Churchill Bar is One for Cheap and Cheerful Eats
Summary: Nosa and Folayemi were right about the Churchill Full English Breakfast!
FOLARIN: Christina and I reunited to visit Churchill Bar, a spot I had been evading after a friend likened the vibe to Farm City, and another called it “Sangotedo Hooters”. I actually can’t wait for the “Ojuelegba Anthony Joshua” and “John Wike” trend to die.
Shrimp Cocktail
Keeping up with the progenitors, Nosa and Folly, what we were most interested in was the Full English Breakfast but the pocket-friendliness of the menu pushed us to order that AND a Shrimp Cocktail, Samosas, the Mixed Grill and a Steak & Kidney Pie.
The Shrimp Cocktail was quite different from what you get at other restaurants in Lagos (like The Backyard); it was actually a shrimp cocktail salad, with layers of cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce and shrimp doused in Thousand Island dressing. Eating this was a logistical nightmare because of the layering, dressing which was only at the top of the glass and the shape/size of the glass.
CHRISTINA: We couldn’t even get past the lettuce and the shrimp was difficult to eat because of the Thousand Island dressing. Maybe this would have worked if it was served in a wider bowl or plate.
… But then it wouldn’t be a shrimp ‘cocktail’, would it?
Samosas
Generous with the meat and not oily
The Samosas were nice and rich, generous with the meat and not oily, which was good. They were streets ahead of the ones you get in small chops packs with more dough than meat.
Steak & Kidney Pie
FOLARIN:I ordered the Steak & Kidney Pie out of nostalgia for one I had eaten in 2007/2008 at some pub in VI that I can’t remember. It also felt like one of those things you order when you’re at pub surrounded by expats. Like jacket potatoes, bangers and mash, chips and saveloy, etc. The pie really wasn’t it for me. The meat was nice and tender with the gravy dripping out of it but the chewy pastry and weird aftertaste threw me off. It seemed like it had been defrosted and not fresh.
Mixed Grill
CHRISTINA: I don’t have much to say about the pie since I only tasted it properly after heating up the takeaway I packed. From how it looked when the waitress brought it over however, it didn’t look straight-from-oven fresh.
FOLARIN: The Mixed Grill wasn’t one of the fancier ones I’ve had. It was no sophisticated mix of calamari, prawns, steak, ribs, wings and the like. The Churchill Mixed Grill had 1 chicken skewer, 1 beef skewer, 2 pork sausages, 1 sunny side up egg, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes and peas.
Very simple, but a lovely-tasting platter. While everything on the plate was decent, what stood out for me were the mashed potatoes and pork sausages.
CHRISTINA: I loved how natural the mashed potatoes tasted - not too creamy or lumpy. It had just the right texture. The sausages tasted so... legit. With how casually Churchill served these pork sausages, you wonder why other restaurants are bent on imposing Frankfurters on us.
The Full English was refreshing for a couple of reasons. Lagos restaurants are notorious for charging ludicrous amounts for their Frankfurter breakfasts, so I was glad to have actual pork sausages in my meal. The hash browns were great and unlike McDonald’s (which I like), had this homemade vibe about them. So an extra plus because they were crunchy, delicious and not greasy despite being deep fried.
I opted for the hash browns as opposed to toast and had no regrets whatsoever because of how they complemented everything on my plate. The bacon wasn’t super salty, baked beans didn’t taste like it had been sitting in the fridge for a while. The mushrooms were canned button mushrooms that I didn’t mind. Overall, it tasted really good. For the price, it’s an almost perfect breakfast.
POSTSCRIPT
FOLARIN: I’d definitely visit again for the mashed potatoes and sausages.
CHRISTINA: The Full English could easily become my go-to meal after a drunken night out in Lagos.
VERDICT
DAMAGE
Shrimp Cocktail - N1200
Lamb Samosa - N1000
Steak & Kidney Pie - N2300
Mixed Grill - N3300
Full English - N2700
PARKING
Fairly decent parking outside
