Dinner in Pompeii

Ancient Rome has come to Bloomsbury this summer, with the excellent Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum exhibition at the British Museum, and tonight it comes to Walthamstow as well, with a dinner based on authentic recipes from Appicus, Cato and other ancient writers, adapted for the modern table.

Thanks to Hollywood, we all know that the ancient Romans lived incredibly decadent lives, dining on larks tongues and stuffed dormice while lying about on couches. Your invitation, however, is not to a banquet for the privileged rich, but to a family dinner in an affluent middle class home. No swans, no couches, no orgies. And no forks, either! Forks don’t appear until medieval times – dinner is eaten with a spoon and a knife, sitting at a table.

GUSTATIO – that’s appetisers to you and me
Eggs in pine nut sauce
Cheese and date dip
Leeks in celery sauce
Chickpea fritters
Seafood rissoles with cumin sauce
Olive relish

Served with freshly baked spelt sourdough rolls

MENSAE PRIMAE – the main course
Baked fillets of fish with thyme and raisins
Chicken in a sweet wine and fig sauce
Lentils in red wine sauce
Braised cucumbers
Carrots with cumin and honey
Alexandrine squash

Served with barley and fresh bread

MENSAE SECUNDAE – dessert
Almond and semolina pudding
Sesame biscuits served with a patina of cheese and honey
Peaches in cumin sauce

This is what we plan to serve you, but slight changes may occur due to availability or if we come across something even more delicious.

This menu contains nuts and gluten, and unfortunately due to the nature of this event we won’t be able to cater for any special dietary requirements. Please contact us if you have any concerns or questions about the ingredients we will be using.