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Reviews of London's Restaurants, Supper Clubs and Hotels, Wine Tastings, Travel Writing, and Home to the Japanese and French Supper Clubs in Islington
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Name: Berners Tavern
Where: The London Edition Hotel, 10 Berners Street, London, W1T 3NP, 020 7908 7979,
Cost: a 3-course meal will cost around £50 per person on average (not including drinks or service)
About: The London restaurant scene moves SO fast, so it is rare for me to visit the same place twice - Berners Tavern is however one of the few restaurants I’ve been returning to over the years.
Another good reason for my recent return visit was to attend a fabulous Wine Masterclass with Matteo Montone, Berners Tavern’s Director of Wine, and possibly the best dressed sommelier I ever met!
But besides his uncanny resemblance to Jude Law, Matteo is not an actor - he is in fact about to become one of a very select group of fewer than 300 Masters of Wine worldwide as he finalises his Master Sommelier Diploma this year. In 2019, he was named GQ Best Sommelier and the Young Sommelier of the Year by the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. So we can say, the man knows a thing or two about wine!
Held in one of the most glamorous London restaurants, at @bernerstavern’s private dining room, these intimate sessions held during September are a great opportunity to learn about the art of wine tasting and discover some of the 800 wines from the restaurant’s wine list.
Priced at £45 per person, the classes will have 12 spaces available per session, and there will be 2 sessions per month. Guests who choose to dine at Berners Tavern following the class will also receive 15% off the total bill.
Charming and knowledgeable, Matteo is leading a number of fantastic wine tastings in the coming months - what a great opportunity to meet the man himself, try some amazing vino and dine at one of the most glam restaurants in London!
Berners Tavern is still one of the most glam restaurants in London, I wrote about it in The London Foodie 6 years ago when it first opened (see review here). Berners Tavern is where you take your hottest date, your mum, or your family when they are in town, it is a place where you take folk you want to impress!
And 6 years on, on the Tuesday evening we attended, the place was jam packed - so what is the secret? The menu features some comfort British classics, exquisite British produce which is immaculately delivered, and a fabulous list of 800 wines.
What We Ate: *OUTSTANDING DISHES* were the HUGE Buccleuch Estate Côte de Boeuf served with Berners Tavern’s BLT, a bacon, tomato & lettuce wedge drizzled with a delectable buttermilk dressing (£90 for 2).
Sides of Berners Tavern’s signature MAC N’CHEESE with pulled beef blade (£10) and TRIPLED COOKED CHIPS were nothing short of PERFECTION, I was told the mac n’cheese can also be ordered as a main dish, another reason to return!
Hand-chopped, aged Buccleuch Estate BEEF TARTARE, English mustard mayo and sourdough crouton (£15) and chargrilled octopus, smoked cod’s roe, treviso and chicory salad (£17) made for magnificent starters.
Dessert came in a trio – Peach Triffle with Nyetimber jelly, peach sorbet and deep-fried jam donut was light and refreshing (£9) as was the Gin & Tonic flaming Alaska (£18 for 2) with cucumber, hibiscus and juniper. But best of all was Peanut & Chocolate Ganache with toasted peanut mousse and salted caramel ice cream – rich and so comforting.
What We Drank: With 800 wines to choose from, we were lucky to have Matteo Montone, Berners Tavern’s Director of Wine guide us – his choice of super Tuscan’s Il Fauno, an IGG blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot was a perfect match to the Côte de Boeuf.
Likes: *THAT* Mac n' Cheese with pulled beef blade! Possibly the best wine menu in London. Fabulous decor.
Dislikes: None.
Verdict: To date, this was one of our best meals of 2019 – if you haven’t tried Berners Tavern’s outstanding British fare yet, you are missing out. If anything, *THAT* Mac n’ Cheese is to die for and worth a visit in its own right.
