Last week we had our first date night in six months – and it was worth the wait. We were treated to a tapas night at The Rock Pool Cafe*, one of my favourite local spots.
Luke had never been before and I was glad to finally be able to show him the incredible view and decor. I’ve been during the day before for coffee and cake but this was the first time that I’d been in the evening. They hold special events in the summer and it was great to see firsthand what other experiences they offer.
They were fully booked for their first event of the summer and I imagine they’ll be booked right through the season. It’s such a perfectly situated venue, the food is incredible and the staff are so lovely.
We started with basil and garlic flatbread drizzled with olive oil, cantaloupe melon bites wrapped in prosciutto ham and dressed olives. I’m not usually a fan of melon but oh my gosh doesn’t adding a bit of meat just make everything better?!
The mains consisted of Albondigas (ridiculously tasty minted lamb and apple meatballs, braised in a rich tomato and chilli sauce), sautéed chorizo in a sticky red wine sauce (probably my fave dish of the night), nachos with dips, baby potatoes in sea salt, drizzled with a herb salsa, and king prawns cooked in garlic, lemon and chilli. I have barely been able to stomach prawns since a bout of food poisoning while on holiday over a decade ago but after this I’m definitely ready to start eating them again. They were sooo good!
The dessert was a tortilla parcel filled with cinnamon, strawberry and mango, served with a warm chilli chocolate fudge sauce, crushed pecans and clotted cream ice cream. Luke’s allergic to strawberries and because the menu was advertised ahead of the event I was able to drop the owners a message and request a strawberry-free dessert, which they were more than happy to do. So accommodating!
I also treated myself to a cocktail! You get a glass of sangria with your meal (which I’d never had before and it turns out I love!) but I had to have a taste of something from the cocktail menu. I went with the Rose of Zennor, which was rose liquor and Prosecco. It went down very well – and looks so pretty. We did get a few looks from other customers as we had to take a few shots of every course and drink before we started. Gotta love Instagram!
We had such a lovely evening – which wasn’t even ruined when I read the bus timetable wrong and we had to spend an hour walking back into Penzance! Such a warm, light evening for late May.
I’ll definitely be popping back for another meal with my girls later in the summer.
Keep your peepers peeled because I’ll be offering two tickets to a future event for my blog’s anniversary in July!
*We ate for free but all opinions are my own.