Food review: Revolution, Stafford

It had been an absolute nightmare of a week. There was only one way to end it. Cocktails. Two for one. Bulk ordering.

And while this was an appealing choice for this particular Friday night, the last day of what had been an arduous and tumultuous time, it was not wise to embark on such cocktail capers on an empty stomach. Food had to be eaten too.

The chosen venue to help us forget our troubles and strife was Revolution, a hip and trendy newish bar on the Riverside complex in Stafford.

It’s a welcome drinking hole which offers loads of interesting and quirky cocktails along with food, plenty of other alcohol with loads of money-saving deals too. What’s not to love about Happy Hour, Two-for-one cocktails and a third off your food bill? Absolutely nothing!

We’d booked ahead – not that we were desperate to get a seat or anything – but it was Friday night, it gets busy and we wanted to be safe in the knowledge we could definitely get a table.

Stepping inside it was early doors so not too busy and there was already a weekend buzz filling the air. We chose a seat by the window, away from other people, with plump comfy chairs that, after a few drinks could potentially prove lethal – sleep beckoned.

It’s got eclectic decor: jungley plants, industrial style stools, high wooden tables, bright furnishing, booths tucked away and lots of pictures such as maps, bottles, famous faces – the one hanging near us was of Chairman Mao (the clue is in the name of the bar!). Throw all this stuff in one room and it sounds like a heady mix of interior design madness but in the bar it works perfectly and somehow feels really homely and chilled out.

One of the best bits about our night out was that every single member of staff who served us was friendly from the get-go. Bubbly, polite, cheerful, helpful and efficient, the waitresses made the whole evening all the more pleasant so lots of credit to them.

First off we ordered the essential component of the evening: cocktails, mojitos of course, and went for a couple each to get the party started. At £7+ each, the two-for-one deal is an absolute steal!

The menu is nice too with starters and sharers, pizza and burger options, light bites, main meals and sides.

Some of the stand-out dishes include a Panang chicken curry, halloumi and chips, the Mother Clucker burger and the Fifty Fifty pizza (any two half pizzas in one – perfect if making decisions isn’t your thing).

Having sampled the Thai curry on a previous visit (it’s absolutely heavenly) we both decided to sample something different.

We went for nachos to share as a starter to soak up our potent cocktails then mulled over our mains.

We both went traditional with my other half going for steak and chips with garlic butter for £12.95 and I opted for a fish finger sandwich which consisted of breaded cod goujons on white bloomer bread with tartare sauce, ketchup and fries. Proper comfort food.

We were well into the mojitos when the nachos arrived and thankfully they were a good-sized portion.

The pile of crunchy and salty tortilla chips were covered in melted cheese, and smothered in dollops of guacamole, vodka salsa, crème fraîche and roquito peppers.

It was a lovely mix of sweet, tart and cooling flavours all in one bowl and the perfect start to our evening.

As more and more people dropped into the bar, chatter and giggles were creating a lively and fun atmosphere and we were happily getting caught up in it and forgetting the trials and tribulations of the week gone by.

The waitress returned to the table with our main meals and they didn’t disappoint.

The steak and chips was a good size with a chunky piece of meat cooked well-done as requested. Gorgeous juices were oozing out of the tender meat along with the buttery garlic topping melting on the top of the rump cut. He tucked in and absolutely loved every morsel. The fries – which were somewhere between skinny and normal – crisp with gorgeously fluffy middles.

The touch of greenery was a good size garnish and went some way to making the dish looking slightly less indulgent. Yum!

Mine was exactly what I needed. The fish goujons were chunky, flaky pieces of cod coated in crisp, thick and wholesome breadcrumbs sandwiched between two not-quite-doorsteps of white fluffy bread. Mmmm mmmm. The ketchup was a welcome sauce for both the fries and sandwich but I’m not a fan of tartare sauce.

The only thing missing for me was a touch of greenery (maybe even peas) but that’s because I like to feel vaguely healthy.

Both dishes were demolished pretty quickly and we ordered more cocktails and a beer to end off an absolutely gorgeous meal.

Feeling thoroughly relaxed after a couple of hours we requested the bill and played what-do-you-think-it-will-come-to?

I went for £50, he went for more. Our maths was never going to be great after a few cocktails but the bill was just under £48. Wow! That was for a starter, two mains, six cocktails (pricey drinks) and a pint. We were happy with that, paid up and drifted into the night with smiles on our faces, tummies full of yummy food and perfectly chilled out thanks to spending an entertaining evening in a brilliant bar.