The Ivy Royal Windsor Brasserie - Windsor, England

I have not eaten in a lot of places in England, but I can say this would be the one place (so far until I get a chance to visit again, but then even so, I will make an out of the way trip to be here again) that I would suggest to anyone that is looking for places to eat while in the country. My wife and I ate here while visiting England for a few days. We were driving around seeing the sights and ended up in Windsor to visit Windsor Castle around dinner time. While looking for a place to eat, we found this place that was within walking distance of the castle. One of the places that I have been to for sure that I am so glad I did not miss out on the experience!

Our experience here was absolutely fantastic, and it is all thanks to our bartenders, but I will highlight one specifically in a moment. We walked in and immediately felt the atmosphere greet us with a slap in the face (the good kind). Very nice high-class place and the patrons there knew it, whether they were locals or visiting, they were all dressed up. A perfect date night when visiting Windsor! We did not have reservations (I would highly suggest them, so you do not risk being unable to enjoy this experience), but we were able to get seats at the bar.

We were welcomed with open arms (great smiles and friendly attitudes) by all the bartenders that were working that night. They took our orders and food orders at great pace especially with how busy they all were. They worked together as a team, never leaving one bartender to attend to any of the patrons waiting for service. I ordered my drink I try to get everywhere I go, and having never made it before, they delivered a very simple yet elegant with flavor Godfather. The one thing that I did notice when they brought out the drink (after speaking to the bartenders, I understand from their perspective on why they do it) was there was a lot more ice than I typically prefer in my drinks. If you are ordering drinks, just make sure to specify if you want it neat or not a lot of ice, or they will default to what most of their patrons order. Overall, the drinks were amazing and had the notes that should be present, and they even suggested local favorites as well as their own favorite creations. Now to the food.

I ordered the Rendang Duck Curry (as a suggestion from one of the bartenders) and my wife ordered a sirloin with mac and cheese (you can take her out of America, but you can't take the American out of her!). The curry was exploding with flavor and spice, absolutely exceeding my expectations. The mac and cheese was delicious and a great side to order with any entree on the menu, and the creaminess is up there with my favorite mac and cheese dishes that I have had at other places. The sirloin is where I would say wasn't necessarily "wow" factor. The presentation was very bland, and the color was dull (could very well be an English thing), but it was cooked to perfection on the inside. The flavor was very basic and natural flavor of a steak (without any additional seasoning which I am sure was an English thing). At this point, I would say this place was a 4/5 rating, but what made our night was one of the bartenders that I had mentioned earlier!

Archie went above and beyond to make sure we did not feel like tourists or visitors. Sure, we talked about the differences of our countries, but the conversation was so natural and easy going, it almost felt like we were visiting with a lifelong friend! He made the experience worthwhile that we were definitely sad with the fact that we are not able to visit every weekend.

Amazing place to visit and experience different local vibes and I would highly recommend to anyone who is planning on visiting or lives near Windsor! Incredible places and service deserve to be recognized, and The Ivy Royal Windsor Brasserie is high up on that list!

The Ivy crew treated us with a honeymoon celebratory dessert!