Dollar Grills & Martinis, Farringdon.

Dollar Grills & Martinis is pure luxurious fun. As a venue it excites the moment you walk through the door, and continues to excite until the moment you leave - the dim lighting, the plush booths, the open plan kitchen, the old black and white movies playing, all combine to ensure that your dining experience is a pretty unforgettable one. 

Whilst Dollar definitely gets a ten in the style stakes - something I feel is important for a good dining experience, especially if you're on a date or out to please friends with your substantial knowledge of chic places to dine - the food was also pretty stellar. A wide choice of hearty American fare with an upmarket twist and flawless presentation ensures that everyone can feast on dishes that are well presented and appetising to look at, yet don't fall flat when it comes to taste, as so many more upmarket restaurants do.

Their starters all look delicious, from their chili and lime squid which was insanely fresh and light, to their baked figs and roquefort wrapped in parma ham which were incredibly rich and beautifully salty from the strong cheese and excellent quality ham. They also offered a range of slider burgers which oozed

kitchy cuteness; customers could choose from ground beef, ahi tuna or pulled pork, or opt to have all three (my kind of thinking). 

Their main courses provided similar variety of flavours and ingredient combinations, offering a wide range of burgers such as their "mgm grande" which consisted of bacon, peanut satay, mozzarella and avocado, or their similarly unusual "the lincoln", containing jack cheese, pickled cucumber, fennel yoghurt and tempura onion rings. Opting for the mgm grande, I was both surprised and satisfied with the unique addition of peanut-butter like satay sauce especially when accompanied by the cool and creamy avocado, but was admittedly most impressed with the quality of the burger itself - you are asked how you would like it cooked, and mine was a perfectly juicy medium. Divine.

For dessert, they offer slightly less choice, focussing on fresh fruits and clean flavours, such as their passion fruit crème brule or their eton mess - probably a good idea after all the heavy flavours in their starters and mains. My cheesecake (everyone has weaknesses, and cheesecake is definitely one of mine) was gorgeously light and fluffy, and complimented perfectly by the tangy berry coulis; admittedly a classic to the point of done to death dessert, but done very well. 

Overall I found Dollar both a tasty and a memorable experience; their vintage Las Vegas glamour created by the decor and ambience of the place is a perfect match to the big, bold, beautiful flavours of the food. Definitely not another crappy American diner experience which leaves you feeling greasy and disappointed, this is one to visit with friends and family alike. 

mgm grande burger.

new york cheesecake
with berry coulis.