Marylebone

Galvin Bistrot de Luxe – Review

June 5, 2017 by Adrian

Galvin Bistrot de Luxe Marylebone

66 Baker St, Marylebone, London W1U 7DJ

020 7935 4007/galvinrestaurants.com

I’ve always regarded Galvin Bistrot de Luxe as the spiritual home of Chris and Jeff Galvin’s restaurant group. It’s a take on the classic French Bistrot both in terms of the menu and the restaurant’s interior with an emphasis on the ‘Luxe’ in relation to the food offer.The brothers have recently taken over the restaurant at the smartly refurbished The Athanaeum Hotel (see my review) and also just opened is Galvin HOP, their pub in Spitalfields. So I’m pleased to have been invited to review the beating heart of their burgeoning gastro empire to see how it’s faring. The room is classical Bistrot style; dark wood and cream with comfy bentwood chairs and Art Deco touches. Fiona and I scan the menu which speaks of largesse and good sourcing whilst sipping on a citrussy glass of NV Galvin Grande Reserve Brut (£12.50)…and some deliciously light cheese Gougères. I should also mention the bread and butter; the bread had a wonderful texture and a light malted flavour and the crust was crisp and intense. The butter had that rich freshly made taste and wasn’t overly salted.My Lasagna of Dorset crab, Nantais butter sauce (£13.50 ) was a silky, eggy (in a good way) pasta with its fluffy crab and scallop interior doused in a soothing citrusy chive and butter sauce. It’s a cardiologist’s nightmare but who cares when it’s this good. The dish is a Galvin classic and I order this plate of wobbly deliciousness whenever I can.I moved on to a glass of 2014 Galvin Chardonnay, Vincent Girardin (£7.50). It was buttery and full bodied which could probably be a description of the whole meal! The Chardonnay was a great match with my poached Atlantic cod, orange braised endive, juniper and rock samphire (£24.50). The fish was firm textured and the bitterness of the chicory was sweetened by the orange.Fiona’s 2015 Galvin Rasteau, Domaine la Soumade Rhone (£7.50) was bursting with blackberry flavours and was perfect for her beautifully plated tender honey-glazed Magret duck breast, beetroot, the highly prized Grelot onion and pomegranate (£25). The mains were both classic dishes but served with an original twist. Waxy Ratte potatoes were slathered with the iodine burst of a seaweed butter and ranks of green beans were crisp and …buttery! (£4 each).Apple Tarte Tatin and Normandy crème fraiche (£8) was a sultry take on Les Soeurs Tatin’s classic dessert; thick slabs of caramelised apple sitting on a flaky pastry base.I really like Galvin Bistrot de Luxe. It is an eminently civilised space that delivers on all levels but with a twinkle in its eye. The restaurant offers an amazing value Prix fixe with 3 courses for £15.50 at lunch and £19.50 for dinner so de Luxe dining is for once accessible to all. Galvin Bistrot de Luxe is a place for grown up fun and we all need a bit of that every so often.

The Harcourt – Review

September 8, 2016 by Adrian

The Harcourt Marylebone

32 Harcourt Street, London, W1H 4HX
theharcourt.com/020-3771 8660Sometimes appearances are deceptive. Outwardly I look like an average 55 year old man, receding hair line, slight paunch and skin that has lost its elasticity. In actuality I’m a Nordic God-think Chris Hemsworth as Thor-with the power to shape worlds and the libidinous energy of an 18 year old oyster farmer. My inner deity is hidden inside the earthly frame that I inhabit just biding its time…

