A Bank Holiday Visit To Lorentes At Darley Abbey
Published On Friday 26 May 2023 by Sticky Beak
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As far as Bank Holiday Weekends go, we’d all had a pretty productive one and were feeling fairly chipper 😊. The weather forecast for the Bank Holiday Monday, however, was not looking quite so great, meaning we decided to sack-off the gardening. In the end, the rain didn’t particularly materialise and being at a bit of a loose end left us all feeling deflated but, no, we were not going to end our extended weekend like that!
Man Bird to the rescue! He booked a table for the four of us at Lorentes’ new site, Darley Abbey (previously occupied by The Cotton Works),so we hopped in the jalopy with smiles on our faces that we were ending things on a high note 😊. The restaurant is right in one corner of the site, so it’s a bit of a mystery tour to get there and dedicated parking is a bit on the limited side – however, there are plenty of spots in the ‘general’ car park which is about a minute’s walk, so not a big drama.
Lorentes is brilliantly quirky, with several spaces set with tables: we were seated in the very end space. I loved the gently arched ceiling here, and the distressed red brick walls - not convinced by the grey blocks used to brick up former windows though!. lighting is provided by a mix of fairy lights, industrial wall lights and striking, open-bottom metal lights set with fancy-filament bulbs. Dark tiled floors are echoed by assorted, dark mid-back chairs (some of which had grey sheepskins casually thrown over them) and contrasted by pale wood tables.
The menu at Lorentes is excellent, offering Tapas, Paellas, Meat and Cheese Boards, and nibbles such as Olives, fried Corn and Almonds. We decided to take advantage of one of their set Tapas Selections, priced at £20 per person (minimum of 4 people) to get a wide variety of morsels. Before the food though, was the matter of drinkies; I’d spotted the Negroni on the cocktail menu (£8) and just fancied that, Mummy had a glass of Sauv Blanc (£7.20) and His Nibs had a pint of Estrella (£5.40). Fledge stuck to Chateau Neuf de Severn Trent from the jug that we’d asked for, for the table (no charge).
Shortly after we’d toasted our health, one of the Lorentes team, a lovely young lady, brought out the first nibble: warmed bread, thickly cut, and served with an unctuous Tomato, Garlic and Olive Oil sauce. The bread itself had a lovely wheaty taste, but the sauce really elevated this ultra-simple dish into a lip-smackingly tasty treat.
Then the Patatas came out, with the Bravas sauce and a rather cheeky, garlicky Ali-oli. Garnished with chopped, fresh herbs, the pale Ali-oli and rich red Bravas sauces made for a pair of wonderfully colourful, scrummy spud dishes that soon disappeared into our greedy tummies! Mummy commented on how the Patatas were the perfect size to pop whole into your mouth without looking a total gannet and the fact that you could scoop up extra sauce onto them 😊.
What makes Tapas so universally popular is the fact that when they’re cooked, Chef just sends them out ad hoc so you’re never without something to chomp on. Having polished off the Patatas Bravas and Alioli, we turned or attention to the platters of creamy Bechamel laden Croquetas (of which we’d got both the Serrano Ham &Chicken, and Blue Cheese & Spinach types), the Spicy, sauteed Chorizo with Honey, and the Marinated Chicken Skewers with Romesco sauce.
Those first bites into the delicately crispy outers of the Croquetas and into their soft, flavoursome bellies elicited murmurs of appreciation from us all, as well as smiles all round. The Blue Cheese certainly walloped the palate; it’s sharp tang was unmissable, even when tempered by the sweetness of the wilted Spinach! Representing a much softer, more dulcet note of the taste spectrum was the Chicken and Serrano morsel; don’t be fooled though, it may have been subtler, but it was no less delicious 😊.
Spicy Chorizo isn’t for everyone but, I have to say that, despite the Paprika spice and smoky tones, this particular morsel was surprisingly rounded - probably due to the injection of sweetness an stickiness of the Honey glaze. There wasn’t going to be any ‘repeat factor’ for me, which is the yardstick I always personally go by when I rate any type of Sausage product (don’t be smutty, you lot!).
