I am tempted to go to a place that I know will be bad just so I can get some slightly more negative reviews, maybe I should go and see how bad the bad ones really are as this is going to be a stunning review for Giraffe.
When it’s raining and everything looks very grey, the sun seems to come out as soon as you see Giraffe. Its bright orange decor beaming across to you as you walk past Hotel Chocolat and the Carphone Warehouse, it seems to entice you in with some sort of assumed promise of exuding happiness when you walk in and it is only when you walk in that you come face to face with a large piece of corporate graffiti about smiling.
As you are seated by the friendly waitress, the first thing that really strikes you is the ceiling and the fact the whole front of the restaurant is glass – perfect people watching territory. The second thing you notice is the menu and that everything on it is healthy in one way or another, and that the little V sign is next to over half of everything on the menu. The menu is available here (opens new window) and after having a look at a stunning breakfast menu too, I had been sold.
So lets get down to the nitty gritty.
This place is clearly as veggie friendly as you are going to get in a restaurant. Everything is marked clearly and they don’t use any GM products, it’s all good and fresh. The website gives you more information about the Giraffe philosophy and the idea of making eating ‘fun’. I have to say, however, that as this is in Princesshay, the prices are pretty steep.
For a Falafel “deluxe” burger and chips and a muesli smoothie (I chose it because it was a half rhyme) cost £12.95. This is a place that seems to charge restaurant prices for ‘casual dining’, but then you have concentrate on what actually arrived on the plate. A nice big perfectly cooked burger with a careful array of peppers and mozzarella garnished with beetroot and rocket sandwiched between two freshly cooked seed baps, a small pot of perfectly cooked chips and a small ramekin of harissa. You also get a vast array of sauces and dips to choose from, perfect for varied chip dipping.
I had to sit and contemplate whether this was a major flaw, or whether this was justified for what it was. I have paid more for less, and enjoyed it less too, so I could see this as being a hidden part of their philosophy, fresh food and great taste (but you have to pay for it).
So I wasn’t happy with the price, but then I have been known to go to huge lengths to save money and I am not exactly renowned for my generosity either. Take away the price and you really do have a veggie friendly restaurant worth visiting.
The atmosphere was helped by the exotic selection of music, not loud or distracting but enough for you to take it in and realise that something was playing. The man that came in to the restaurant and continued a loud conversation on his mobile, serenading me with his nasal, ageing yuppy overtones right next to my table, was aggravating and even worse, after he’d finished his conversation his wife sat down and he buggered off.
The service was nice and friendly, and I got slipped a 2 for 1 offer for various meals for complementing the food! So really, one felt satisfied physically and within too. I left smiling.
