Mummy Bird hasn’t been out for breakfast with The Man and I for a while - she’s been out for other meals, though – so we thought we’d surprise her and take her along with us to Compamigos at Mercia Marina. Amy, the venue’s marketing manager, had kindly invited us along to sample their food and to see the fruits of the six-figure makeover that the former Boardwalk site had had. Taking its name from a fusion of ‘Compartir Con Amigos’ [Spanish for ‘share with friends’], owner Ian Silverwood and his team were keen to create a welcoming, relaxed-yet-fun space for folks to eat, drink and talk in.
Compamigos is a large, two storey venue, with spectacular views over the marina and beyond and, whatever the weather or time of day, provides a haven in which to enjoy a wide choice of non- and alcoholic- drinks, tapas and other dishes. Upstairs is what I would describe as the restaurant area with the kitchen clearly visible through large glass windows, whereas downstairs has a magnificent bar as its focal point and some lovely booth seating. Throughout, the aim has been to harness nature’s more dramatic palate for the décor; again, the two floors have distinct vibes to them: upstairs the walls are a rich plum/russet tone, the lower floor is a deep forest green with a feature wall of foliage-printed paper. Lighting comes from modern pendants but has a beautiful honied tone to it that is very flattering and cosy.
Assistant manager, Charlotte came over to introduce herself and have a chat, taking our drinks order whilst she was there. His Nibs and I were in the mood for a Hot Chocolate (just plain, no cream or marshmallows) and Mummy had a pot of tea. Those of you who like a Hot Choc that’s rich in taste and frothy on top will absolutely adore the ones served at Compamigos – they are lush! Another member of the serving team came to take our food order, giving us a bit of guidance as we really couldn’t choose from the tempting morsels. Eventually, Mummy chose the Compamigos Breakfast (aka Full English, £11.90), I had the Turkish Eggs (£10, added Halloumi £4) and The Man went for Huevos Rancheros (£9.50, adding Chorizo for an extra £4). I so nearly went for the Maple Belly Pancake (£10.50), tempted by the description of Buttermilk Pancakes with maple-glazed Pork Belly, Creamy Scrambled Eggs and Maple Syrup. How fabulous does that sound? A return visit is definitely on the cards to snaffle this beaut one weekend!
Food is cooked fresh-to-order by Head Chef Ben Wilkinson and his team, so do bear that in mind when you visit and expect a little time between your order being taken and the dishes being brought out. Having said that, because we’d gone a little later than ‘peak time’, we weren’t waiting long at all before our server carefully placed each plate on the table. You certainly get a hefty portion for your money, and care is taken over the presentation, too.
Compamigos do a signature blend of beans for breakfast that is comprised of Kidney, Black, Borlotti, Cannellini, and Butter Beans, along with Sweetcorn, in a sweet-n-smoky sauce. Served in their own pot, the aromas drifting to our nostrils from them were marvellous; mouth-wateringly good, in fact. Both Mummy Bird and The Man had these as part of their brekkies and gave them 10/10. Fat Cumberland Sausages were perfectly seasoned and cooked to keep them moist and soft inside, and rather than ‘just’ Bacon, slices of Maple-glazed Pork Belly had Mummy smiling at their deep flavour. The poached Egg was gorgeously runny, its rich yolk gliding over the tongue and the sweetness of the slow-roasted Tomato half was mesmerising. Hash Browns get a bit of a bad rap, thanks to many places serving ready-made, bought-in ones, but Compamigos house ones are totally different; finely shredded Potato is cooked and seasoned, before being coated and fried to beautiful, golden crispness. Diagonally-cut slices of Sourdough had been charred on the griddle to impart lovely smoky-tasting stripes, and they proved to be fantastic at scooping up any juices left on the plate from the Egg, Beans and Tomato. I tell you what, Mummy saw the whole dang plateful off! Nowt wrong with this pensioners appetite.
My Turkish Eggs’ description had got me intrigued and, to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t completely sure whether I’d be fully on-side…but, I always say that if you don’t try something for the first time, you’ll never know if you like it or not. In the flesh, so to speak, this dish was a curious fusion of warm and cold elements; the real test for me, though, was the fact that the poached Egg yolk would run into the Greek Yoghurt. The truth was that it wasn’t actually so bad; both the yoghurt and egg had creamy tastes and soft textures, so they did blend together quite nicely. For me, the stars were the roasted Chick Peas with their nutty flavour and gently crunchy outers – there should have been double [maybe triple!] the amount that there was, in my opinion. The other reason for wanting more Chick Pea influence was also their textural quality because, other than the ‘pinkled’ onions, this dish was smooth. Spicy Harissa, Mint and Dill all twirled together to lift the flavour profile in the mouth, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking this dish.
His Nibs had gone for soft Tortillas topped with smushed Avocado, tangy Feta cheese that had been crumbled and Chilli Flakes: more than a bit of taste to tickle his taste buds, then! Fried Eggs still had juicily runny yolks to them, and this creaminess was balanced brilliantly by the Signature Beans’ sweet, smokiness. A blast of fragrant citrus, via the fresh Coriander, brought a tremendous bounce in the mouth, contrasted by the Paprika-heavy smoky, spicy tones of the thickly sliced Chorizo. This tremendous breakfast offering really did have it all; certainly, one to have if you go along to Compamigos.
Throughout the time we’d been munching, the team had kept a good eye on us, doing check-backs and grabbing us more hot drinks as required. We don’t rush our meals anyway but, soaking in the ambience at this great Mercia Marina venue, we discovered that nearly two hours had passed! What a superb way to start the weekend though. Hot Wings very happily awarded to Compamigos.
To book a table ring 01283 702669; please be aware that the upper level isn’t accessible to wheelchair users, so state your requirements when you phone. Alternatively, you can visit the website www.compamigos.co.uk and hit the ‘book now’ button to make a booking online; you can also check out all the menus by clicking that button.
