Seymour Place - Restaurant Hopping at London's New Foodie Destination

Words & photography by Caroline Ghera and Luiz Hara

Situated in trendy Marylebone, Seymour Place is home to a small collection of shops, cafes and restaurants, between Seymour Street and Upper Berkeley Street, that have transformed the area into an attractive destination for foodies. I was thrilled to be invited and join a group of food writers on a food safari at Seymour Place, and here I present some of the highlights of that evening.

At the very start of Seymour Place, at the elegant Italian restaurant Bernardi’s, we kicked off proceedings (62 Seymour Street, www.bernardis.co.uk) with a selection of antipasti. Created by brothers Gabriel and Marcello Bernardi, from Melbourne, the restaurant has an outdoor terrace, a casual dining room on the ground floor and a stylish cocktail and cicchetti bar in the basement. Focusing on prime produce from Italy and the UK, head chef Sabrina Gidda presented a fine spread to illustrate some of the specialities of her kitchen.

We enjoyed two well-made pizzettas (£8.00-£9.50), the first topped with prosciutto de Parma and rocket; the second, an unusual but successful combination of Taleggio cheese, sweet confit leek and crunchy celery. The pizzetta base was feather-light with pillowy edges.

Another highlight was the creamy Burratina with finely chopped sweet Marinda tomatoes and tasty Taggiasche black olives – this was a simple and delectable dish with high quality ingredients that could not be faulted (£9.50).

Equally good was the squid served in a flavourful sauce of chunky pieces of tomato, garlic, parsley and a good measure of pepperoncino (chilli), altogether vibrant in flavour and heat (£12.50).

However, the star antipasti was the suppli all' Amatriciana (£4.50 for 2 pieces). A speciality from Rome, and smaller than Sicilian arancini (small fried rice balls), the suppli were made with creamy rice grains, filled with four cheeses and had a delicious thin crisp skin - they were truly moreish - a must at Bernardi's!

Moving on to our second stop, we were introduced to Sandy's, a small and cozy Corsican pizzeria and restaurant where we sampled a board of Corsican charcuterie, bread sticks and flavoursome house-made fig jam (£10.50).

Sandy's uses French T45 flour for their pizza dough and Gruyère cheese for all their toppings. Their pizza base was thin and crisp, but without the raised and charred edges of their Italian Neapolitan counterparts. I enjoyed the French-inspired “Pizza Oignon” with tomato, Gruyère and caramelised onions (£10.25) and the flavourful Pizza Ajaccio with tomato, Gruyère, red onions, oregano and chicken (£12.75).

Across the street, we next entered the elegant, minimalist interior of Basque cuisine restaurant Lurra. With its white walls, pale woodwork and brass fittings, the cool decor contrasted with the open kitchen right at the centre of the restaurant which specialises in charcoal and wood grills - known as "Erretegia" in the Basque Country.

We were served a glass of refreshing Agerre Txakoli 2015, Getaria (£6), a lightly sparkling, dry white wine which was, in the traditional Basque manner, theatrically poured from a height into our glasses to produce extra bubbles.

We also tried two types of croquettas - the cheese variety were made with Basque Ossau-Iraty and Idiazabal cheeses, black onion seeds and béchamel sauce, and were exceptionally creamy in the centre with a very light and crisp golden exterior. Similarly good were the jamon croquettas but for the addition of tiny specks of ham.

Our main course was the house specialty: 14-year Rubia Gallega "Gallician Blond" Txuleta (£65.00 for 2 people). This was a generous serving of 800 grams of beef aged 25 to 45 days. Lurra's owners, Nemanja Borjanovik and Melody Adams import the Galician Blond beef to supply not only their restaurants (they also own Donostia at 10 Seymour Place) but other top spots in the London too. 

The beef comes from rare breed Basque cattle, slaughtered not at the usual age of under 3, but at a minimum of 14 years old and up to 18 years old.  During their lengthy growth, the cattle produces meat finely speckled with droplets of fat. At Lurra, the Txuleta is grilled on the charcoals and sprinkled with rock salt to emphasize the full flavour of the meat. Served rare and with an intensely rich and complex flavour, this was exceptional and worth every penny of its price tag. For me, this dish was the highlight of the whole evening of Seymour Place.

Our final stop was the third and newest branch of The Gate. Following the success of its Notting Hill and Islington restaurants, Adrian and Michael Daniel took over the site previously occupied by The Lockhart and converted it into a modern and beautiful restaurant with white walls, dark wood flooring, black-painted metalwork and wood tables and chairs, paired with mustard-green banquettes. The basement has also gained a stylish bar and a wine cellar. 

