*Invite to review*
I love anything to do with Christmas. From twinkly fairy lights (they should be a perennial staple and not just Christmas, oh the things I’d enshrine into law if I were prime minister) to spiced baked goods, it is easy to fall in love with the festive season and make like Will Ferrell’s Elf.
If you’re out and about this Christmas and fancy a different take on classics (turkey slider?) then hop on over to Slug & Lettuce Derby. I have been here before and find it’s an easy space to be. From the lofty grand entrance to the delectably cosy confines of the luxurious banquettes, Slug & Lettuce is one of the popular bars in Derby on Irongate.
We kicked off with a few festive tipples, here is the Limited Edition Winter Pornstar Martini in all its golden, glistening glory. The passion-fruit half and shot of Prosecco were given the glitter treatment too, and drinking this concoction which is grown up and fun put a smile on my face.
There are a range of dining options, including Christmas Burger and Festive Burrito. We had the Festive Sharing Board, because it sounded cool and I was in a cheesy mood. First up, whole mini baked Camembert cheese with cranberry sauce and chestnuts was gloriously gooey, the rind with a subtle chalky flavour. I love cheese, and it was epic dunking garlic ciabatta into the oozy melting middle.
Ham croquettes were salty and tasty, Pigs in Blankets great to dunk into BBQ sauce, and smokey bacon flavour glazed chicken wings surprisingly meaty. Fried chicken goujons were especially tender with a seasoned crumb that went well with a liberal dollop of ketchup, and the side of skinny fries was generous and tasty.
The aforementioned garlic ciabatta deserves more column inches, because the bread was wonderfully fresh and extra garlicky.
A personal favourite was the turkey, pork and chestnut stuffing slider – a mini Christmas dinner in three tiny mouthfuls – what’s not to like? It’s a generously sized, tasty sharing board, which is great for four people or three really ravenous ones. Me and dining partner were hungry and managed around 85% of the food (the sliders and Camembert were the first to go).
The sharer board is great if you have an evening of drinking planned, as you can pick at the food whilst chatting away. I hope Slug & Lettuce keep this sharer board past the festive season, as I think it will be nice tucking into tasty yet easily accessible finger food when side-tracked with say, Wimbledon or match day scores.
There are a range of different options available from the Christmas menu, including two- and three-course meals. For more information about the Christmas menu at Slug & Lettuce Derby, hop onto their website stat.