http://www.joeallen.co.uk/

Here we go again. Instalment number 3 of the Great Caesar Salad Search took us to Joe Allen, an old favourite for client lunches. Externally, it looks like a members only joint. Inside, it’s loud in the very best way.

They’re actually a bit famous for their Caesar salads. Been on the menu since they opened in 1977 apparently (or so I’m told by Gareth Jones)

First impressions were good. Fresh crunchy lettuce, just enough croutons, and an evenly mixed through dressing with knots of parmesan throughout. So far so tasty.

The first few forkfuls didn’t disappoint. But then it started to flag. The dressing became too creamy after you’d waded through the first mouthfuls, and the vinegar started to rear its head more prominently.

By the time we were half way through, we’d recognised the appearance of a classic Caesar salad error - generosity. The portion was huge, and the more we munched our way through it, the more the errors screamed out. They’d have gotten away with it if they’d given us a cuisine sized helping - just a few bites, enough to get the taste and the textures, then on to the main course. But no. Joe Allen’s is a gregarious place, and it serves gregarious food. Which can work well. But not with the Caesar salad. Like me, Caesars salads are best when they know their limits and stop before they embarrass themselves. Less is more.

We consoled ourselves by ordering burgers (which aren’t on the menu, but which they make if you ask). Can’t lose there. Even though the bun was brioche (which I’m not personally a fan of), the bacon and the quality meat and the well melted cheese and the sliced pickle - they all came together in a predictably burger-tastic way, washed down with some nice red. We left happy.

In the salad stakes though, afraid we could only stretch to a 6.5/10. The best yet, but there has to be better out there.