I’d heard about the new food venue in the heart of Borough, part of the Great Guns music/video franchise, and recently had the opportunity to dine there.
Keeping it in the family, name wise, Great Guns Social had only been operating for a month when I visited, but they were already quite settled in their new home, a former public house on Southwark Bridge Road.
A big draw for me was the lure of fine, Moroccan-inspired cuisine, by Chef Khalid Dahbi, whose twenty-year career has seen him working in Michelin starred and international establishments, including Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, Bibendum Restaurant, Gaucho Group, and Jamie Oliver’s.
I visited during a quiet, lunchtime lull and took the chance to admire the décor, a mixture of industrial (exposed ceiling pipes and iron light fixture lampshades), burnished wood tables and floors and emerald green polished leather booth seating.
In the interests of the review, I sampled two starters, two mains and a dessert, it’s a hard job, but someone’s got to do it! It didn’t take long before the assembly line of food started arriving. Kicking off the starters was Moorish chicken and almond pastille, saffron and cinnamon. This dish was all about the subtle flavours, but you could definitely taste the Moroccan influence. The pastry was light as air, and the chicken filling was plentiful.
Next up was Cornish Baby Squid, Harissa and Lime. The squid was light and the right texture of chewy. The accompanying sauce, made up of garlic and mayo, which I learnt was called ‘Aioli’, was nice and creamy. Both dishes were excellent starters that set me up for the mains.
The service was fast and friendly and before I knew it, the first of the mains arrived. I opted for the Salt Marsh Lamb Lollipop. Easily my favourite meat, the lamb was lovely. Beautifully cooked, it almost melted in the mouth. The smooth mash shallots were the perfect accompaniment, slightly sweet, but not overpoweringly so.
The last main dish was the Glazed Jacob’s Beef Rib, Mousseline, Caramelised Prunes and Sesame Seeds. This dish ticked all the boxes for me as the ultimate comfort food. The beef was firm, but not too chewy and the glazed alcohol-flavoured sauce was balanced by the creamy mash. Absolutely delicious.
I like to be adventurous with my dessert choices and so I asked the waiter to recommend something for me. He chose the Rose Water Mahalabia, Pistachio and Sugar Moss. I’m so glad he did, it looked like a work of art, I almost didn’t want to eat it, almost J Mahalabia is a middle eastern dessert made up of boiled milk and sweetened with rose water. It had a subtle sweetness that I wasn’t expecting. The sensation of the almost custard like texture of the mahalabia and the crunch of the almonds, pistachio was lovely. I’ll definitely be trying this one again.
As you would expect from a chef of this calibre, the presentation of all the dishes was superb.
Looking through the menu, I noted that they have a weekend brunch menu which I am sure will go down a treat and very impressive drinks list which includes some intriguing names like Bardot’s Diaries, Rusty With Nail and I, Barbarella and Fifty Shades of Fizz!
I ate from the set lunch menu which is a very reasonable £15 for three plates or £20 for four.
I enjoyed my dining experience thoroughly. If you’re looking for fine Moroccan tinged cuisine, in a contemporary setting, head down to Great Guns Social. It’s thumbs up from me!
For more information, visit: greatgunssocial.com
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