ASK, Blake Street

by Tom Crockett | February 12th, 2005

Crazily opulent surroundings greeted my guest and I as we arrived at the aptly-named Grand Assembly Rooms in Blake Street. A former civic building, ASK is a rather gorgeous example of over-the top classical revivalism - a high-ceilinged basilica complete with gilded, marbled Corinthian columns, foliated frescoed frieze contrasted by the most charmfully understated glass chandeliers.

To put it kindly, service was ‘relaxed’: there didn’t seem to be any continuity in waiting staff for us which is something I always find hopelessly annoying; however as our ‘main’ waitress is a friend of mine, I’m not going to grumble! The menu, as with any of these ‘chainy’ restaurants is rather dull and unimaginative - a mixture of pizzas and bog-standard pasta dishes.

Our wine (an over-priced Italian rosé) was served rather too warm, and generally ignorantly by our numerous waiters. I thoroughly object to being served an absolute bucket of wine; people really are frightfully ignorant when it comes to wine (well they do say it is becoming increasingly popular with the masses). Seriously, when serving (to totally mis-quote Meis van der Rohe) “Less is more!”

The service for all its faults was swift. Our food was well cooked, yet lacked any real freshness. The food was obviously pre-prepared and the quality therefore necessarily suffered. However, I feel it improper to really complain on this point, as one surely doesn’t go to somewhere like ASK for a proper meal, and for what we wanted - nourishment before the rigours of the theatre (which happens to be situated conveniently nearby) - it was more than adequate.

You can’t fault ASK on price. Although the wine is disproportionately priced (and there was a conspicuous lack of a Chianti of any kind), the food is of a fair value and would probably be deemed acceptable to most. If I’m honest, I was rather impressed in a way - the classical surroundings were fit for a Roman god, and although the Italian-style food was not, ASK can be deemed as worth a visit, even if it is simply for the building alone.