The Hedonist

1901 Restaurant at Andaz – Review

July 11, 2014 by Adrian

1901 restaurant at Andaz Liverpool St

40 Liverpool St, London EC2M 7QN

020 7618 5000/andazdining.com

https://www.limeandtonic.com/

Social concierge service Lime and Tonic sets up unique dining experiences, social brunches, creative date activities, pop-up events, and more for its members and they had asked Fiona from London Unattached and The Hedonist to test out their menu deal for 1901 restaurant at Andaz Liverpool Street hotel. At £29 for three courses plus a glass of Veuve Cliquot champagne it seemed like a steal.

I have some history with the dining room at 1901. The space used to be the ballroom for The Great Eastern Hotel, one of the great Victorian railway hotels dating back to 1884. Sir Terence Conran and his partners bought the building, refurbishing and reopening the hotel in 2000. The restaurant was called Aurora and Received lots of good press including a double-page spread in the Evening Standard from Fay Maschler ). There was a prize-winning bar area in the corridor leading to the dining room presided over by Alessandro Palazzi (now making the best martinis in the world at Duke’s Bar-see our review). I supplied live jazz in the bar which would drift into the restaurant room creating a cool atmosphere for the city boys and girls to kick back to.

Conran and his partners eventually sold the hotel to the Hyatt Group who turned it into one of their Andaz hotels. Andaz was launched as a high-end ‘eco-brand’ but today it seems to be trumpeting its personalised service rather than trying to save the planet.

As part of the rebrand the restaurant was refurbished, pulling out the beautiful 6 metre long pewter bar which now sits proudly down the road in the Galvin brothers’ Galvin La Chapelle and replacing it with a centrepiece floating bar underneath the original stained glass dome. The jazz went too as did the bar seating in the corridor. A glum looking oriental girl stood at the back of the restaurant playing electric violin to an ambient soundtrack. All in all it was too pretentious and the clientele voted with their feet.

But that was a long time ago now. On returning the bare bones of the room are still the same due to the Grade 2 listing. However it has been dressed in an ‘international hotel spiritual/trendy’ style playing down the natural grandeur of the room. If you want to know how to make a classic hotel dining room look contemporary just visit Berners Tavern. This feels more like a spa…

However the young staff are keen and well trained and a glass of Veuve Cliquot goes some way to soothe my aesthetic anxieties.

The menu is minimal which is to be expected at this price point but there is a meat, fish and vegetarian choice for starters and mains and the bread and butter is of good quality.

The kitchen sent us out an amuse of Salmon tartare that tasted as if it had been mildly hot smoked. It was very good and went really well with our deliciously chewy bottle of Vermentino.

Fiona’s starter was a deep-fried Courgette flower stuffed with feta, a tomato tartare, apricots and courgette purée. It was a lovely summer dish that showed signs of a kitchen with technical ability and ambition.

I began with a roulade of Smoked Salmon, goats cheese, compressed cucumber pickled beetroot, carrot and shrimp purée. It was beautifully constructed but the salmon was overpowered by the cheese filling.

A fillet of hake came with saffron potatoes, marinated beetroot, samphire, and curried fish cream. The hake was perfectly cooked and the flavours in this dish were delicately balanced. It was of a quality that would happily sit on the a la carte menu.

Stuffed breast of Chicken came with potato fondant, baby broccoli, grilled spring onion and a black garlic purée. It was a deconstructed roast chicken with a really good sauce, veg and stuffing.

Honey Cake was a satisfying construction bringing together a delicate violet jelly, chantilly cream and sponge.

Vanilla Blancmange came with too substantial a shortbread base for the subtle vanilla cream and strawberry topping but was otherwise delicious.

Petit fours finished off what must be one of the best value dinners for the quality available in London at the moment.

I wish the management at Andaz would allow the room to be what it is-a grand Victorian space-rather than pretending we are living in some faux modern alternative universe. Playing dance music at quite a high volume in a room specifically designed for acoustic music didn’t help either as it was intrusive and had a echoing bottom end. However I was really impressed with the food and service and must give kudos to Lime and Tonic for finding an excellent value high quality dining experience for their members.