The Harcourt and I have a lot in common. From the outside it looks like an average boozer. Admittedly a well-kept one in that posh reservation for the wealthy that is Marylebone Village. Inside it’s an attractive festival of wood, bleached and dark with baroque glass fittings lighting the space and a secret twinkly microcourtyard for those in the know. There is art up on the walls, curated by a local gallery and a couple of sexy private rooms, the black or the white, depending on your mood. The Harcourt’s gastronomic USP is a Nordic influence that extends to Scandi-inspired cocktails and “fika” – Scandinavian afternoon tea. Fika showcases dishes such as Reindeer Scotch Egg; Pickled Herring on Rye and Danish including the iconic Cinnamon Bun. But Fiona and I weren’t at The Harcourt for tea…Finnish head chef, Kimmo Makkonen has just unveiled a new Nordic Express Lunch Menu and we had been invited to review it. It features dishes such as Gravadlax served with sweet mustard and a potato salad and The Harcourt Burger topped with Ogleshield cheese, thick bacon and pickled cucumber; finishing with either a cheese plate or Vanilla Pannacotta with poached rhubarb and shortbread. At £19.50 for two courses or £24.50 for three, it seems like a good deal.But then after a couple of well mixed cocktails, the sweet Freudian Slip-a blend of Akvavit, Lychee, Elderflower, Lemon and Prosecco, and the deliciously astringent Mama Spritz- Viognier, Pink grapliqueur, Mint, Apple, Elderflower, Lime and Soda, we were seduced by the à La Carte offer.I only mention bread in a review when it is exceptional. The Harcourt serves an on-trend sourdough and an amazingly sweet, nutty rye bread made from a secret recipe of the chef’s grandmother! Gravad Lax was a little under-cured for me but beautifully plated with cool pickled cucumber, quails eggs, apple and dill (£8)Briny Brittany Fine de Claire Oysters (£2 each) were perfect, served with sauce mignonette and lemon. We had moved on to a bottle of Grüner Veltleiner, Franz Anton Meyer, Austria, 2014 that was full of citrus and apple flavours and was a perfect match for the seafood (£32).The highlight of the meal was a whole Arctic char for 2 (£42). The meaty fish’s skin was barbequed within an inch of its life but the flesh was firm and had a fantastic flavour. I enjoyed filleting it and giving it a good slathering with a decent hollandaise and a sauce verte. We scoffed some crispy triple-fried chips (Fiona had most of them…) and a straightforward mixed leaves on the side (£4 each).Dark chocolate mousse with liquorice crumbs and salted caramel (£5) wasn’t really all that dark but definitely had that sexy chocolate thing going on…Blueberry tart with Crème Fraiche (£5) was like a Nordic Bakewell tart but with blueberries-the pastry was rich and stuffed with the fruity globules creating an enticing mouth-feel.A lot of effort and money has gone into creating The Harcourt and the team have created an offer that is idiosyncratic but still accessible; a really attractive interior with great food-it’s not rocket science but too often those fundamentals get forgotten. It’s well-worth a visit.

The Wallace – Review

January 21, 2015 by Adrian Leave a Comment

The Wallace Marylebone

Follow @Hedonisttweets

Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN

020756 209505/reservations@thewallacerestaurant.com

When I was still a single digit my Saturday mornings were spent in Marylebone studying as a junior exhibitioner at Trinity College of Music. Apparently I was the youngest they had ever had which was probably more to do with my mother’s need for child care than with any prodigal tendencies on my part. My special treat after being subjected to the rigours of Miss Gladys Puttick’s musicianship class was to pop around the corner to The Wallace Collection. Its 25 galleries displayed French 18th-century painting, furniture and porcelain but my preferred destination was the armoury.

I was entranced by the bejewelled daggers, curved Arab scimitars and knights on horseback which seemed light years away from the Victorian pedagogy of Miss Puttick. As prep school started my extra-curricular classes drew to an end and my dreams of a future steeped in chivalry faded. I never returned to The Wallace Collection. Maybe I was afraid that my juvenile memories would be spoiled in some way…

So it was with some trepidation that I agreed to accompany Fiona to review The Wallace restaurant situated in the covered courtyard of the building. It is managed by Peyton & Byrne whose posh portfolio includes The Keeper’s House at The Royal Academy, outlets in Kew Gardens and The British Library and The ICA Bar. Those of you with long memories will remember Peyton as the proprietor of The Atlantic Bar & Grill, the iconic and louche 90s brasserie which was the location for much pre-millenial misbehaving, now replaced by the prim glamour of Brasserie Zedel.

