Review: Is Ego Lichfield worth it? Read this before you decide to go
Looking for places to eat in Lichfield? Check out our honest review of Ego Mediterranean Restaurant, featuring menu highlights and tips for using Ego Club offers.
We were celebrating a special occasion recently, and I thought we should treat ourselves and go out for a nice meal at Ego, the Mediterranean restaurant in Lichfield. Now, this was mid-week, and the Martin Lewis in me couldn’t help but spot some alluring offers looking to woo diners. 40% off mains, 50% off when you spend X amount, free bottle of wine if you book before X date.
Say no more; our semi-spontaneous plan was locked and loaded after seeing these deals. I felt pretty chuffed to have upgraded us from pub grub at our trusty local to a schmancy meal by Minster Pool.
I messaged my husband and said, “Babe, do you remember that restaurant you’ve always fancied trying? Well, guess where we’re going tonight!”
So, we dressed up nicely and walked into town on a gloriously warm and bright summer evening, feeling excited for our treat. We were seated by the windows, which gave us a perfect view of the Cathedral spires and Minster Pool. It was the best spot to observe passersby walking their loyal companions. In Lichfield, you see one every five minutes; it’s such a dog-loving city!
When the waitress arrived, that’s when I started having my doubts. She might have been a new starter, in which case I completely understand the information gaps, but we were basically handed two menus and a confusing explanation regarding what counted towards the current offers and what didn't. For most questions we had about the menu, our waitress politely apologised and said she would go find out from the chef.
Mind you, the restaurant was absolutely full by then. Either this is a genuine gem in Lichfield, or the online vouchers are bringing in some serious business, considering the rest of the city is usually positively dead on a Monday evening.
So Ego definitely scored high for atmosphere. Food-wise, it was a slightly different story.
It all started off incredibly well. We ordered the Mezze Grazing Board. I loved the tempura-battered chorizo lollipops, the hummus was delicious, and the halloumi fries with Calabrian chilli honey were to die for! It was a really lovely spread that both the kids and adults thoroughly enjoyed.
Our starters were wonderful, too. I had the Crab Arancini, and my husband had the creamy Garlic Mushrooms. My daughter opted for the Soup Du Jour, a hearty tomato soup. She really enjoyed it, but it came out as a massive adult portion complete with two big slices of baked sourdough. Needless to say, she was pretty full by her last few spoonfuls and dreading the arrival of her main by that point!
We had definitely over-ordered in hindsight, but combine hungry bellies, appealing discounts, vague terms and conditions, and you inevitably end up with some poorly made food decisions.
Never mind that, our mains followed. I had the Lemon Chicken Milanese with salad and fries, my husband went for the Duo Of Pork, my son had the Pan-Fried Sea Bass Fillets (swapping the standard potatoes for fries), and my daughter opted for some spaghetti and tomato sauce (!).
Honestly, I was quite underwhelmed by the main dishes. My first couple of bites were nice, but the chicken soon felt quite dry. Overcooking chicken breast is easily done, especially when you are deep-frying chicken breast that has been tenderised to a thin spread, but it’s also unforgivable in a setting like Ego.
The pork dish was full of flavor. The buttery pommes purée was incredibly creamy, and the charred hispi cabbage was delicious, but the meat itself was an absolute letdown because it was 80% inedible fat. There was very little actual pork belly meat available. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know pork belly is a very fatty piece of meat anyway, and the bargain you strike with the tastiness comes with the inherent compromise of fattiness, but this was next-level. I really don’t like soft, wobbly fat on pork belly. If there’s any fat at all served, it should be the crispy kind.
Onto the spaghetti. I mean, it was exactly what it said on the tin. Spaghetti and tomato sauce. My daughter is quite a good eater, so I’m not too sure why she went down the carb and tomato route that day, but hey, whatever my girl wants, she gets. The sea bass looked good, to be fair, and my son did eat it all, so we’ll take that as a sign of success.
The drink situation was okay. I live on two extreme ends of the drinks spectrum: I’m either a BYOB kind of girl (so my preferences are met, and I know I can enjoy and be merry without breaking the bank), or I’ll only order an alcoholic drink if the menu has what I actually like (that would be hoppy crafted beers or some very specific Spanish reds). When neither of these options is met, I normally go for water or reluctantly try a different beer that will inevitably disappoint me. That’s what happened there, and the drinks were too expensive to keep experimenting.
We were well and truly stuffed by the time we’d finished eating and were looking forward to the walk back home to stretch our legs and let that food go down. We were doing the mental maths before the waitress arrived and playing our usual guess the bill game. My husband was warning me as we were ordering but I batted away his concerns confidently, clearly doing some poor mental maths. Lo and behold, only 2 items from our entire selection were eligible for the discount, meaning our total bill came up to £140! Oopsie.
Happy Bellies Verdict
Was it a good meal? Yes, it was. Lovely setting, nice food.
Would I go back? Maybe! But I would order differently.
Was it value for money? No, there was nothing too special about the food to justify the price tag.
How was the service? Friendly but a bit clumsy and slow. I would expect better hospitality standards for an establishment like Ego.
Ego Club Discount ips
Those alluring offers that originally got us through the door were from registering for the Ego Club, which is completely free to join. The catch is that their promotions change all the time.
The exact 40% off and 50% off deals that reeled us in aren't running right now, but they constantly rotate their rewards, currently offering things like 20% off your food bill and Kids Eat for £1. Because they switch things up so frequently, it makes total sense that the offers aren't explicitly plastered all over their main website until you log into your account.
If you are planning a trip to Ego, definitely channel your inner Martin Lewis and sign up for the Ego Club to see what their current deals are. But please, read the small print better than I did. Check exactly which dishes, days, and menus are actually included in the offer so you don't end up doing an internal gasp when the bill lands!
About me...I'm Lorna Rose and, by day, I work in the tech industry, but in my heart of hearts, I've always been fascinated by the story that food tells. The magic of a well-cooked meal, the way a simple dish can bring people together, spark conversation, and create lasting memories. On Happy Bellies, I set out to explore and find hidden gems, so that I can indulge in telling stories around food that will make you want to go out and create your own foodie adventures.
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