Our by now somewhat jaded palates were lifted by a Jalapeno Margarita (£9.00) made with jalapeno-infused tequila, Cointreau and lime. Extremely refreshing, citric and very spicy, this was the perfect way to revive the senses. 

The Gate is a vegetarian restaurant influenced by the Indo-Iraqi Jewish background of its owners and therefore, the cuisine fuses Middle-Eastern, Western Asian and European ingredients and techniques. We completed our evening of tastings with The Gate's take on potato dauphinoise: a generous butternut rotolo (£15) was shaped with thyme-infused thin slices of potatoes wrapped around a filling of butternut squash, celery, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts, sitting on a bed of maple parsnip purée, and topped with a cep sauce and thin strips of pumpkin fries. This was a carbohydrate-loaded feast, warm and comforting on a wintry evening.

Verdict: Only a few minutes from Marble Arch tube station, Seymour Place is a hidden gem in the London gastronomic map. Both Bernardi's and The Gate have stylish cocktail bars that are worth a visit in their own right. Bernardi's impressed with simple but masterful execution of Italian classics, while The Gate will appeal to vegetarians seeking dishes that go past the current trend for quinoa salad or avocado on toast. However, the star of the evening for me was Lurra with its outstanding 14 year Rubia Galegga Txuleta, for me arguably some of the best beef in London right now, which I highly recommend.

Find out more:

Bernardi's
62 Seymour Street, W1H 5BN
tel 020 3826 7940
www.bernardis.co.uk

Sandy's
14 Seymour Place, W1H 7NF
tel 020 7723 8833
www.sandys.uk.com

Lurra
9 Seymour Place, W1H 5BA
tel 020 7724 4545
www.lurra.co.uk

The Gate
22-24 Seymour Place, W1H 7NL
tel. 020 7724 6656
www.thegaterestaurants.com

Eneko at One Aldwych - Modern Basque Cooking at Excellent VFM!

Name: Eneko at One Aldwych

Where: One Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BZ, http://www.eneko.london/

Cost: Average cost for a three-course meal is £35 per person (not including drinks or service). From the a la carte menu, starters cost from £9 to £14, main courses from £14 to £18. The desserts are all priced at £7.

About: The Basque Country is one of my favourite foodie destinations having visited it on a number of occasions for their incredible Pintxos and 3-Michelin star fine dining which I featured here and here. I had one of the best meals of my life in San Sebastian at Martin Berasategui’s which I reviewed here. 

Thus I was excited to hear that the Basque, 3-Michelin starred Chef Eneko Atxa from Arzumendi Restaurant, just outside Bilbao, was opening a sister restaurant in London, namely Eneko at One Aldwych, just like other Basque chefs before him, Julio and Elena Arzak of Ametsa with Arzak Instruction at the Halkin, featured here. 

Located in Covent Garden at the lovely One Aldwych Hotel, the restaurant comprises of a mezzanine bar with a grand copper staircase descending into a vast underground dining area adorned in pale stone, wood and steel girders. 

Elegant, high red leather banquettes enclose triangular, cherrywood tables. A lot of thought and money has gone into the design by architects Casson Mann, a firm specialist in museums and gallery installations. The final product is a beautiful and grand restaurant with plenty of open space.

What We Ate: We started with ‘Memories of the Bay of Biscay’ (£15) – served with a dramatic hot water and seaweed infusion mixed with dry ice to give dramatic presentation and a real scent of the sea, this contained three different items. 

The highlight, the oyster with green plankton emulsion and apple blossom leaves was salty and tart tasting right out of the sea, the crab tartare with armoricaine sauce (made from onions, tomato, white wine, brandy, and cayenne pepper), and a gorgeous wild prawn tartare with spring onion and black olives herring eggs.

The second starter was the ‘Txerri Boda Pork Festival’ (£13) – this was again an assemble of three different items - chorizo on steamed and soft milk bun, glazed sweetbread and suckling pig brioche, basil and mushroom emulsions. Served in a wooden box with a pig's snout for a handle, this was as delicious to look at as it was to eat.

The ‘Traditional Talo’ (£10) was next. This was a stunningly presented crispy corn talo (a traditional Basque equivalent to the Mexican tortilla) topped with heritage tomatoes, fresh herbs, tomato emulsion, olive oil pearls, and black olive powder. We enjoyed the many different elements in this dish and the layers of texture provided by the tortilla and raw ingredients, this was a highlight of our dinner.

Cod Bizkaina (£14) was an interesting stew of cod tripe in traditional spicy bizkaina (Basque sauce aka vizcaina) sauce, with deep-fried cod bites (also cod tripe). With a seductively gelatinous texture, this was well-flavoured and seasoned dish. The bizkaina sauce had tomatoes, onions and peppers which were reduced for 4 days before any chilli being added. 