Words & Photography by Margot Carone and Luiz Hara
Name: Oblix West at The Shard
Where: 31 St. Thomas Street, Level 32, The Shard, London SE1 9RY
https://www.oblixrestaurant.com/oblix-west/
Cost: The Express Elevator Lunch Menu is priced at £40pp for 2 courses – starter, main (or main and dessert), a side and mineral water. For a 3rd course, desserts can be added at £7 each. The menu also offers the option of unlimited white or red wine for £20pp or Chandon sparkling wine for £25pp. The menu is available Monday to Friday, from 12:00 to 2:45pm.
About: Oblix West has been a notable feature of the London dining scene since 2013, when it was opened by the chef and restaurateur Rainer Becker (of Zuma and Roka fame). It’s a regular destination for City folk and the occasional celebrity. Regular readers of The London Foodie will know that we are fans of both Zuma and Roka, as you can read here and here.
On the 32nd floor of The Shard, arriving at Oblix West is an experience in itself. Security staff, state of the art lifts, and hostesses to bid us welcome give a real sense of occasion and anticipation. As the name suggests, the restaurant is on the west side, while on the east is Oblix East, a bar with a more casual menu, and live music in the evenings.
Oblix West is a spacious, sleek restaurant, with a buzzing open-plan kitchen, presiding over magnificent views of the London skyline.
The Express Elevator Lunch Menu (go up, dine and down in an hour) has been designed for those who like to dine out for lunch but are time-pressured. It is aimed at those heading out for a lunch meeting, as well as those visiting the capital and seeking to lunch in style, enjoying delicious dishes and incredible views across the city. However, the unlimited sparkling wine option (see What We Drank) as well as the tempting desserts meant that there was nothing express about our visit!
What We Ate: We started with the truffle flatbread, pancetta and ricotta. With a heady scent of summer truffles, the shavings were sitting delicately on top of the ruffled ricotta and pea-shoots. The flatbread was crunchy and still warm. If you like truffles, you will love this.
Next up was the sculptural iceberg lettuce (a signature dish of the restaurant I tried on an earlier visit) with caramelized walnut, candied cranberry, pickled onions and crumbled Stilton, sprinkled with pancetta and pan-roasted fresh rosemary leaves. This is the poshest iceberg lettuce wedge I have come across, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The first main course was pork chops with feta cheese, olives and pancetta served with freshly-made apple sauce. The pork was tender, richly marbled with fat, and very well flavoured. What a rare joy to find pork of this quality in the UK. The triple-cooked hand-cut chips were the perfect accompaniment.
The 200g beef sirloin (supplement of £4.50) was served with a light, freshly-whipped Béarnaise sauce. The meat was tender, flavoursome and perfectly cooked just as ordered, while the side dish was a well-made Macaroni cheese.
For dessert, the light and crunchy strawberry pistachio éclair had great textures. It was served with a refreshing raspberry sorbet, and sprinkled with fresh basil leaves that added an herbaceous lift.
Even better though was the toffee banana & crème brûlée tart with coffee ice-cream. The light pastry and crispy oats were dreamy. This dessert made us gasp with pleasure. I would go back to West Oblix for that dessert alone.
What We Drank: Cocktails are not included in the Elevator menu, but proved irresistible on this glorious London summer day. We had a refreshing Melon Spritz (£14.50) - a mix of gin, Aperol, bergamot, cantaloupe melon and Champagne.
The menu offers the option of unlimited white or red wine for £20pp or sparkling wine for £25pp by Chandon. We opted for the latter, and had a few glasses of the excellent Chandon Rosé – created by Moet Chandon, using native Champagne varietals Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and produced in Argentina. This is perfect for summer days, with its fine bubbles, delicate flavours and soothing light peachy hue.
Likes: Spectacular setting and views, that banana dessert was the best thing I have eaten in months. Both the pork and the beef mains were fantastic, and it was great to have the option of unlimited, good quality bubbly.
Dislikes: None.
Verdict: With great food, spectacular views and very fine bubbles, the newly launched Oblix West Express Elevator menu has it all, and at £40 per person (excluding drinks), it’s excellent value too. Highly recommended.
