Reviews The Fable Bar & Restaurant

I’d only ever been to one of the Drake & Morgan restaurants/bars before, The Happenstance, in St Pauls. I loved the style and décor of the place, and as well as the food being really tasty, the cocktails were excellent! So I was excited to try out the new Spring/Summer menu at The Fable, located between Chancery Lane and Farringdon.

there's a whole host of brunch spots signed up to the promotion, and sadly for my purse, the majority of them are on my 'must go to' list. but the one that stuck out the most and got me the most excited was the fable, at holborn viaduct. ever since i was there late last year, i have been dreaming about going back and eating some real-life food there, so it took me zero seconds to click through and download my voucher, then book for brunch this weekend - all before i'd even found someone to go with. it's a good thing my pals all fucking love brunch as much as i do, eh.

so despite the awful weather, her awful hangover, and my awful journey from the south (which actually turned out to not be so bad, thanks thameslink!), i met katy in holborn on sunday for a quick spot of brunch. the voucher was valid to be used across the entiiiiiire brunch menu, which meant we weren't boxed into to eggs and pancakes and coffee (oh my!), and instead our options extended to mains like burgers (yum), steaks (oh god), and - the clincher: sunday roast.

i hadn't had a roast since christmas, so that was a no brainer. well-cooked chicken and some roasties is all i could think about, so i was mightily looking forward to that. katy agreed, and so we ordered two. when we'd arrived we were one table of a handful eating, a few more had been seated since us, but with the amount of staff working (a fricken lot) the floor and in the kitchen it meant our food came out suuuper quickly - and we were eating within 20 minutes of arriving. that's my kinda deal!

and the meals were mahoosive. like, the menu said a half a chicken, but you never really believe that, right? especially not when the meal is only £12.95, but these plates were giant. there was like 60% chicken, 30% yorkshire pud and 10% vegetables. actually more like 5% veg and 5% condiments - bread sauce (according to katy, i didn't try it) and gravy, natch. oh, and pigs in blankets! there was so much food, and there was no way i was able to eat it all; thankfully i was finding it hard to get a lot of the meat off the bone (where's your mum when you need her?), so i didn't feel too bad when the wait staff took a lot of chicken still on the bone away when i was done.

we were seated, had ordered, were served and had finished eating in about an hour. which was incredible, really, considering the sheer amount of food we were served. the restaurant was buzzing with customers by the time we left, and part of the reason i was so keen to go there was because i love how busy the restaurant seems on a weekend in comparison to the empty city streets (holborn is like, in the banking district so on a weekend there is nooooone around) outside.

the food was delicious and the staff were plentiful (unnecessarily so), and considering once the voucher was applied the two meals plus three drinks and service charge (so many staff working our table, we felt it was important) still didn't hit £25, well, i'm pretty certain that was a successful sunday brunch! there are a ton of other restaurants i'm hoping to try during the promotion, and have another booked in at heddon street kitchen for galentine's day in a few weeks too. the vouchers are still available to download from emerald street, so if you're a londoner who loves brunch, get clicking now!

Last week I attended a mixology masterclass at The Fable in Farringdon. I brought a plus one with me to enjoy an evening filled with cocktails and nibbles from their new menu. The Fable is part of the Drake and Morgan group where I’ve already visit The Refinery and The Happenstance. I was so excited to take part in the mixology masterclass as I have always wanted to learn how to make them so bring it on! I didn’t know that Drake and Morgan group offers mixology masterclasses across their restaurants and a great way to bring a friend, date and something to do with a group. We were in a group of 8 all learning to make our first cocktail of 3, which was Do Bees Have Knees on their indulge section of their cocktail menu – includes Tanqueray gin, Kamm and sons, lavender infused honey and lemon. I was so proud to have created my first cocktail and it tasted delicious! The combination was perfect but then again; anything with gin is a score for me. Bless my friend Olivia; I kept forgetting what went into my drink so she kept a voice recorder and listed everything from shaker to the lavender garnish which I was really impressed by!! Not too long after, we were served with dishes from their starter between each session and first up was the wild mushroom bruschette which is part of their latest all day menu.

