Golden Spoons Review: Blue Cilantro
(CNS Foodie): Having had many a standard Sunday buffet-style brunch, I thought it was time to try the equally reputable table-served brunch at Blue Cilantro. For anyone else so inclined, note that it is very popular, so I recommend booking ahead. I’m not sure I would bother requesting the veranda area, though, as this overlooks the main road, which can be noisy as well as unsightly.
Before I comment on the food I feel I should justify the rating of four spoons, which I gave for ambience. The restaurant is extremely stylish, with its own gorgeous wall fountain, fittings and comfy seating, and should by rights score a clear five (check out the bathroom sink which looks like a piece of art). However, given its main road location, I dropped it by one. In addition, the restaurant acoustics can seem a tad noisy, and this seems to correlate directly with the amount of free-flowing bubbles that accompany brunch. And if you have the misfortune to sit next to a really loud patron, like my companion and I did, then be prepared.
Service was excellent and could not be faulted. Every member of staff was polite, never pushy or intrusive and was always considerate. I had estimated a long lazy brunch taking two hours but our waiter worked at our pace and in fact brunch took a very enjoyable three hours. I recommend planning for the same amount of time; don’t even try to do it any quicker.
Now to the important stuff: the food. On arrival we were warmly greeted and offered both water and Prosecco, which was on offer throughout brunch (you can opt out of the bubbles for a lower price). We never once had to ask for it. If anything, look out for half-full glasses being topped up in a blink of an eye, especially if you are driving.
Vegetable quiche
You pick two starters and two main courses and then have a medley of “smaller” dishes brought to you in between. I hadn’t appreciated how many there would be in that medley. We literally had 15 courses of these dishes over the three hours. At times it felt like a very sophisticated eating competition, so make sure to arrive hungry. But with a waiter that was keeping us well paced, we wanted to at least try each dish.
As I said, the dishes were all small, but the quantity of them cannot be underestimated. Offerings ranged from octopus to oysters to eggs Benedict to fancy chocolate mouthfuls. A very impressive, beautifully presented set of dishes with good vegetarian alternatives. Here’s the catch, though: not all food was served to a five-spoon standard.
Roast beef
For example, my beef was perfectly cooked to rare (most restaurants would struggle with this), but it was served with a Yorkshire pudding that was like a rock and dried mash potato. What a disappointment. Likewise, the lobster bisque looked the business but was lukewarm and watery. Disappointingly, the dim sum was soggy, though that should not have been a surprise since I’ve yet to taste decent dim sum on island. What a shame.
On the other hand, there were dishes I consider faultless, such as the quiche, mushroom ravioli and mouthwatering chocolate delights that will totally melt in your mouth. Overall the food was good but not consistently outstanding, hence the four rating.
As for value for money, to get a five, Blue Cilantro would need either to bring the cost down or ensure all dishes are of the highest standard. Personally, I’d prefer that the food was always great since the price of the brunch is pretty average anyway, at So for this I scored it a 4; their price of $156.40 for two including gratuity (less without bubbles) is still very good value given the number of courses, unlimited Prosecco and service.
To recap, I recommend you come ready to eat, with plenty of time to pace yourself. In addition, perhaps you should only take the dishes you really want to eat rather than consume everything. Overall, I’d say Blue Cilantro is definitely worth a visit if you enjoy the brunch culture.
Category: Brunch, Golden Spoons Review