Name: Galvin at The Athenaeum
Where: The Athenaeum Hotel & Residencies, 116 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7BL, https://www.athenaeumhotel.com/restaurant-bar/galvin-at-the-athenaeum/
Cost: Average cost per person for a three course meal is £35 (not including drinks or service). From the à la carte menu, starters cost from £7.50 to £15.50, main courses from £16 to £28, and desserts from £5 to £8.50, with a platter of English cheeses for £12.50. There is a great value Prix Fixe menu at £23.50 for 3 courses, served at lunchtime and from 17.30 to 19.00.
About: Located on Piccadilly right opposite Green Park, the latest venture by the Galvin Brothers occupies much of the ground floor of the 5-star Athenaeum Hotel & Residencies.
Re-opened in July 2016, following a multi-million pound refurbishment, the family-run and independent The Athenaeum is the first hotel in London to have its entire food and beverage offering under the guidance of Chris and Jeff Galvin, and Executive Chef William Lloyd-Baker, who was Head Chef at Galvin La Chapelle for 4 years.
In a first for the Galvin brothers, rather than focus on French classic cooking, the menu has a strong emphasis on fresh seasonal British produce (think Dorset crab lasagne, Dedham Vale beef steak tartare, Orkney scallops, Dingley Dell pork faggots and roast breast of Goosnargh chicken).
Despite its swanky Mayfair location, the Galvin at The Athenaeum is elegant though straightforward in design, reminiscent of Scandinavian 1970s chic, with light wood parquet floors, dark oak tables, wood and leather chairs, chrome and brown glass chandeliers.
I'm a big fan of the Galvin brothers’ cooking, and have been following their careers over the years - you can see some of my reviews from as early as 2010 for the gorgeous Galvin La Chapelle here, and more recently for Spitalfield's Galvin HOP here and Galvin at Windows (The Hilton Park Lane) here.
But how does their newest venture Galvin at The Athenaeum stack up? Read on to find out more!
What We Ate: We started with their signature dish of Dorset crab lasagne with Nantais butter sauce (£15.50). Fine looking though it was, the true beauty of the dish became apparent on cutting it open. With layers of the softest fresh pasta interleaved with pure white crab meat and scallop mousse, it was served with a tarragon-infused beurre blanc and cayenne pepper. Refined, elegant and delicious, I couldn’t have wished for a better start to our meal.
Next up was the risotto of parsley, Herefordshire snails and smoked eel (£12.50) - with English sensibility and ingredients and Burgundian inspiration, this had crispy fish crowns for contrasting crunch and tiny cubes of Granny Smith apple for freshness, paired with a rich smokiness from the eel. This was a complex, beautifully flavoured and textured dish and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It is rare that I do not know what to order at a restaurant, but with so many enticing options available on the new Galvin menu, we struggled to make our choices.
So when in doubt, order the lot, and we went for a cheeky intercourse - the short rib of beef (£18.50). Served with fluffy potato gnocchi, Portobello mushrooms and purple sprouting broccoli, the beef was unctuously tender and yielding, served with a thick, glossy beef and red wine reduction and slivers of English Berkswell cheese from the West Midlands. I was completely blown away by the flavours and textures in this dish, and so glad we had it!
Then on to the main courses. The Denham Estate venison (£24.50) was tender and medium rare, served with scattered jewel-like pomegranate seeds, smoked potato mash, red cabbage and mace, and a delectable chocolate sauce. This was another magnificent dish.
The Rose county beef rib eye (£28) was soft and deliciously pink, served with a handful of mini-capers and a flavoursome green peppercorn butter. The accompanying chips were chunky, hand-cut and expertly cooked, with a side order of fine green beans (£4.50).
How I love restaurants with a proper cheese trolley, and Galvin at The Athenaeum’s was just impossible to resist. The cheese course is priced at £12.50 and I highly recommend it for a great selection of English cheeses.
Served with celery, chutney and pickled walnuts, we chose a mixture of sheep, goat and cows cheeses including creamy Tunworth, some Lancashire bomb, the Innes (goats cheese) as well as the Beenleigh Blue (sheeps cheese).
