The Tavern at Henley Park Hotel

*Sponsored Post
The Tavern at the Henley Park Hotel offers delectable cuisine that blends historic charm with modern flavors. Adorned with ornate chandeliers, a stunning skylight atrium and red brick walls, The Tavern reflects the hotel's authentic charm and historical elegance and serves a diverse selection of American classics using fresh, regionally-sourced ingredients.  Closest Metro is Convention Center.

We were invited in to dine and sample some of the chef's new Spring offerings. Keith started with the Corn Bisque made with roasted sweet yellow and white corn, she crab stock and sherry.  It has lots of crab meat and a slight southwestern kick.

I enjoyed the Grilled Shrimp on top of brioche toast points with wild mushrooms and onions soaked in a rich lobster Pernod cream sauce.  This dish was surprisingly savory and delectable.  It paired nicely with a glass of Chardonnay.

For my main dish, I stuck with the seafood theme and ordered the Crab Cake, which came with a sweet corn and hearts of palm mache salad with a tart cactus pear vinaigrette.  The flavors of the salad were bright and perfect for Spring.  The crab cake itself was large and full of actual crab meat.  This was not a heavy dish, and made for a great meal.

Keith opted for something more hearty, and chose the Grilled French Cut Pork Chop.  Served with a garlic and green peppercorn brandy demi sauce and a side of Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and French beans, this dish was classic.  The meat was cooked at a nice medium temperature and paired nicely with a glass of Cabernet.

Lastly for dessert, I enjoyed the Crème Brûlée.  The custard itself had a smooth consistency and was not overly sweet.  My only complaint was that the top was not burnt enough to caramelize.  There is something so satisfying about cracking that hard shell to expose the soft innards, but while this tasted great, I did not get the same feeling.

Keith ordered the Exotic Bomba - a sorbet of mango, passion fruit, and raspberry coated in white chocolate.  It was tropical and a nice fruity finish to the meal.

Overall, the Tavern provided a classic American meal in a quaint setting within the Henley Park Hotel.  The current space is a bit dated and dark in décor, however they are planning a full renovation later this year.

Total Rating: 3.85
Food: 4, Price: 3.5, Service: 4, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5