Le Mercury

I dined at Le Mercury on a Saturday evening with friends who have been going there for years and have usually had a great night. It is very popular with locals so do book if you want a weekend table.

I liked the set prices on the menu for each course. There was also a Specials menu with some higher-priced options. One friend chose the swordfish from the Specials but was disappointed as the piece of fish was small and some of it was "inedible". Another friend asked whether milk or cream was mixed with the vegetables (as she has a dietary intolerance) yet the waitress didn't get back to us and brought the standard meal which we found did have milk blended with the sweet potato. We ordered a bowl of 'seasonal vegetables' to share and then found they were covered in sour cream. She couldn't win.

Disappointing for Vegetarians
I found the goat's cheese starter too 'cheesey' and would have benefited from some bread to accompany it. The vegetarian main was a mushroom pie (with a French name) but I didn't like it at all which left me with no alternative.

The desserts were slightly better although small which I guess would be fine if you had eaten well with previous courses.

Making The Most of It
We were all disappointed as we had been looking forward to dining at Le Mercury together for sometime. We decided to make the most of having a table to sit and drink, in an area of town renowned for its weekend nightlife, and ordered cocktails and more wine. This salvaged the evening for us as it was each other's company we wanted more than the French cuisine. If you really want the quality food and service just be prepared for a 'hit and miss' at Le Mercury – maybe it'll be good, maybe it won't.