Review: The Gold Coast Bar and Restaurant

Hey guys! What have you been up to this week? I hope your week has not been crazy like mine. On a lighter note, the weather has been very lovely in the last few days and I can’t wait for summer 🙂 Today’s restaurant review is on a Ghanaian Restaurant I visited on Tuesday. When I picked The Gold Coast Bar, I was very excited as this would be my first time trying out Ghanaian Cuisine. In as much as Ghana and Nigeria are neighbouring West African countries, the cuisines are quite different.The Place

As I approached The Gold Coast Bar & Restaurant on Portland road, for a split second I thought I was in Belgrave Square in South West London. The building reminded me of one of those embassies in South West London. It looked like the two flags were stationed at both sides of the entrance to say ‘akwaaba!’.

On entering the restaurant, I proceeded to the counter and I was told orders are placed and paid for at the counter. The restaurant was empty and a Tennis match was showing on the large screen at the centre of the room and two medium sized screens at each corner of the restaurant. By the time I finished placing my order more customers had trooped in. The ground floor of the restaurant where I was seated had like three sections. I sat in the middle section, not because I wanted to have a full view of the screen…I just felt like 🙂 The ambience was welcoming, relaxing and warm; lovely African inspired decor mixed with a laid back dinning style. I didn’t feel out of place. 

Section 1

Section 2 Part of section 2

Section 3

Hospitality

Placing my order was meant to be easy as I had viewed the menu online and knew what I wanted. The staff (staff A) who was taking my order stopped mid-way as she had to hand over to her colleague because her shift was over (insert *rolling eyes* smiley). Staff B took over and placing my order became one huge task. I had requested for a cocktail with staff A initially and she told staff B to prepare it.

Staff B disappears and reappears to tell me that his manager said he can’t prepare the cocktail because he is still undergoing training! I was shocked beyond words. So no cocktail for me? Hey! I am not interested in sorry tales. The said manager was no where to be found. So I requested for Malta Guinness but that was not available and staff B thought Guinness would be a better alternative…lol…come on now! How about offering me alternatives of other Malt drink brands? Lol…From my choice, it was obvious I wanted a malt drink not Stout. I eventually settled for Super Malt reluctantly. By the time I was through placing my orders, I was like this:

 

 

The Food

I was determined not to let the new staff spoil my Ghanaian experience. For starter, I had the popular Kelewele. Kelewele is diced ripe plantain lightly spiced and deep fried, served with roasted peanuts (groundnuts) on the side. I didn’t know what to expect with this combo but when I took the first bite, I understood why Ghanaians love their Kelewele. I enjoyed every piece and I will try making some at home. 

My main was Red Red which I ordered alongside Spicy Chicken pieces. I ordered the Spicy Chicken pieces from the Starter menu as Red Red does not come with meat. Red Red is Black eyed beans cooked with onions, pepper and tomatoes in palm oil and served with plantain on the side (plantain again, haha!). When my Red Red arrived, I discovered it looked just like what the Yoruba-speaking part of Nigeria called ‘Ewa Agoyin’. There was also Cassava granules (a.k.a Garri) on the side but I am not a fan so I didn’t use it. But most people enjoy eating Beans with Cassava granules sprinkled on it just like you would sprinkle Parmesan Cheese on Pasta. The food was delicious and I totally enjoyed it.

Red Red

The Spicy Chicken pieces was excellent. Hot and spicy just the way I like it with garlic and chilli juices running through every bite. I added the spicy chicken pieces to my Red Red to make it a more sumptuous dish.

Hot and spicy char-grilled chicken pieces

The dessert was yummy but the Ice-cream could have been creamier 🙂 I think they should have a wider selection.

Chocolate Fudge Cake and Chocolate Ice-Cream

£££

In total, I spent £23.55

 

Verdict

 

Did I enjoy the food? Absolutely! Apart from the initial hiccup at the counter, the service was great. The food was not delayed and came out pipping hot. Will I go back again? Definitely! In summary, it was a wonderful dinning experience at The Gold Coast Bar and Restaurant. My advise to them is that they should give their staff proper training before putting them out to serve customers. The customer is not interested in knowing whether your shift is over or you are undergoing training. I’m still pained I couldn’t have my cocktail…lol

C.S.L Stars

Address

224 Portland Road
South Norwood

London
SE25 4QB
Tel: 02086761919
headoffice@thegoldcoastbar.com

www.thegoldcoastbar.com

~Chop Street London~