The main course of oxtail (£15), served on a large unglazed, bone-shaped ceramic serving dish, featured slow-cooked oxtail meat (off the bone), in a highly reduced, rich brown chickpea sauce, with a heady mushroom emulsion.

To accompany, the Piperrak (£7), was a lovely dish of green Gernika peppers, which look very much like Padron peppers. Mash potato (£4), served with a scattering of chopped chives, was good and creamy but a touch too salty.

The dessert menu is small but includes the lovely torrija (which we could not resist), made from Basque vanilla sponge, with a delectably crunchy caramelised topping, served with orange zest, cinnamon and caramel crumble ice cream.

We also shared the strawberry sorbet and rose marshmallow, with fresh strawberry, strawberry foam, rose petal julienne, and crystalised rose petal. This had fresh, floral flavours and was rich without being cloying. 

What We Drank: The wine list is all Spanish, including four wines made from Basque grape varietals in the chef's family winery - Gorka Izagirre which has been making wine since 2005. The entry level white is a Herencia Altes Garnatxa (Garnacha) Bianca 2015 from Terra Alta, Spain (£28).  The entry level red is a Borsao Seleccion Tinto, from Campo de Borja from Aragon, Spain (£28).

From the chef's vineyard, we had the white 42 by Eneko Atxa 2014 (£55), made from Bizkaiko Txakolina grapes. Fresh, apple, pear and citrus, good acidity and mineral. 

The red wine was a Parada de Atauta 2014 (£55) from Ribera del Duero, Castile and Leon. A youthful wine with a tinge of purple, it had a powerful aroma and flavour of black cherry, cedar and had plenty of tannin.

Likes: Excellent value for money. Fresh and original cooking. The staff were friendly, highly knowledgeable and willing to find out more.

Dislikes: None. 

Verdict: The modern Basque food at Eneko at One Aldwych is innovative and varied, and the cooking well accomplished as well as being excellent value for money. Highly Recommended.

A Taste of the Basque Country in the Heart of Hipster Shoreditch

Name: Sagardi

Where: 95 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3BS, http://www.sagardi.co.uk/

Cost: Pintxos (Basque-style tapas) at the bar are priced at £2.50 each. Starters cost £8 to £16, with main courses at £15 to £25. Desserts are priced at £7. There is an extensive range of Spanish wines available by the glass, bottles are priced from £20.

About: I am a huge fan of the food from the Basque Country, and have been lucky to visit the region on a number of occasions, featured here, here and here. San Sebastian is one of my favourite foodie destinations, so I was eagerly awaiting the opening of Sagardi in London.

Sagardi in Shoreditch is the first UK branch of the Spanish Basque restaurant group founded in Barcelona in 2000 with restaurants in Madrid, Valencia and Seville, as well as in Porto, Portugal.

Today, in addition to the UK, the Sagardi Group has an increasing international reach with branches also in Argentina and Mexico. 

This latest Shoreditch branch opened in August 2016, and boasts an impressive butchers-style display of dry-ageing beef in the entrance, and extensive use of industrial steel, huge wooden tables and bare concrete floors. 

There is a huge wood-fired grill on which beef, whole fish and suckling pig are cooked. Suspended from the ceiling is a massive painted wooden boat and most of the restaurant's back walls are massive, floor to ceiling wine fridges. The overall look is clean whilst retaining plenty of warmth and elegance.

What We Ate: The bar features Basque-style pintxos – small bites (many of which are served on single slices of crusty bread) with myriad Spanish seasonal ingredients, to be enjoyed with a glass of wine or the Basque spritzy, youthful Txakolis.

Sagardi's menu, delivered by Spanish head chef Josep Roca, is short and well-thought out featuring some favourite Basque home-cooking dishes like Donostia seafood soup, stuffed baby squid in black sauce, suckling lamb trotters in Biscay sauce, and oxtail braised in a Rioja sauce. 

We started with a few pintxos (£2.50 each) at the bar.  As is common practice in Spain, diners can help themselves to pintxos from the counter, and the bill is calculated by counting the number of skewers left on the plate. 

The Gilda is a classic pintxo and one of my favourites (I find it impossible to eat only one of these), with pickled guindilla peppers, green olives and white anchovy fillet – it is salty, sour and brimming with flavour and Sagardi’s was as good as it gets!

We also tried a couple of other pintxos on slices of crusty bread – the first was topped with tuna mayo, onion and shredded hard egg white, cherry tomato, pickled guindilla peppers and anchovy fillet; and the other with a delectable salted-cod tortilla.