Beagle – Review

May 14, 2013 by Adrian Leave a Comment

Beagle Hoxton

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397-400 Geffrye Street, E2 8HZ

020 7613 2967/www.beaglelondon.co.uk/

I’ve been going to Hoxton for years well before it became so trendy that even the train station sign is cool. From the mid 80s on I used to play at The Bass Clef jazz club which also became an important venue in the early drum and bass scene, the club nights subsidising the more swinging bass and drum sounds of the jazz cats. Watching an area you know change so radically is a bit like watching a child develop. Brats can become sophisticated, urbane and charming and the sweetest children can turn into monsters….

Beagle is a restaurant and bar situated in a couple of railway arches right next to the station. It’s the baby of Danny and Kieran Clancy who are music promotors and in the kitchen is James Ferguson, who used to run the kitchen at Rochelle Canteen, Margot Henderson’s (wife of St. John’s Fergus) critically acclaimed East London joint. I don’t know Margot but she has danced to my piano playing a few times-I admire a woman who will shake a blue stockinged leg-and on that basis I’m hoping for good things from Ferguson.

The Bar at The Beagle

The bar space is bright and buzzy and in the evening when lit up it looks pretty sexy. But down to business-we are here to sample the cocktail and bar snacks menu.

Hoxton Fizz and a Master Grey

We start off with a Hoxton Fizz (£8). It’s a cool cucumber, vodka, lemon juice and elderflower concoction and is a perfect cooler for an early summer’s evening. The Master Grey (£8) has more of a citrus flavour and tasted like a Tequila Sunrise that had gone to finishing school. It was a blend of blanco Tequila, Earl Grey, lemon juice, orange juice and marmalade.

With the alcohol starting to hit the spot it was time for some nosh. Grilled pepperoncini (£3.50) were hot and salty-without the kick of the now ubiquitous Padron peppers but still very good.

Brisket with red cabbage

Slow cooked beef brisket with pickled red cabbage( £6.50) needed something creamy to pick it up , maybe some horseradish, as brisket is a dry cut.

Smoked cod’s roe (£5) was tangy and had a depth of flavour like a proper Greek taramasalata. It came with really good toasted bread and was the best of the dishes.

Lady of Bergamot

For “dessert” we had a Lady of Bergamot made from Gin, Bergamot, lemon and egg white (£8.50). It was a kind of runny lemon syllabub cocktail and pretty good for that.

I’d be very happy if Beagle was my local hangout. The cocktails are reasonably priced and well made with distinct flavours and there is an attractive selection of local beers; the small but perfectly formed bar menu had some definite hits. I’d like to try the restaurant next to see how Ferguson fares on a bigger scale.

The Hedonist was a guest of Beagle

Gallery Mess – Review

April 29, 2013 by Adrian Leave a Comment

Gallery Mess Café/Bar Sloane Square

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Duke of York’s HQ, Saatchi Gallery, King’s Road, SW3 4RY

0207 730 8135/http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/gallerymess/

I love The Saatchi Gallery. It’s a great space for showing contemporary art and the Duke of York’s HQ retail area surrounding it has been tastefully developed creating its own little ‘Sloane quartier.’ But where to eat after a hard day at the coal face of cutting edge visual culture or … shopping? Sloane Square is renowned for places not to eat and Colbert is always busy so what about Gallery Mess Café/Bar which is the Saatchi’s in-house pit-stop?

Run by the “rhubarb’ food consultancy and situated in an attractively bright and airy space dotted with artworks, Gallery Mess offers more than the cafe/bar tag suggests with a full Modern European menu on offer along with the cocktails and cakes.

Platter of British Smoked Fish

We started with a Platter of British Smoked Fish (£14) made up of Smoked mackerel rillette, potted shrimps, smoked salmon, creme fraiche and quails eggs accompanied by decent sourdough bread. This was pretty good with the potted shrimps and mackerel having good flavour and some of the salmon being of the very trendy beetroot cured variety. My only caveat would be size of the portion which wasn’t quite enough as a starter for two greedy people but would be fine for a light snack for one.

Cod, broad beans, soft boiled egg and aioli

My luncheon companion, the fragrant Fiona from London Unattached, chose for her main course what she described as a ‘beautifully composed’ special of cod, broad beans, soft boiled egg and aioli. It was a gentle combination given a bit of bite with the aioli, but the fish was overdone, as it was in my choice of Pan Fried Hake, peperonata, black olive and confit shallot dressing (£18.75) which was potentially delicious.

Pan Fried Hake, peperonata, black olive and confit shallot dressing

Both dishes looked as if they had been sitting on the pass too long which was a shame as their is clearly some in the kitchen who can cook. Sides of chips and spinach (£3.50 each) were perfect.

