Our punter says…
Having eaten at Tom Kerridge’s first restaurant, the cosy Hand and Flowers, it’s encouraging to see the same level of attentive service translated to his debut London location. The waiters were knowledgeable about the menu, happily recommending their favourite dishes. The sommelier helped us choose a fruity beaujolais from a varied wine list that, unsurprisingly, considering Kerridge’s history of celebrating produce from all corners of this island, contains plenty of British options.
That theme is reflected in the menu with dishes containing Essex beetroot, Cotswold lamb as well as south coast sole. We started with the Cornish crab vol au vent. A beautifully presented dish, crowned with translucent discs of radish concealing fresh crabmeat encased in golden pastry. Unfortunately, the pastry proved a little too golden, my knife struggling before crashing through onto my plate. Pastry aside, the crab was perfectly sweet and the accompanying bisque deep and velvety smooth. The mushroom risotto topped with a crispy egg, instead of using rice, employs mushrooms diced to the same size and texture – I’m going to side with the Italians and suggest rice works just fine, as the dish lacked the richness a classic risotto offers.
The star dish, a pig’s cheek pie, was stuffed with buttery, gelatinous cheek and doused with peppery devilled sauce. Our other main, the rib of beef, was cooked to a tender pink hue and swam in a silky bone marrow sauce. The chips were a little chewy, which was disappointing having previously enjoyed their crispy cousins at the Hand and Flowers. For dessert a towering blackcurrant soufflé was light, if a little too sweet, while the brown butter tart provided a comforting end to the meal.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Located minutes from the Houses of Parliament, the décor is fittingly lavish – all high ceilings, emerald green walls and leather booths. There’s a definite buzz but felt a little like somewhere people had come just to be seen. Ultimately the food was good and service exemplary, but there were a few too many wayward elements that, at £95 a head, including service, might put me off returning in the near future.
Total bill for two, excluding service: £170.50 FOOD: 7/10 SERVICE: 9/10 VIBE: 8/10 TOTAL 24/30