The Welsh rarebit at the Parlour at Fortnum & Mason is so good that I cannot stop thinking about it. Because the sauce is so rich, creamy and strongly flavoured, it’s spread thinly instead of heaped on. It’s also served on a crumpet, which for me really is what makes it. The softness and chewiness of the crumpet works so perfectly with the sauce. It’s also served with a tomato chutney which is a nice variation of the typical tomato accompaniment.

My favourite Welsh rarebit in London so far.

Ever since my friend Tania told me about her obsession with Welsh rarebit, it’s become an obsession of mine as well. If I see it on the menu I will always order it.

For those who did not grow up in the UK, Welsh rarebit is a cheesy sauce that is spread on top of bread and then toasted. There are a lot of variations so ordering it at different places means you’re going to get a different take on it each time. Generally it consists of: beer (an ale), mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and aged cheddar cheese. Sometimes it has cayenne pepper and sometimes paprika. It’s also sometimes served, topped with sliced tomato.

I was at St. John in Clerkenwell recently and of course they had Welsh rarebit and of course I ordered it. I have to say, considering I am amazed by everything I eat there, I was underwhelmed by it. The cheese was too nutty. I actually am not sure it was cheddar. I’m more a fan when it’s made with a strong aged cheddar. That and the bread it was served on was too soft and it just didn’t really hold up to the sauce.

Nevertheless, even an underwhelming Welsh rarebit is a good Welsh rarebit.

My very good friend Tania once told me that when she was a little girl, her mum used to take her to the restaurant that was in Peter Jones. She would order Welsh rarebit and a knickerbocker glory each time. It was a fond memory of her childhood and it involved two food items that being a Canadian, I’d never tried.

So I went searching for a place that had both items on the menu. This was no easy feat. Finally I found a place that had both items in stock.

The Parlour in Fortnum & Mason is a self-styled, old-fashioned ice cream parlour that is equal parts luxury and whimsy. OK. So it’s high concept, but how is the food?

Here’s what I thought:

• The list of sweet treats was endless. Cakes, sundaes, floats, milkshakes, you name it they have it. It is a dessert lover’s (specifically ice cream lover’s) paradise.
• The Welsh rarebit is excellent. Strongly flavoured and creamy, it’s served on crumpets and it’s delicious.
• The savoury menu is very short. Apart from the Welsh rarebit, the savoury items are only so so. I had an open-faced chicken Caesar sandwich that was decent but not memorable.
• The knickerbocker glory was delicious. Vanilla bean, strawberries and 12 year old balsamic vinegar, frosted strawberry and shortbread ice creams with raspberries, chunks of pineapple, raspberry coulis and topped with whipped cream and candy sugar. Yum. The people at the table next to us were actually staring at it.
• It’s pretty pricey for ice cream. £12 for the knickerbocker glory and most other ice cream desserts. Everything else is really affordable though.

I’ll be going back with Tania to re-live her childhood memory. Only more luxurious of course.