A relaxed deli dinner at The Larder, London

"It's like we're eating in someone's pantry. A tasteful pantry."

"Even a larder, you might say."

Welcome to The Larder - a charming little place in Fitzrovia, just out of the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street. You probably wouldn't stumble upon it, but I think it's worth seeking out.

Having recently started serving dinner (with an excellent wine selection) alongside their breakfasts, lunches and array of bakery/deli delights, Tasha and I were looking forward to trying out the new menu.

With window seats, long wooden-look tables and shelves laden with yummy things, the vibe is rustic, relaxed and modern.

It was very quiet when we arrived, but it was a drizzly evening and I suppose dinner is still a new offering at the Larder. Quite a cute date spot, we thought.

Rather than ordering one dish each, dinner at the Larder is all about sharing. What a surprise. I feel like the majority of London restaurants are tapas-style these days. I'm not against it, it's just the norm now.

Whilst there's a sizeable charcuterie menu, Tasha's veggie and I can take or leave meat, so we gave it a pass. There were so many enticing veggie options on the menu though that we still felt spoilt for choice. Fortunately the staff were most obliging and agreed to give us a load of things to try.

We commenced how any good evening should: with a glass of bubbly, crisp champagne.

And not long after, our feast was served.

Oh my days, what a spread! Let me try and talk you through everything we had.

The smashed avocado with sea salt was, quite frankly, amazing. So simple, yet somehow spectacular. It was meant to be served with burrata, but they'd run out. However I loved it just as it was.

We were brought an array of cheeses...

With grapes, olives and chutney too. Tasha particularly liked the brie and the goat's cheese. I liked the latter, but have never been one for smelly cheeses. Chutney was lush though. However I will say that the cheese portions were small - it was plenty for us what with sharing so many, but if you order just one (for £3.50) I hope you'd get more than a little piece.

We shared two little nut pots - honey sea salt hazelnuts and honey wasabi peanuts. I say shared, really I demolished the former and Tasha the latter. But hey, we're ladies who know what we like. The wasabi ones were too spicy for me, but the hazelnuts were deliciously crunchy, salty and sweet.

The crudités were crisp and I laaaaved the creamy pea houmous with which they were served. It was also super tasty on the incredibly soft yet crusty array of breads we were given. And there was a lot of bread. Mmm bread. With olive oil. Mmm olive oil.

And by this point we'd moved on to a beautifully refreshing sauvignon. I do love a sauv, me.

Can't decide how I feel about wine in tumblers though. This wasn't my first experience - it's often found in the chic but also edgy Shoreditch places as far as I'm aware - but I think I prefer a wine glass tbh. Still, the wine was delish.

And although we were very full (may have overdone it on the bread lol yolo #treatyoself), no meal is complete without pudding of some sort, so a bowl of light, juicy, refreshing cherries was absolute perfection.

Really, it had been an ideal summer dinner and most perfect for a girly catch-up.

The staff were great, the food delicious and the setting delightful. I know I'll be going back, and am particularly keen to try them out for breakfast. And lunch. And tea-time.

Tasha and I were guests at The Larder buuuuut this post is totally honest, promise.