We were drinking a bottle of 2011 Dopff au Moulin Pinot Blanc which had an apple blossom nose and notes of ripe pears and almonds. I’m a fan of Alsatian Pinot Blanc and this was light but with enough minerality to stand up to the aioli and peperonata.

Homemade chocolate truffles

For dessert Fiona had the Homemade chocolate truffles (£2.75) which were perfect with her coffee and I had the

Chocolate and Orange pudding (£6.50) which was the standout dish of the meal.

Chocolate and Orange pudding

Normally I prefer my chocolate to be bitter but with a light orange sponge this lighter ganache was lovely.

Gallery Mess is a lovely space for shoppers, art hounds, lunching ladies and the local yummy mummies. The menu is flexible enough to make it an all day option and with a little more care with the service it could become a local destination.

The Hedonist was a guest of Gallery Mess

House Of Wolf – Review

April 7, 2013 by Adrian Leave a Comment

The House of Wolf Islington

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181 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 1RQ

0207 2881470/www.houseofwolf.co.uk

The House of Wolf

Islington’s The House of Wolf describes itself as a ‘multi-functional, multi-sensory pleasure palace, dedicated to the creative pursuits of dining, drinking, art and entertainment.’

The Apothecary

What that means in practice is a ground floor Victorian-era styled pub area known as the Music Hall Bar serving superior bar snacks, an experimental cocktail department, located in The Apothecary on the first floor run by cocktail maestro Stephen Quainton and his team, and a fine dining restaurant on the top floor. The interior of each area offers an atmospheric and quirky take on gothic Victoriana; but don’t be put off by the edgy aura of Islington cool that the venue emits, because the staff are friendly and unlikely to need a stake driving through their hearts this side of a full moon.

Scared? Dont be…

The House of Wolf operates a series of chef residencies, essentially a rolling season of popups, and the latest chef to accept the challenge is an Irish chap called David Ahern who is resident until April 27th. He is a slightly larger than life personality who has only been cooking professionally for two and a half years and is not only fronting a kitchen in Islington’s most self-consciously cutting edge restaurant, but has also taken it upon himself to feed London’s homeless by sending out tureens of stew to the needy. But we are not here to judge his charitable efforts but the five course £42.50 tasting menu that is the offer in the House of Wolf restaurant.

Ahern describes his food as being ‘reverse engineered’; he starts from a conceptual vision and builds the dish from there. He has made his name cooking at The Ship, The Engineer and Bens Canteen as well as at Burger Breakout, a one day pop-up that transformed into a 6 month residency. So with such a diverse background I was unsure what to expect.

SBLT

Our first course was described as an SBLT, a fishy take on the classic BLT sandwich. Using a cured piece of the fatty flesh by the salmon’s stomach and placing it between some good white bread, this was a melt-in-the-mouth experience. A liquid tomatoey lettuce butter added moisture and richness and the whole dish felt really integrated with a terrific mouth feel. It reminded me of Jeremy Lee’s Smoked Eel Sandwich at Quo Vadis and is just as good.
We were drinking a 2011 Alpha Zeta Garganega (£21) from near Verona that had a grassy nose and citrus and elderflower notes. It cut through the delicious salty fatty SBLT very effectively.

Heritage Beetroots, pearl spelt, wild herbs and pickled berries

Heritage Beetroots, pearl spelt, wild herbs and pickled berries was a dish from the vegetarian menu; a terrific construction of natural flavours and textures that took me into a northern wilderness far wilder than Upper St.

Quails Nest

Quails Nest, was a nest made from quail leg confit, spelt and herbs, with a warm devilled quail’s egg inside. Fiona from London Unattached described the quail as being sweet and moist with the ‘nest’ being made up of the same elements as my non-meat version.

Chowder

Our next course was a deconstructed chowder, with scallops, mussels and cod cheeks, served with bacon and sweetcorn milk jellies and a fish broth. This was a playful and light version of a chowder, the milky jellies and the purity of the fish broth redolent of the nursery and not overwhelming the protein elements which were perfectly cooked.

Beef Cheek

Beef Cheek was a dark, sticky and unctuous dish, braised for 12 hours with wild mushrooms, horseradish purée and mustard mash , beef tendon puffs and a black garlic jus. It had terrific depth of flavour

Mustard Gnocchi, Wild Mushrooms

Mustard Gnocchi with wild mushrooms was the vegetarian alternative to the Beef Cheek. The gnocchi were light and well-matched with the umami flavours of the mushroom.