The great news is that The Wallace Collection is a wonderful and democratic space. The interior feels like a more intimate version of the National Gallery, and the opportunity to see masterpieces such as The Laughing Cavalier, as well as the swords, pikes and maces, free of charge is one of London’s gifts to its citizens and visitors. If you haven’t been, you really should.

The building’s courtyard has been transformed into a light and airy atrium echoing with the tinkling of cutlery and the genteel voices of art tourists and local ladies lunching. A glass each of fizz-Baron Fuenté Brut 2006 (£10.50 for 175 ml)- was our starter for £10.50 and it was an elegant and well-structured wine with notes of dried apricot, almond biscotti and cassis.

My Coquilles St Jacques had a good flavour, were properly seared on the outside and came with a gentle cauliflower emulsion and champagne vinaigrette.

Fiona’s Pâté de Campagne, fig jam, mushrooms, toasted bread (£9) was appropriately rough textured

and given some sweetness by the fig jam.

For our mains we moved onto a bottle of Muscadet Domaine de la Pepière 2013 (£28.50), an organic whine with a lemony chalky minerality. A meaty, tasty Dover sole came roasted on the bone served with swede, kale and almonds (£17); the accompanying winter veg worked surprisingly well and fries (£3.75) were crisp.

Apple tart Tatin, vanilla ice cream, salted caramel (£7) was delicious and elegantly plated.

The selection of 3 French cheeses (£10.50) served with soda bread and crackers was a little uninspiring. My selection of a Lingot, Morbier and Fourme D’Ambert was a little too polite but possibly suited the rest of the clientele-I like my fromages to be a bit less civilised.

And civilised is the word to describe The Wallace and if that is your bag you will enjoy the restaurant especially if you do the art and armour as well. Service was well-managed by a charming grown-up maitre d’ who kept a watchful eye on proceedings and if we are not yet at the point of having Michelin- starred chefs controlling museum restaurant kitchens as happens in certain place on the continent, then this will do fine for now.

The Cavendish – Review

November 20, 2014 by Adrian Leave a Comment

The Cavendish Marylebone

Follow @Hedonisttweets

35 New Cavendish Street, Marylebone, W1G 9TR

reservations@35newcavendish.com/020 7487 3030

Marylebone has become something of a hot destination recently with openings such as The Chiltern Firehouse and Fischer’s adding to what was already a burgeoning scene. So with all this activity Fiona and I were pleased to be invited to review The Cavendish which is an all-day kind of place, with the restaurant (there’s a ground floor bar as well) replacing a fairly average Italian called The Fat of The Land, which I reviewed a couple of years ago. The chef. Alfonso Lillo Fas, trained at El Bulli, but the food offer at The Cavendish is a selection of classic French, Italian and Spanish dishes rather than modernist flights of fancy, which should please the conservative Marylebone crowd.

With an interior that is a fusion between a masculine 1940s feel and contemporary Soho, The Cavendish feels warm and comfortable without being overly stylised. But it’s the food that we have really come for.

Our amuse-bouche was a confit of octopus, with a smoked cauliflower purée and garlic and watercress emulsions. The octopus was very tender and full of flavour and the purée and emulsions surprisingly gutsy. The only problem with this dish was….the dish. It was a deep bowl which made getting the food out without a spoon unnecessarily difficult!

For our starters we ordered a glass each S V Dillons Point Sauvignon Blanc (£7.50 for 125 ml). It was full-bodied with delicious notes fresh lemon and elderflower and was a great way to start the meal.

Blue Lobster Bisque with brandy Chantilly and pan-fried seaweed (£13.75) was beautifully balanced and delicate.

Carabinero Prawn risotto in a light bisque broth (£16.50) tasted properly fishy with a great depth of flavour and the rice suitably al dente-I loved this dish.

Fiona’s fillet steak with watercress and Béarnaise sauce (£28) was not fatty and had a terrific flavour and was well matched by the fruit and tobacco flavours of her glass of Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile, 2013 (£7.50 for 125ml).

