Cricketers Arms

2 Reviews on “Cricketers Arms”

• OP

  We sort of toppled onto this place when we were looking for a place to lunch in Stratford avenue on one Saturday afternoon. Cricketer’s Arms is identified as the bar of the boutique hotel – D Pavilion, and is located in a very quiet residential lane. The people at the hotel were quick to greet and direct us to the correct place. It was empty when we went there, and it was empty till we left more than two hours later.We ordered the Blackberry cider, a cranberry juice, smoked salmon salad, and the fish and chips. The drinks arrived almost immediately, but the food took more than an hour to arrive. The staff were happy to give us a tour of the hotel and the rooms whilst we waited.The smoked salmon salad was your normal onion salad but jazzed up a bit with some olives, capers, and gherkins thrown in. There was a generous portion of salmon however. The fish and chips was sub par. The fish was not very flaky, and the batter collapsed when cutting through it.The ambience of the hotel and the bar is amazing. You can find all sorts of vintage items laid out in the sills, tables, etc. And even when you enter, you’re greeted with a staircase of stone steps. An open-air theme is prevalent throughout.In terms of food, we would not be visiting here again. However, if you want to have a drink in a different ambience, this place maybe it.

  November 25, 2017, 2:35 am

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• TJ

  Unmistakably a homage to one of Sri Lanka’s illustrious cricketers, The Cricketer’s Arms tries hard to be a more personal, authentic cricket themed restaurant and bar. Memorabilia (signed bats, tshirts) adorn the walls in glass casings. The decor is otherwise minimalist, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Go into the private dining room and a vanity wall with 8 pictures of the owner and namesake in action on the cricket field are front and centre; just in case anyone stumbled in the door by accident. The dishes and sideplates are also carefully monogrammed with his initial.The dining experience though, leaves something to be desired. The first and foremost problem is that despite a near empty restaurant, the time between ordering for a crowd of around 4-5 people and food arriving is about 90 minutes. This happened both times I visited, and my experience was not uncommon. To while away the time, I was distracting myself by counting Lasith Malinga’s curls on the T20 world cup winners photograph.As far as food is concerned, The Cricketer’s Arms has a menu that has Malaysian style nasi goreng jostling uneasily alongside a German sauerbraten. Theming seems less of a concern, let’s just call it international in outlook.Soups (at least the couple that I tried) are pretty good – thick, creamy and flavourful. I liked the hearty combination of potato and chorizo, and it went down well with the basket of garlic bread that was on offer. Of the mains though, the sauerbraten (German style filets of beef, sauerkraut and potatoes) was an unmitigated disaster. The beef filets were well done (no one asked) and tough as leather. I fared marginally better with the nasi goreng – well spiced rice, darkened with copious amounts of soy sauce and a luscious chicken skewer. The ravioli was also good, the tomato based sauce was particularly creamy and tasty. The stuffing did have a little too much spinach for my taste, but that’s an individual preference.Of the desserts, the molten chocolate lava cake looked (and tasted) extremely good, but the fresh cut fruit was a disappointment – more watermelon than anything else. Great if you like that, not so much otherwise.The food on offer is therefore great in places, but let down by some howlers. A degree of circumspection is necessary when ordering.Service was attentive and friendly, as much as it could be with a lengthy wait for food. The location has good potential, and there is ample parking. The relative quiet of the place may also have appeal for some.

  November 23, 2015, 2:35 am

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