Danomey Kitchen @ The Stanley

The Gen
 
Last year, the Stanley Pub had a much needed makeover and reopened with a fresh lick of paint and a fresh new vibe. Walking past on my way home from work the broad bench tables outside are always packed with thirsty and hungry punters. I live 2 minutes away and have always meant to pop in for a pint. Like lots of things I’ve always meant to do (like travel more or not be a disappointment to my parents) I seem to keep putting it off.
 
Just last month, new food pop up Danomey Kitchen moved in to the Stanley and here was my chance to make a visit. Scrolling through the Danomey Insta feed this morning and drooling over pic after pic of dirty burgers and delicious breakfasts had me stumbling out of my door before I’d put both my socks on to fill my face!
 
Atmosphere
 
The twiddly lamp on our table put me in mind of a Victorian mad scientist’s laboratory experiment. I spent 10 minutes cackling, trying to reanimate the sausages on my plate. (To mixed results). The vague Victoriana vibe extends throughout – dark rich woods and wooden floors, brass fittings, a hot air balloon lamp and oodles of greenery left me half expecting a gentleman explorer in the corner of the room drinking brandy and recounting tales of his morally questionable adventures down the Amazon. Mounted above the fireplace was the stuffed head of a bemused gazelle. I’ve sprinted into more than a few pubs in my time but never so fast as to put my head through the wall. Explains why he looks a bit bemused. I was relieved we were sat on this side of the wall so we had the front end to look at. We spent most of our meal arguing over what species of Gazelle it was, answers on a postcard. (It’s a Thomson’s Gazelle, FIGHT ME).
The place felt relaxed and welcoming and this extended to the staff who couldn’t be more friendly.
The adult slushie machine on the bar serves pineapple ice Martinis which might also be a good way to keep the kids quiet.
 
The Main Event
 
That glorious Insta feed had us so hungry we couldn’t wait until the evening to try Danomey’s dishes so we headed down at a lunch time to enjoy their brunch menu.
 
Norwich has a great range of places serving top notch breakfasts and I’m very pleased to say this one more than holds it’s own. The Full breakfast was a fun take on the standard full English with more colour and more varied flavours than you might ordinarily expect.
The first impression was a big hit, the plate was a gorgeous presentation – a work of culinary art I greedily vandalised. It also came with 3 eggs! That's 1 better than 2 eggs! I truly am living my best life! Big shout out to the candy smoked bacon, two insanely sweet and crisply golden strips. I wasn’t sure if I should cut it with a knife or shatter it with a toffee hammer but I loved it! Vine ripened cooked tomatoes exploded flavour and contrasted with the smoky beans. Another unusual but very welcome addition was the fried plantain slices, sweet and oh so good – more breakfasts should include these little treats! The Brick Lane bagel was simply doughy, dense and delightful. The sausages were nice but perhaps lacked some of the depth of flavour when compared to the neighbouring items but this is a minor quibble for what really was a great breakfast!

 
With this we also had a veggie breakfast burrito. I do love a good burrito - a tasty treat all wrapped up warm in a soft tortilla blanket and another gorgeously presented plate. The fresher ingredients like the avocado, and salsa verde were a really nice counterpoint to the fluffy eggs that might have otherwise dominated. It was very filling and a fab veggie breakfast option!
 
We also had a side of marinated halloumi because we can never say no to that squeakiest of cheeses. It was another sweet and sickly pleasure and went down really nicely with the burrito.

 
 
Conclusion
 
A month in but Danomey kitchen are serving beautiful plates with a whole heap of great tastes. We had a fab time stuffing our faces and have found a rival for some of the more established breakfasts in Norwich. After this visit we have to come back to try their evening menu, I have high hopes! The dishes were very well priced for the stunning plates put in front of us and The Stanley is an attractive spot to enjoy their grub!
 
Venue – 8.5
Fodder – 8.5
Value – 8
Overall – 8.5