My glass of Buitenverwachting, Constantia, South Africa, Chardonnay 2013 (£6.50) was too oaky for me but I loved my pan-fried Dover sole with Desiree potatoes, spinach and a lemon and saffron sauce (£25). It was simply cooked but had great flavour and a lovely gentle buttery sauce.

Sided are £5 each and we really enjoyed the Zucchine Fritte. It was unusual to have them shredded like this and a great idea.

Every show need its climax and at The Cavendish that is provided by the Crepes Suzettes (£18 for 2). It’s such a wonderfully old fashioned dish and I always order it if it’s on a menu.

Once the orange peel is caramelised, the pancakes and unusually a blend of Cointreau and Benedictine are added.

The final coup de theatre is the scraping of the orange peel, which has been liberally doused in the booze and then set alight. I am a sucker for this stuff..

…and finally, voilà, all washed down with a deliciously apricoty Sauternes la Fleur de Ore (£12 for 125ml).

I really enjoyed my dinner at The Cavendish. It was rather like being in a well-heeled private club with suitably old fashioned service. It was full when we went in the pre-opening week and everything was already up to speed which often isn’t the case. For a younger crowd used to designer hotdogs and bespoke noodle joints this kind of classic experience may feel mildly exotic but for those of us of a certain age it was reassuringly familiar and I’m sure it will be a big hit with the locals.

HUNter 486 – Review

September 5, 2013 by Adrian Leave a Comment

Hunter 486 Marble Arch

Follow @Hedonisttweets

The Arch London, 50 Great Cumberland Place, Marble Arch, London W1H 7FD

0)207 724 0486/reservations@thearchlondon.com

I had never heard of The Arch hotel but then I’m a rather feckless character rather than the sleek business types or Hollywood stars who make up its clientele. Situated a stone’s throw from Marble Arch in a Georgian mansion it is both comfortable and elegantly modern in its design and has all the mod cons you might hope for. The in-house restaurant is called HUNter 486 which I guess is rather sexily named after the original Marylebone phone number. The manager told us that they were going for a Gatsby/1950s mood in the restaurant which shows an interesting historical conflation of decades that is not realised in the design. It is however quite chic and curtained-off bays offer ample possibilities for discreet liaisons.

In a city like London with such a thriving food scene it is hard for a new hotel restaurant to achieve any kind of visibility without bringing in a celebrity chef to create media interest.

So would HUNter 486 stand out from the crowd? Certainly the menu is of the ‘don’t scare the horses’ variety- a succession of European classics alongside a stone-baked oven pizza selection. There is also a two course (£19) and three course (£21) Express Lunch menu that is French based and reasonably priced.

Smoked salmon

We considered the menu options over a glass of dry prosecco. I started with a decently portioned plate of Smoked salmon (£10.50) that was classically presented with brown bread and butter and lemon in a muslin. The salmon was good quality with a gentle level of smoking and was perfectly matched to my glass of Chablis.

Green Asparagus

Green Asparagus (£9.50) was served hot with hollandaise sauce and was delicious. Served just warmer than room temperature the asparagus flavour was really sweet and barely needed the sauce.

Fillet of Beef Wellington

Fillet of Beef Wellington with madeira truffle sauce (£29.50) was a trickier proposition as is always a challenge to serve individual portions of beef rare which was how Fiona ordered it. It took the kitchen a couple of attempts to get it right but they dealt with the issue with good grace!

Grilled Troncon of Scottish plaice

Grilled Troncon of Scottish plaice with spiced lemon butter and a warm potato salad (£17.50). A Troncon is an unusual cut for plaice in this country and this came from a 2 kg fish. It was beautifully cooked, meaty but with that unmistakeable plaice flavour and made a refreshing alternative to turbot or halibut.

Creme Brûlée

For dessert I had the Creme Brûlée. It was creamy with good vanilla flavour and a crisp burnt top.

HUNter 486 provides an oasis of calm away from the hurly-burly of Oxford St. The cooking is precise, the ingredients well sourced and the atmosphere civilised. If you were in the area working, shopping or sightseeing it would be a good bet for lunch or dinner.

Disclosure: The Hedonist was a guest of HUNter 486