To finish off on a sweet note, we had the rum baba (£8) – this came with golden raisins and a dainty side-serving of Chantilly cream. Served warm and ridiculously soft and airy, this was a spectacular end to a very impressive meal.
What We Drank: The wine list is comprehensive. The entry-level white wine is a Costieres de Nimes from Chateau Saint-Cyrgues at £28.50, while the red is a Carignan from Languedoc at £27. There is a good selection of sweet wines and Ports by the glass or bottle, and the house Champagne is an Ayala Brut Majeur NV at £14.75 per glass, which was a great choice for our aperitif.
With our main course and cheese course, we had a bottle of Galvin Rasteau, Domaine Andre Romero, Rhone 2015 (£41.50). A Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend, this had a youthful tinge of purple, powerful berry fruit, soft tannins and a long finish.
With cheese, we had a glass of Vinho Madeira Barbeito (£9.50). A medium-sweet wine, this had fresh tangy aromas of marmalade as well as nuts, raisins and spice.
To accompany the rum baba, we tried a glass of Domain des Chenes from Ambre Rivesaltes, Roussilon 2006 (£7.75). This was fresher, with peach, apricot and vanilla flavours.
Likes: The Dorset crab lasagna was to die-for and warrants a return to Galvin at The Athenaeum on its own right. There were so many other highlights too, including the short rib of beef, the parsley risotto with snails and smoked eel, the marvelous rib-eye steak and chunky, properly made chips. The rum baba was also spectacular. Great wine list.
Dislikes: None.
Verdict: With top-quality, seasonal British ingredients in the capable hands of brothers Jeff and Chris Galvin, our dinner at Galvin at The Athenaeum was one of the most memorable meals I have enjoyed so far this year. For me, this is British cooking at its absolute best. Very highly recommended.
Name: Dine & Stay at The Goring Hotel and The Dining Room
Where: 15 Beeston Place, London SW1W 0JW, http://www.thegoring.com/food-drink/the-dining-room/
Cost: The Dine & Stay Package priced at £520 for two includes overnight accommodation, a three-course dinner for two in the Goring Dining Room and a full English or continental breakfast.
For those who do not want an overnight stay but still enjoy a meal at The Goring, there is a three-course lunch menu at £49.00 or £55.00 on Sundays. The three-course dinner menu starts from £60.00, and there is also a two-course pre-theatre menu priced at £35.00.
About: Built by current owner Jeremy Goring’s great-grandfather Otto in 1910, The Goring has been run by the eponymous family since it opened. The Goring remains a favourite address for international travellers and locals alike seeking a quintessentially British luxury hotel in the centre of London, close to Knightsbridge, Mayfair and Sloane Street.
The closest hotel to Buckingham Palace, The Goring has been a firm Royal favourite since it first opened its doors. The coronations of George VI and Queen Elizabeth II saw the hotel filled with royalty attending from all over the world. More recently, Kate and William chose it as their hotel for friends and family attending their big day.
With 69 luxurious suites and rooms, each uniquely decorated, and public rooms with fine English furniture, Gainsborough silks on the walls and sparkling chandeliers, The Goring exudes the chic of a grand country house.
The hotel is rather intimate, with just one restaurant, the elegant Lounge Bar where afternoon tea is served (which I hear is fantastic) and a fitness centre.
Awarded a Royal Warrant for hospitality services in 2013, The Goring is the only hotel to be recognised in this way.
The London Foodie was at The Goring to experience and report on their Dine & Stay deal, which includes overnight accommodation, a three-course dinner for two in the Goring Dining Room, and a full English or continental breakfast.
Ours was a comfortable garden room, elegantly but not ostentatiously furnished with salmon-pink silk-lined walls, plush cream carpet and upholstery, and a smattering of cute cuddly toys.
The marble bathroom was kitted out with ultra-soft Egyptian cotton towels and bathrobes. The bed was comfortable and I had a great night’s sleep, but best of all was the view of the stunning private garden on opening the curtains in the morning.
What We Ate: Awarded its first Michelin star as recently as September 2015, The Goring’s restaurant, The Dining Room, is headed by Executive Chef Shay Cooper, and as might be expected, he is a real champion of British ingredients and cooking.
