A marvellous and merry Merton Mumsnetters' meet-up - an invitation!

[LocalEditorMerton]

Many of you are signed up to one or other of the meet-up groups but we have yet to meet you. This is our chance to catch up in person and have a Christmas soiree, if you're interested?

Along with other members of our MN Merton & Wimbledon Book Group (which meets regularly and has been active since the beginning of 2015), we've decided that it would be a lovely idea to have a bit of a 'do' at Absolute Abode in late November or early/mid December - an opportunity to hold an informal gathering, enjoy some great food (and ) in good company, with the added extra of being able to do some Christmas shopping, all in an enjoyable evening's 'work' .

I need to confirm with Absolute Abode what their extended evening opening times are in the run-up to Christmas (I'm sure that I've read recently that they're going to be opening late on Friday nights too, from this month), but know that their Thursday 'Lates' are legendary locally, offering music, fine wine and dining in an informal but design-forward setting.

So if we can book a table on either Thursday or Friday (subject to late opening confirmation) twixt now and Christmas, would you like to come and join us? If you could register your interest on this thread (by Sunday, 8 November) for starters, then we can thrash out the finer details in due course.

Thanks where are the festive emoticons when you need them??

Kate

Hi, I can do the third but not Friday 11th at the mo. But go with 11th if it is better for everyone, I'll meet you all one day :)

Don't count yourself out yet DeccaMitfordsEntryVisa - I have provisionally booked the 3rd (I checked availability but didn't do likewise for the 11th), so it's probably more likely we'll go with that date just to avoid a second 'no we're fully booked' scenario...

I think the closer to Christmas we get, the less likely it is that we'll get any 'on impulse' shows from other Merton Mumsnetters too...

Right, the table is booked for ten of us (being optimistic that it's going to be a case of 'the more the merrier' on the night), from 7.30pm (in the name of Kate Mumsnet Merton & Wimbledon), on Thursday, 3rd December.

Apologies for not being able to accommodate everyone's availability - it's nigh on impossible to do so, isn't it, without arranging things months in advance. Note to self that maybe a resolution for 2016 is that we get dates in the diary for the whole year ahead?

Have great weekends, everyone..

Kate [santa].

hi, looking forward to the 3rd dec! i will be there as soon as hubbie is home, ciao

3rd good for me :-)

Hooray! :)

Hi, I can now make the 3rd and am really looking forward to it. I've even booked a babysitter!
I really like the venue & am looking forward to it.

Oh dear. Did I mention I was looking forward to it?!

Are you looking forward to the soiree, by any chance, FoxForce5???? .

Really glad you can make it too.

[santa]

Kate

So in a change to the usual way of things here, my youngest is off school poorly.

I am hoping that she is better soon, but my old man is out at a work event on Thursday night, and I would feel bad leaving dd2 with a babysitter.

Fingers crossed for a well child! (dd2 and I had coffee/hot chocolate in Absolute Abode on Saturday afternoon. Staff are so nice there)

Decca (excuse the familiarity!), hoping your DD2 is on the road to recovery and that we finally get to meet you and HouseofMirth tomorrow evening!

I am sorry, it is not looking good.

Dh is great for trying to organise things to help me, but he missed a load of work meetings when dd1 was in hospital last month, so is catching up now.

If I can pop in, even briefly, I will. (It is v local) I wil look out for bookish looking women chatting animatedly! :)

Oh hope that you can come along (even if just for one ) briefly Decca.

Will do - if you see a woman with curly hair looking bemused it'll be me, so please wave me over!

Hope to see you, Decca!

Decca, sorry you didn't make it - hopefully in 2016?!

We had a lovely and relaxed evening in Absolute Abode's cafe-cum-restaurant (increasingly becoming a destination de rigueur for dinner), with a chilled ambience in keeping with its interior design roots. We were there until closing time (and possibly a bit beyond)! The cafe-restaurant was busy but table layout affords space, AND distributes diners sufficiently to avoid the noisiness that can often threaten to drown out deep conversation, or a romantic evening out.

Unrushed but breezy service (to allow time for the whole party to arrive) was very capably provided. Short (3 starters, 4 mains, 3 puddings) menu (@£25 for two courses and £30 for three) offered a high-end feel dining experience (possibly a little too 90s 'nouveau cuisine' portion size for first two courses) catering for vegetarians (and purportedly gluten-free, although our amuse-bouches definitely contained bread, as did a gingerbread served with the winter fruits compote). The food was delicious, modern and fresh, although it was relatively light on calories (which rather tellingly might explain why 90% of diners were women!), with the exception of a very generous crumble.

It was our second Mumsnetters' meal out in Raynes Park, and very much enjoyed, all the more so for Absolute Abode being a unique 'one-off' rather than part of a restaurant chain/franchise. Unfortunately the 'shop' side of the business didn't seem to be open during dining hours, but that's worth a visit in its own right too.

Here's hoping to combining more meet-ups with occasional meals, in other parts of Merton in 2016. There is certainly no shortage of restaurants to try.

And if you're lurking but have a sneaking suspicion that you might like to come along and join us, please do make it one of your resolutions for 2016 - we'd love to meet you. Everyone welcome .

Kate

I am sorry I missed you all - I had the joy of the the youngest daughter - and her terrier like cough - lolling around and groaning all evening until my husband got home, rather late.

Your night out sounds LOVELY

It was lovely, Decca, and hopefully you'll be able to make the next one

Sorry, computer fail there...The food at Absolute Abode was very good, I thought, and I appreciated the fact that that they replaced my delicious fruit in mulled wine with a fresh, no-gingerbread version when I reminded them about my wheat allergy. All too often waiters want to take out the wheaty item and expect me to eat what's left. and die

Realise that I've written 'nouveau cuisine' when it should of course be nouvelle cuisine ooops