Moving to our table in the main restaurant, we started a few pieces of pan-fried Txistorra (£8), a fast-cured pork sausage from the Basque country, it was fatty and lightly spicy, and went down perfectly with the crisp Txakoli wine. 

The tartare of Azorean tuna came with chopped confit tomatoes (£16) seasoned with chives, basil and green Ibarra chilli peppers. With tart freshness coming from a dressing of capers, shallot, oregano, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a touch of sugar, all served on sourdough toast, this was a winner dish.

From the seasonal menu, as an autumnal treat, we opted for the king mushroom confit in olive oil (£21), served with beef jus, a raw egg yolk and a scattering of chopped chives. The mushrooms were meaty and delicious with the addition of the raw yolk bringing a touch of lusciousness. 

Wild Cornish turbot was on the menu the day we dined, and so we opted for it served ‘Donostia style’ (£9 per 100g). Donostia is the Basque name for San Sebastian, and Donostia-style means cooked on the bone over a hot grill, then filleted and served, cheeks and all, with a sauce of butter, olive oil, garlic and parsley. With a final deboning at the table, this was a spectacular piece of fish - of great quality, and simply cooked. 

The main course was suckling pig, deboned, filleted and stuffed, cooked in the oven and then finished off on the grill (£24 per couple). 

Served with mashed potato and piquillo peppers, the pork was delicate, well seasoned and extremely tender. As is traditional in many parts of Spain, Sagardi serves this dish every Sunday – this is my kind of Sunday Roast!

To finish, we had Txuleton rib-eye steak.  Txuleton beef is a specialty of Northern Spain, and comes from old bullocks (in Galicia) aged at least four years, or diary cows who have reached the end of their milking life (in the Basque Country). With yellow fat marbling throughout, the meat has a rich flavour and succulence and Sagardi’s was no exception. It was simply served with a Basque salad of lettuce with spring onions and a zingy vinaigrette dressing of Basque apple vinegar. 

For dessert, we had Torrijas – this one of the best Spanish desserts in my opinion, a delectable warm pudding of fried bread, milk, sugar and cinnamon, served with a tangy, refreshingly yoghurty sheep's milk ice cream (£7).

What We Drank: Sagardi has its own-label bitter and lager brewed in Liverpool, exclusively available in the restaurant. 

Unusually for London, there is an extensive range of Txakoli wines, made from the Hondarrabi Zuri grape that is native to the Basque Country. These very dry and slightly spritzy wines are the norm in San Sebastian, with high acidity and low alcohol.  The crisp and refreshing example we tried from Talai Berri 2015 (£7 per glass, £32 per bottle) was crisp and refreshing, with a slight petillance.

To accompany the fish courses, we had the Terra de Godos Albariño 2015, from Rias Baixas, Caldas de Reis (£30 or £7 per glass).  This was a well balanced and fruity white from Galicia which still remains one of my favourite grapes.

With the suckling pig, we had a glass of El de Debajo de la Escalera 2014, a natural Rioja made from Tempranillo and Graciano grapes (£9 per glass, £38 per bottle). With complex flavours of black berry fruit, high natural acidity and tannins, this was an excellent match for the unctuous suckling pig.  

To accompany the Txuleton steak, we had a glass of Uco Acero 2012, a natural wine from Do Valle del Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (£7 per glass, £33 per bottle). This wine is made from 100% Malbec grapes, but being grown above 1,100 metres, it had none of the jammy qualities so often found with this varietal. Instead it was a complex, well structured and muscular wine, rich in tannins and minerality, and a good counter-weight to the aged beef.  

With dessert, we had a glass of Chateau Dereszla Tokaji 3 Puttonyos (£9 per glass). With aromas of apricot, honey, orange peel, and lots of refreshing acidity on the palate, this was a very well made Hungarian wine.

Likes: The turbot was for me a great example of how to serve this finest of fish, the Iberian way - with minimal fuss but maximal flavour from grilling it on the bone and serving with a simple butter, garlic and parsley sauce. The Sunday roast suckling pig is one of the few places in London serving this delicacy that is so popular in Spain. The aged txuleton rib-eye steak was outstandingly good. I love having the option of helping myself to pintxos with Txakoli, which takes me back to my many pilgrimages to San Sebastian’s Old Town.  

Dislikes: None.

Verdict: A perfect meal for me at Sagardi starts with a selection of Pintxos and Txakoli at the bar, followed by their sumptuous Donostia-style turbot, the Txuleton rib-eye steak, and a big platter of Iberico suckling pig roast with all the trimmings, finishing off with Torrijas for pudding! For an authentic Basque culinary experience in London, Sagardi ticks all the boxes and I cannot wait to return. Highly recommended.