A freezing cool bar on a freezing cold night

Having previously enjoyed many a fine cocktail at Navajo Joe, I must admit to having been somewhat sceptical as to whether the food could ever quite match the drinks at what, in my eyes at least, was until the other evening simply a bar, admittedly a very good one, but still just a bar.

On arrival it is difficult not to be impressed by the funky interior, the long bar complete with candles, which look to have been dripping wax ever since the place opened, and the dazzling array of spirits that ensure that the mixologists are able to continue doing their job.

We were quickly seated towards the rear of a now heaving restaurant, blending in nicely I hoped with the many fashionable young couples who clearly also like to eat out on a cold Wednesday evening.

Having scoured the extensive drinks menu I chose the non-alcoholic ‘Drops Like Rain’, a refreshing mix of pineapple and passion juices combined with grenadine and lemon juice and rounded off with a single raspberry that was, after much effort on my part extracted and promptly eaten.

Starters aren’t particularly cheap in Navajo Joe and so we decided that we would go for a couple of sharing plates at two for £7, putting an order in for crunchy catfish goujons with grain mustard mayo, which were suitably yummy even if the mayo could have been stronger, and four cheese nachos.

It is just possible that the people who wrote the menu had only recently watched the Two Ronnie’s ‘fork handles’ sketch as whilst I assumed that we would be receiving nachos covered in four delicious cheeses of the world, what actually arrived was a meagre four nachos covered in a bit of cheddar.

Thankfully, the mains were at the other end of the portion scale with my chicken fajitas arriving as a sizzling plate full of chicken, roasted onions and peppers, four metal pots of guacamole, cheese, salsa and sour cream, and a dish that with the wooden lid removed revealed five warm, soft tortilla wraps.

Flying the vegetarian flag, Emily was enjoying asparagus and oyster mushroom enchiladas ‘loaded’ with sugar snap peas, goats cheese and smoked chilli tomato sauce, which I can only say looked and smelt as good as it reads to you and I.

Having been too conservative with my estimates as to how much filling each early fajita could reasonably hold, the final two had to be packed to the sides if I was to stand any chance of matching the empty plate where once enchiladas had sat.

Finally, and with the full support of a knife & fork – desperately uncool when eating fajitas, I’m sure’ – I was finished!

With both of us feeling decidedly full the option of dessert was quickly passed and the bill summoned from the friendly if a little overworked waitress. With a toptable 2for1 on main meals, nobody could argue with the price and so it was back into the cold, happy to have laid any doubts to rest.