Tarragon Joins The Fine Dining Wave In Lagos
Tarragon
50 Raymond Njoku Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.
NOSA: Since they officially opened, Tarragon has been on the Eat.Drink.Lagos radar. We've been spying on their Instagram for a while now. Unfortunately, we sunk all our money in festival preparation and we couldn't check the spot out.
FOLLY: There was also the persistent fuel scarcity earlier in the year, and nothing was going to make me venture to Awolowo Road, nothing.
NOSA: The space is ridiculously beautiful. I'd appreciate more light (because pictures), but that doesn't take anything away. Tarragon's owner clearly had a vision and that vision was tastefully executed.
FOLLY: I was too shy to bring out the bring camera cause everyone is watching you, so we had to be sly with the iPhone.
NOSA: The tables and chairs are small, though. Like, fine dining size chairs. Big man like me struggled a bit.
FOLLY: Everything in the restaurant has to be small so when the food arrives and it's small you will feel right at home in Smallville.
NOSA: We usually go with water whenever we check restaurants out.
FOLLY: Room temperature for me and cold with ice for Nosa. I don't know how you people drink cold water.
NOSA: A subconscious thing that we've decided to fix. Today, I went with the Take Me Home. Although the description says it's a lot more, the cocktail tasted like a really strong screwdriver. One of those ones where you pour too much vodka.
FOLLY: Any cocktail with a name that suggests you'll need to be assisted home always has too much alcohol in it. I had a Thomas Barton Merlot because the wine list said it paired well with the Tarragon Platter which we got to start.
NOSA: The service at Tarragon is fantastic. From the lovely gentleman waiter to the head chef, who goes over the menu with you, everyone is so pleasant. Well, apart from the one girl who kept dragging her feet all over the place. I believe she was from the cooking school in Tarragon so they get a pass on her.
Platters are probably the greediest thing to order at any restaurant. When you think "platter", you expect a boat load of food stuffed in one plate so I was bit curious how a platter at a fine dining spot would work.
FOLLY: I wanted us to try this because it combined two of the individual appetizers I was considering so it made the choice easier.
NOSA: The chicken balls were my favourite. I could eat a whole meal full of that chicken.
FOLLY: Same here. The sound of minced chicken (or turkey) usually turns me off so I had little hopes for this so I was pleasantly surprised. The chicken alone, is available as an appetizer and a part of me wished we had just gotten that.
NOSA: The chicken, itself, had this sweet, but spicy, kick to it. Delicious, I tell you.
FOLLY: I found the beef log a little dry. It wasn't dressed with anything and was cooked well done so that should be expected.
NOSA: I was more meh on the beef log. It was good, but it didn't get me in my emotions like the chicken.
FOLLY: The other two items in the platter were the potatoes and the profiteroles. The profiterole had cream so I stayed away but the potatoes were really good. The dressing on the potatoes was way too green to be pesto from looks alone but I had hoped it would be when I tasted it, this was very leafy - I think it's Ugwu.
NOSA: For my main, I got the steak (Boeuf on the menu). Now, the waiter didn't tell me I had a say on how it was cooked. In hindsight, I should have said something but since he didn't ask me how I wanted it done, I assumed they have a default way of cooking the steak. Luckily for me, their default was a medium and not a well done. Medium rare would have been perfect, but the medium worked too.
FOLLY: I got rice x goat meat stew x crusted plantain (Braised Goat on the menu). Once I got my plate, I knew that bare people would be mad when we posted the review. Possible reactions include: "Is this a joke" or "Only one plantain" or "Is that rice supposed to fill me" or "Rice and stew with international exposure".
NOSA: You know what else worked? The little potato mash that came with my steak.
FOLLY: And the pickled mushrooms on the side, worked excellently too if you ask me.
The menu said the goat would come in a "spicy tomato sauce". I learnt this from RSVP, but here's a tip spicy tomato stew in "fancy restaurants" is never peppery. So, I ordered this knowing fully well that this will go down well for me because in addition to being lactose intolerant, I cannot stand pepper. That said, if spicy means ata rodo for you, don't order this thinking you will be ooh-ing and ahh-ing and rushing for your glass of water, you won't.
NOSA: Folly's goat meat was very, very tender. My Jesus!
POSTSCRIPT
NOSA: For everything they say about fine dining portions, I was pretty stuffed after this.
FOLLY: I wasn't. In fact, I wanted to get dessert but Nosa rushed me out of that restaurant, I didn't even finish my wine.
NOSA: Tarragon is definitely welcome in Lagos. A lot might hate it because of the portion size, but those guys aren't the target market. This place is perfect for your "let's dress up" dates
VERDICT
DAMAGE
Boeuf - N7500
Wine (Glass) - N2000
Braised Goat - N6200
Take Me Home - N3000
Tarragon Platter - N6000 (approx.)
PARKING
8 - 10 parking spots tops, but there's street parking.