Red fruit Slush Puppy

At this point we entered the Pop tarts and lollipops segment of the menu and a surprise Red fruit Slush Puppy cocktail turned up-a mix of Prosecco with cherry and raspberry liqueur. It was a bit too sweet for me.

Rhubarb poptart, toffee apple lollipops, unsweetened Deuchars IPA beer custard & candy floss.

Dessert took us on a trip to the funfair with a Rhubarb poptart, apple lollipops with dipping sherbert, an unsweetened Deuchars IPA beer custard and a cold candy floss infusion. In a good sense this dish was as chaotic as a trip to the fair. The beer custard was properly bitter and played against the subtle sweetness of the ‘candy floss’. It would have been fun if the apple lollipops had been covered with toffee but I do love sherbert…

Dave Ahern is a brave chef with a respect for ingredients and the natural world . But there is also a more sophisticated urban sense of playfulness in his food that makes me look forward to his next professional move. I don’t know who will be the next occupant of the House of Wolf’s kitchen, but I do get the sense that this is a location that is finding its own identity and in giving talented chefs an outlet to experiment, should be supported.

Disclosure: The Hedonist was a guest of The House of Wolf

Review-Namaaste Kitchen

March 5, 2013 by Adrian Leave a Comment

Namaaste Kitchen Camden

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64 Parkway, Camden, London , NW1

www.namaastekitchen.co.uk/0207 485 5977

There seems to be a new generation of Indian chef/patrons who have spent time behind the stoves at London’s more progressive top-end Indian restaurants and are now opening their own places showcasing a lighter approach to the food. I can think of Manoj Vasaikar’s Indian Zing in Hammersmith and now Sabbir Karim at Namaaste Kitchen in Camden. Sabbir is also the owner of Salaam Namaste in Bloomsbury which has a more traditional approach.

Parkway is the main food hub in Camden. It is a pulsating thoroughfare full of restaurants, pubs and clubs.

Namaaste Kitchen sits about half-way down and the interior is an oasis of calm in brown and white after the hurly-burly of the street.

Fiona from London Unattached and I are met with freshly cooked poppadums and home-made chutneys (£!.20): Mango and pineapple , Tomato and finally a garlicky Coriander. These are some of the best I have tasted and I hope an indicator of what is to come.

While we are looking at the menu the kitchen sends out Panni Puri, little crunchy puffs of unleavened bread with a potato and spice filling and sitting on top of a deliciously sour shot of Tamarind water. In a sense the story of the restaurant’s food was in this little dish; intelligent spicing, a lightness of touch and intense flavours.

For our starters we ordered Spicy Soft Shell Crab (£5.95) and Tandoori Aatish-e-Jingha (£5.50).

Spicy Soft Shell Crab

Deep-fried in a semolina batter and marinated in a green peppercorn and lemon sauce, the crab was tender and brilliantly flavoured with a fig and prune sauce adding spice and depth to the combination of flavours. A great dish.

Tandoori Aatish-e-Jingha

Tandoori Aatish-e-Jingha was a construction of King prawns marinated in English mustard, yoghourt and spices, cooked in the Tandoor oven and served with aubergine compote and balchao sauce (a Goanese curry). The marinade managed not to overwhelm the prawns and gave them a surprising depth of flavour.

Choosing wine for rich spicy food is really hard and often I get it wrong. For this meal we went with a bottle of 2011 Musar Jeune (£21.50) from the Chateau Musar Bekaa Valley vineyards in Lebanon owned by the Hochar family. It is a mix of Viognier, Vermentino and Chardonnay with herbal and fruit notes and worked really well in context.

Whole Baked Sea Bass marinated in raw coastal spices

The restaurant specialises in grilled food so for my main course I chose the Whole Baked Sea Bass marinated in raw coastal spices (£12.95). This was a great hunk of a fish, stuffed full of herbs and grilled to within an inch of its life. Chunks off flesh suffused with flavour were falling off the fish with added excitement coming from the spice crunch of the skin. This was fish eating at its most butch…

Pan-seared Monkfish Tail

Pan-seared Monkfish Tail with tomatoes, lemon sauce and basmati rice (£12.95) was succulent and tasty with a tangy tomato and lemon sauce.