The Dining Room was designed by Viscount Linley (the Queen’s nephew) - restrained and elegant, the room has plain white walls but for a few coats of arms and two strategically placed bouquets of flowers. It is a large, airy room with luxurious cream-coloured carpets and chairs, and plenty of natural light.
This was the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of refreshing Billecart Salmon Rosé from the restaurant’s Champagne trolley. I love the idea of a Champagne trolley – it excites me nearly as much as a cheese trolley, but more on that later.
There were so many starters on the menu that tempted me, that I was torn between choices. But one dish just had to be ordered – The Goring’s signature Eggs Drumkilbo.
The Queen Mother’s favourite, Eggs Drumkilbo was invented at Drumkilbo, a grand house in Perthshire, Scotland in the 1950s. Not your everyday prawn cocktail, this fine seafood concoction was a light mélange of lobster chunks and langoustine, soft quail egg, an aspic of seafood consommé, topped with fine radish slices, micro herbs and caviar. This was heavenly – refreshing, delicately seasoned and exquisitely textured.
Our second starter was equally impressive - luscious poached Loch Duart salmon against crispy rock oyster tempura, served with a smattering of cucumber and green pepper brunoise, all brought together by a delectable oyster mayo.
Indecisive as I was in my choice of starters, I was thrilled to see my runner-up choice of beef tartare sent with compliments of the chef as an extra dish! This was a delectable number, made from hand-chopped Hereford beef fillet, seasoned with beer-pickled onions, mushroom ketchup, all topped with Parmesan and baby rocket.
The salt marsh lamb came as two perfectly cooked cutlets, with preserved lemon, grilled leek heart and a velvety smoked garlic potato mash.
Better still was the saddle of Cumbrian fallow deer, served with roast Jerusalem artichoke, cavolo nero, venison sausage and curled pork crackling, pine nuts and quince dressing. This was a well-conceived dish, not only for the quality of its British ingredients, but also for how artfully and seemingly without effort all this came together.
The cheese trolley at The Goring is a thing of beauty. Crammed with a delectable spread of artisan British cheeses from every corner of the isles, I just couldn’t resist it.
Offered as a dessert option, I begged the waiter to let me have it as a pre-dessert course on its own, and judging by my experience I would urge you to do the same. It will cost a little more but it’s money well spent. It was hard to choose among the dozens of options but we had five choices each of hard, blue, goat’s and sheep’s cheese.
And now to dessert proper. The bitter chocolate ganache served with milk jam and milk ice cream was rich, not overly sweet, and just the right size.
Also excellent was the black fig trifle - gorgeously presented, it was served with gingerbread, caramel and creamy buttermilk. Atop was a paper-fine ring of dark bitter chocolate studded with green pistachios and candied fruit.
I was glad I did not have far to go after this meal, but to climb a flight of stairs to my room at The Goring and fall straight into bed. I don’t about you, but whenever I have a large meal in the evening I wake up starving next day. And how fortunate that breakfast awaited so close at hand.
As part of the Dine & Stay package, guests can have either a continental breakfast (fresh juices, hot beverages, cheeses and ham, and a selection of breads and pastries) or a traditional English breakfast served in The Dining Room.
The latter included all of the above, plus a cooked option, and this was my choice. This was the full, traditional English breakfast, but a far cry from its greasy spoon cousin. With Burford Brown fried eggs, Lincolnshire pork sausage, bacon, black pudding, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, it was a paean to all that is great in today’s British food and agriculture, and I savoured every mouthful of it.
Likes: The Queen Mother knew a thing or two about food as those Eggs Drumkilbo were the business! Our meal at The Dining Room was exquisite and at £60 per person, it was also excellent value. The cheese trolley was legendary.
Dislikes: None.
Verdict: The Dine & Stay at The Goring is the last word in British luxury hospitality. Chef Shay Cooper is at the top of his game and I cannot think of a better place to try some of the finest British ingredients and cooking right now in London. Very highly recommended.