Chef at Lorentes Darley Abbey doesn’t mess about with portion-size either; the wooden skewers were fully loaded with pieces of juicy, marinated Chicken breast meat from end-to-end. Fans of Spanish cuisine will hear me when I say that the deep coloured Romesco sauce was packing a flavour punch, releasing its smoky, garlicky, sweet and zingy tendrils all over our tongues. Containing a mix of Tomatoes, Red Peppers, Garlic, Paprika, Bread, Olive Oil, Nuts and Vinegar that are all pummelled into a smooth, thick paste, this Catalan accompaniment was superb; served lightly warmed, all its aromas really were blossoming in our mouths 😊.
Despite recently starting to eat Mushrooms, His Nibs bowed out of sharing the sautéed Button ones with Garlic, Parsley and diced Serrano Ham; just as well, because Fledge, me and Mummy Bird all swooped in with indecent haste to claim our share of these irresistible beauties!
The way The Mans’ face lit up when we were served the Albondigas could’ve powered the national grid for at least 15 minutes! He really does love the dense yet silky smooth texture of these meaty treats and who can blame him, because at Lorentes they are impossibly flavoursome, bold and confident in the impact they’re going to have, served with a simple Tomato sauce, Mushrooms and Peas.
Our final Tapas dish was the ubiquitous Calamares a la Romana: lightly floured, deep-fried Squid Rings served with Homemade Lime Mayonnaise. I must say that this way of just lightly dusting them in flour, as opposed to dipping them in a ‘wet’ batter, suits the delicate seafood much better and allows you to savour the fragrant flesh to the full. A quick dunk in the tangy Mayo was all that was needed for a mouth-wateringly good dish: this was easy-eating, sociable food at its best 😊.
Whilst we’d been picking our way through the multitude of dishes, several members of Lorentes team came over to check we were enjoying their offerings, as well as making sure we’d got enough to drink. We didn’t have much of an interval before the Paella pan was placed in the centre of our table, but I would just mention the fact that, if you go in to dine and solely order Paella, then you can expect to wait about 30-40 minutes before tucking in as they’re made fresh-to-order.
What’s that saying; good things come to those who wait? Our Chicken Paella was certainly worth waiting for! The heavy-bottomed pan was laden with softened rice, plentiful chunks of succulent Chicken breast and trimmed Green Beans amongst the finely chopped Onions and Red Peppers. You couldn’t miss the intensely aromatic elements in this dish: Paprika, Stock, and Sofrito (a mix of Tomato, Olive Oil, Garlic and Paprika) all worked in harmony to drench the palate with flavour. Just superb 😊.
For the price of £80 per four, the set Tapas menu represents a value for money that is pretty much untouchable and it certainly was tasty and satisfying, from first bite to last! The Man Bird and I both ordered dessert: Crema Catalana and Crema De Limon (both £4.95) and, because we hadn’t been able to choose between them, we shared each one.
Crema Catalana is the Spanish interpretation of Crème Brulé, and its thwackable, caramel top elicited a marvellous crunch sound when The Man hit it with his spoon! Underneath this gorgeous sticky layer was a soft, vanilla custard that hit the comfort spot perfectly 😊. Just as fabulous was the Crema de Limon with its clean, sharp citrus taste; if you want a palate cleanser at the end of your meal, this is exactly what you’d wish for. A simple decoration of fresh berries was all that was needed here to complete this superb dessert.
Lorentes prices its food very competitively, but the coffees are some of the most reasonable you’ll find: Cortado, Solo and Americano are all £2.10, Café Con Leche (Latte) is £2.30, Cappuccino is £2.50 and Carajillo, Coffee liqueur is £3.50; prices are per cup.
Needless to say, Hot Wings are very happily awarded to this excellent slice of Spain 😊!
Lorentes at Darley Abbey is closed Monday and Tuesday, open Wednesday-Friday 4-10pm, Saturday Noon-10pm and Sunday Noon-8pm. To book your table call 01332 947490 or visit the website www.lorentes.co.uk , then select which site you want from the top of the page (they’re also on Friargate in Derby City Centre) and book a slot using the ‘Res Diary’ button.
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