The Fable in Farringdon is big and brashy.... over three floors, has good drinks, good food and private event facilities. It does what it says on the labeling and its because of this, you can go there and have a good and unpretentious time.

The Fable bar and restaurant is sort of like walking into a fairytale just as the name suggests. Part of the Drake & Morgan collective The Fable takes inspiration from the world of fantasy fairy tales and destinations across the world which can be seen dotted all across the interior. As you walk in you notice little things such as the juice cooler where you can try some of their juice for free or your eyes can’t help but notice the giant booth area made from books. Plus numerous quotes from Chanel and Alice In Wonderland laden the walls and menus. Downstairs you have the bar and restaurant, upstairs a private dining area and further up on the third floor an exclusive area that you can rent out. All with their each individual quirks. We took our table on the ground floor for dinner, I couldn’t help but love the reserved card which read...

Been there 3 times and the restaurant menu is quite nice. Both on weekdays or weekends (their roast was awesome!).

Service is good, efficient and the staff are nice. 

Well recommended for a casual dinner or if you have some friends with you!

Cheers

Had my birthday drink after work here in September, I cannot comment on the food but the ambience is great. Little detail in the decor is wonderful and they at least have Ale on the menu and a very interesting cocktail menu.
You must book a table (even just for drinks) and the music get quite loud after 7 in the bar area when it turns into a very busy area!

We went to check out their new Toast to the Roast (£10) offering available at The Fable and all other Drake & Morgan establishments. Our parents were impressed with the literary references, decorations and general ambiance.
David, the Head Bartender at The Fable, welcomed us and treated us to his favourite cocktail of Vodka & White Wine – decorated with a red grape – whilst we waited for our roasts.
We had chosen a selection to be able to feedback on the beef, pork belly roast, and roast chicken options. The offer comes with options of white (cabernet sauvignon) or red (grenache) – which were crisp and citrusy, and mellow respectively.

The pork belly and the chicken were cooked well, though the chicken was slightly overseasoned. However, my beef roast was not medium as advised on ordering, but well done and had dried out – and also had lots of sinew running through parts of the three slices I got.
The Yorkshire puddings were light and crispy, and there was a lovely star anise note to the red cabbage. However, all of our potatoes were oversalted and effected the enjoyment of the meal.

In general, it is a good idea for a Sunday meal out, but will be perfect once they iron out the above creases.

Clean and pleasant gastro pub. Spacious customer areas and the toilet was also clean and posh. Near the Viaduct! Staff was lovely.

Really nice and fancy place. We have not had food there just drinks. Nice atmosphere, beautiful bathrooms, friendly and fast service. Bathrooms available.

Great place! You definitely need to book a table if you want a table on a Thursday-Friday. Food is great and so are the drinks. The place gets a bit loud - especially the music. But other than that it’s great. I recommend!

Really yummy good! Crispy duck salad, salmon special and kids burgers and dessert were great. Service was great and the book booth was wonderful!!

Fantastic lunch at The Fable. Great environment and decor, interesting menu selection, attentive staff, and excellent food. The tuna steak with potatoes and samphire on the specials menu was the best I’ve ever had. Thanks!

Had the watermelon salad, burger and flat bread. The burger was a bit overcooked though tasty and rest of dishes were nice. The service was really attentive. Even though we sat outside, they were always there when we needed help. Nice place for lunch

Great venue over two floors. Bar staff always alert. Big on variety of drinks.. got so tipsy I gave away half my company for a chocolate brownie (which was delicious btw). Highly recommend this place for business and casual meets.

My boyfriend and I went for dinner and really enjoyed the atmosphere. The food was fresh and delicious the value for money is really excellent and the service is exceptional ... when you eat well and are served by polite, friendly and pleasant waiters you cannot wish for more, so really well done. I will stay there again.