Chocolate Mousse which came complete with caramelised hazelnut and clotted cream. The clotted cream felt slightly too indulgent for my personal taste – but the mousse itself has plenty to recommend it, while my friend’s Pavlova with berry compote and caramel sauce looked wonderfully well made and light.
As a menu, there is enough variety to really tempt the tastebuds from start to finish and it is clear that it has been carefully created. There is plenty of elegance and style in the way in which it is all presented – without coming across as pretentious. However, I did feel as though the surroundings itself needs to match itself with the quality of the food a little bit more – which given the views of Covent Garden available is a slight shame.
However, it was still a wonderfully relaxing and intimate experience that leaves you well fed but without being uncomfortably full. It is worth a visit if you are looking for somewhere that is easy to enjoy the food and company that you are in.
By Emma Clarendon
To find out more visit: https://pivotbarandbistro.com/
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