If you read my blog or follow me on Twitter you'll know I love the Fancie shops and eating a cupcake-shaped treat every once in a while. I have visited the shop on Sharrowvale Road a couple of times, and have been for lunch at the new "grown up" Fancie shop on Eccleshall Road which opened recently. I had the veggie breakfast with a huge mug of tea and it was delicious. When I heard that this particular shop would be opening on an evening my friend and I vowed to go back to sample some of the grub.
Last Saturday our party of 4 braved the snow and drove to Sheffield. Fancie had called my friend earlier in the day to check whether we were still able to make it and, not letting a bit of snow put us off the promise of amazing food, we said "yes".
The venue
If you've been to the Fancie at Meadowhall or the shop on Sharrowvale Road you will be familiar with the pink colour scheme and the chintzy mismatched nature of the chairs, tables and crockery. The new shop on Ecclesall Road is much more grown up. Think exposed brick walls, shabby chic touches, mismatching sofas and tables, bench seating and amazing wooden stools like you had in Science lessons at school. It is definitely my cup of tea in terms of the style and feel of the place.
It was quiet when we arrived at 7pm, probably due to the weather, which meant we were seated at our table straight away and received attentive service from the girls who were serving. We were informed that in terms of alcohol it was "bring your own bottle" which most of us already knew, but we all opted for cups of tea or juice (I believe there is a £2.50 charge for each person drinking their own wine or beer). A bottle of water was already on the table and was topped up as we got through it.
Okay, the food. The important bit right? I went for the mushrooms on toast to start with followed by the tomato risotto with deep-fried goats cheese and lemon. The mushrooms on toast were D-I-V-I-N-E. They were definitely the most upmarket mushrooms on toast I've ever had. The gorgonzola cheese gave them a strong flavour and there was plenty of sauce to be "mopped up" with the toast. I could have quite happily eaten it again for my main course. The risotto was tasty but definitely needed the goats cheese element to it to add a bit of variation in flavour. The portion size was just right and I finished feeling full, but ready for something sweet to finish things off (there's always room for pudding).
Other courses sampled by Jonathan and co that I can remember were the fishcake starter, the steak, beef cheeks, and chicken and chorizo stew, and there were no complaints around the table. I know Jonathan particularly enjoyed the beef cheeks and it was something new he hadn't tried before.
Dessert
For dessert Jonathan and I shared a piece of salted chocolate tart and a cupcake from the counter. I opted for the mint-choc cupcake as it's a flavour I haven't tried before. I am, unfortunately for my waistline, trying to work my way through the flavours.
The choice of desserts wasn't huge but you do of course have the cupcakes to choose from behind the counter. Katy was hoping to get a Creme Egg special which unfortunately had sold out, so they went for a slice of salted chocolate tart and a creme brulee to share between them.
The salted chocolate tart was really, really good but I'm glad we shared as I think eating a whole slice would have pushed me into a chocolate-induced coma! The cupcake was, sadly, a little dry perhaps as it was the end of the day. Jonathan only had a couple of fork-fulls which left me with no choice but to polish the rest off!
A nice added touch to the evening was the pretty cup and saucer brought to our table housing 4 cream-filled brandy snaps (I had my own and someone elses... no shame!)
Apart from the slightly disappointing cupcake everything was great and we would definitely like to go back, although from a vegetarian point of view I would need to wait for the menu to change so I could try something new. Although if the mushrooms on toast were on offer I wouldn't complain!
The venue
If you've been to the Fancie at Meadowhall or the shop on Sharrowvale Road you will be familiar with the pink colour scheme and the chintzy mismatched nature of the chairs, tables and crockery. The new shop on Ecclesall Road is much more grown up. Think exposed brick walls, shabby chic touches, mismatching sofas and tables, bench seating and amazing wooden stools like you had in Science lessons at school. It is definitely my cup of tea in terms of the style and feel of the place.
It was quiet when we arrived at 7pm, probably due to the weather, which meant we were seated at our table straight away and received attentive service from the girls who were serving. We were informed that in terms of alcohol it was "bring your own bottle" which most of us already knew, but we all opted for cups of tea or juice (I believe there is a £2.50 charge for each person drinking their own wine or beer). A bottle of water was already on the table and was topped up as we got through it.
Photo pinched from my friend (@katy2811 on Instagram)
As the evening went on custom got a little busier but most people were seated upstairs. Due to the layout of the ground floor with the exposed brick wall in the centre of the space, it felt very intimate and quiet where we were sat, and it was a comfortable atmosphere to chat and enjoy our food.
Starters & mains
Okay, the food. The important bit right? I went for the mushrooms on toast to start with followed by the tomato risotto with deep-fried goats cheese and lemon. The mushrooms on toast were D-I-V-I-N-E. They were definitely the most upmarket mushrooms on toast I've ever had. The gorgonzola cheese gave them a strong flavour and there was plenty of sauce to be "mopped up" with the toast. I could have quite happily eaten it again for my main course. The risotto was tasty but definitely needed the goats cheese element to it to add a bit of variation in flavour. The portion size was just right and I finished feeling full, but ready for something sweet to finish things off (there's always room for pudding).
Other courses sampled by Jonathan and co that I can remember were the fishcake starter, the steak, beef cheeks, and chicken and chorizo stew, and there were no complaints around the table. I know Jonathan particularly enjoyed the beef cheeks and it was something new he hadn't tried before.
Dessert
For dessert Jonathan and I shared a piece of salted chocolate tart and a cupcake from the counter. I opted for the mint-choc cupcake as it's a flavour I haven't tried before. I am, unfortunately for my waistline, trying to work my way through the flavours.
The choice of desserts wasn't huge but you do of course have the cupcakes to choose from behind the counter. Katy was hoping to get a Creme Egg special which unfortunately had sold out, so they went for a slice of salted chocolate tart and a creme brulee to share between them.
The salted chocolate tart was really, really good but I'm glad we shared as I think eating a whole slice would have pushed me into a chocolate-induced coma! The cupcake was, sadly, a little dry perhaps as it was the end of the day. Jonathan only had a couple of fork-fulls which left me with no choice but to polish the rest off!
A nice added touch to the evening was the pretty cup and saucer brought to our table housing 4 cream-filled brandy snaps (I had my own and someone elses... no shame!)
Apart from the slightly disappointing cupcake everything was great and we would definitely like to go back, although from a vegetarian point of view I would need to wait for the menu to change so I could try something new. Although if the mushrooms on toast were on offer I wouldn't complain!
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