AD – Gifted meal + transfers in return for a review and social coverage
If you like restaurants that have an industrial-cool edgy vibe, serve up generous sharing food platters and delicious home-brewed spirits for their drinks list and friendly staff, then Feast Restaurant in Grays should be top on your list for places to eat out in Essex!
I was kindly invited along to the launch night with my boyfriend Billy, where we were treated to a 3-course meal and drinks – luckily neither of us had to drive either, as the team at Feast kindly booked us a ride there and back (in a Tesla no less!) with EyeSafe, their sister company.
We had the menu and drink list explained to us, and then the tricky decision was which cocktail to choose! I went for the Rooibos Punch first of all – a cocktail with gold rum infused with berries and basil. This cocktail was light, fresh and delicious. I’m not keen on berry-infused gins normally but this one was really good! I also tried the Mai Tai, which is a cocktail based on rum, Curaçao liqueur, orgeat syrup, and lime juice. The Mai Tai was strong but went down an absolute treat! Billy settled for a couple of San Miguel’s throughout the night. Once we were a few drinks in, it was time to experience the food – and boy, were we in for an absolute feast! Feast Restaurant kindly put on a selection of sharing to platters for us to dig into and try, so that we could really experience what this great new restaurant had to offer.
First board: Starters
The first board we were treated to was the starters, which showcased the different ones available at Feast. The board included; smoked salmon, mackerel, prawn cocktail, shrimps, prawn & avocado salad, prosciutto, salami & home baked mushroom bread.
Much like all of the food we tried, the starter was absolutely delicious! The fish dishes tasted incredibly fresh and flavoursome; the smoked salmon and prawn and avocado was probably my favourite if I had to choose! The warm mushroom bread was soft with a lovely crunchy crust, and the olives were great to nibble on too. We cleared this up in no time at all – it was a great way to start the evening.
Second board: Fish course
For the second board, we were treated to a sample of the fish courses available on the full menu. I’ll use the term sample loosely as these portions were generous! And did we clear this plate too? Absolutely, yes! For the fish course, we were treated to crispy skinned seabass on a bed of creamy cheese mash, and a fillet of salmon on a bed of crushed new potatoes and a garlic cream sauce. I love fish so both of these dishes were absolutely delicious. I think the salmon was my favourite – I’m a big fan of salmon anyway but this was cooked to perfection – it was so soft and melted in the mouth, and the garlic cream sauce was absolute heaven to soak the poatoes in!
Third board: Meat course
Suitably stuffed, we made room for the third board – the meat course. We were treated to a platter of meat including minted lamb cutlets, filet steak, sirloin steak, chicken sausages, pork sausages, chorizo and kofte kebabs – phew! The meat was juicy, flavoursome and packed with so much smokiness. It was so, SO good! We also had crispy skin-on wedges (which were hands down some of the best chips I’ve ever had as they were fluffy inside and salty and crispy on the outside) and 3 dipping sauces; red wine jus, peppercorn and garlic. The meat was tender and cooked to perfection, and I love the smokey taste that the meat had. If I had to choose, the minted lamb cutlets were probably my favourite – I’m not usually a big fan of lamb but this cut was so delicious!
I was hoping there would be one stand-out platter but if I’m being honest, they were all so, so good.
Fourth board: Dessert
I’m not sure how, but we managed to fit in dessert, too! I really love something sweet to round up a good meal, and we said that if cheesecake was on the menu then we’d order it, and guess what, cheesecake was right there! We ordered the maple & pecan cheesecake; it was nice but I think I would’ve liked a drizzle of something sweeter on top, like some maple syrup. But that’s just me, I have a sweet tooth!
Overall, we had a fantastic time at Feast and I look forward to visiting them again soon. The family-run restaurant has opened during a tricky time for the hospitality sector, but I look forward to seeing this place thrive. If you love sharing platter-style food and quirky cocktails, then you need to check out Feast!