Stir Fry Okra with raw mango

For our sides we chose Stir Fry Okra with raw mango (£3.50)-a deliciously sticky blend of okra, onion, tomato and rice and…

Sesame Baby Aubergine with mustard and curry leaf sauce

Sesame Baby Aubergine with mustard and curry leaf sauce (£3.50)-a squidgilly unctous curry combo that brought joy to my heart on a cold February day.

These were wiped up with a date and ginger Nan (£2.50), light and fresh from the oven.

Coconut Ice Cream

For dessert we wanted something light. I ordered the Coconut Ice Cream (£3.50)

Tandoori Pineapple with Coconut Sorbet

and Fiona the Tandoori Pineapple with Coconut Sorbet (£4.50). The sorbet turned out to be ice cream but still went well with the burnt sweetness of the pineapple.

I’m really impressed with Namaste Kitchen. It really isn’t necessary to go to Mayfair or Chelsea to get fantastic Indian cooking. You are better off heading for Southall, Hammersmith or now Camden. There is a self-confidence to this restaurant that shows in their approach to the food and the way it is presented. Flavours are intense but not overly hot, everything is freshly prepared, service is friendly without being creepy and the prices are very reasonable. Go!

Disclosure: The Hedonist was a guest of Namaste Kitchen

Review-Coya

February 6, 2013 by Adrian 1 Comment

COYA Mayfair

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118 Piccadilly, London W1J 7NW

020 7042 7118/www.coyarestaurant.com/

Coya

When I grow up I think I want to be Arjun Waney. He is the restaurateur behind many of London’s more glamorous joints, creating stylish spaces with food that takes a concept and then runs with it-all perfectly attuned to the wealthier end of the London market. Whether it’s Japanese at Zuma and Roka, Provençal at Le Petit Maison, Italian at Banca and now Peruvian at Coya his locations and menus are grown up and sophisticated without being stuffy in any way.

Coya artwork

After a slightly chaotic start to our lunch with Google Maps sending us to the wrong end of Piccadilly, we descended into the surprisingly large and airy basement that Coya inhabits.

The Ceviche Bar and Open Charcoal Grill are blended in to provide some theatre.

Charcoal Grill

The look is ethnic Peruvian chic contrasting with London’s other Peruvian hangouts-Ceviche’s street cool and Lima’s urban style.

The bar at Coya

To celebrate our arrival we downed a couple of perfectly mixed Pisco Sours. They were so good with their trademark citrus kick that we decided against ordering any wine and stuck with them through most of the meal.

Pisco Sour

Peruvian food brings together influences from the indigenous population as well as from the Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Italian and West African immigrant communities. Coya’s food concept is based around sharing plates with several menus covering different styles and our waiter suggested ordering one from each.

Lubina Clasico

We started from the Ceviche menu with the Lubina Clasico-Sea Bass, red onions, sweet potato, white corn (£8). Ceviche is a Peruvian staple-raw fish marinated for a short amount of time in citrus juice spiced with chilli (aji in Spanish). This was as good to eat as it was to look at-the fish was very fresh and full of flavour and not overwelmed by the chilli in the tiger’s milk dressing.

Conchas de Abanico

Our next dish was Conchas de Abanico (£12) from the Tiraditos menu. Tiradito is a serving of raw fish, similar to a carpaccio or sashimi and served in a hot sauce but with no onions. Our dish contained scallops, carrot, ginger and coriander cress and again had that delicious citrus and chilli combination.

Calamares Fritos con Ocopa

From the Para Picar (small dishes) menu Calamares Fritos con Ocopa (£8.50) (Baby Squid, Peruvian Marigold, Quinoa) were well battered and came with a delicious green sauce made with Peruvian marigold which tastes similar to mint and is known as Huacatai.

Setas

Anticuchos are skewers of meat,fish or vegetable cooked over a charcoal grill. We chose Setas (£4.50)-Forest mushrooms, aji mirasol and parsley which turned out to be a highlight of the meal. They were wonderfully rich and meaty with a slight taste of cumin.

Josper charcoal grill

Moving at this point onto raspberry and mango Pisco sours we moved on to the Josper charcoal grill section of the menu. Originating from Spain, the Josper grill is fast becoming a mainstay of kitchens in many of the restaurants and steakhouses in London. It can reach temperatures of over 300 degrees celsius, gives a good char to the food and because the grill is enclosed, the fish, meat or vegetables being cooked retain their moisture and flavour.

Langostino Tigre

Hopefully you can see from the picture that my Langostino Tigre (£27) -Tiger prawns, chilli salsa-achieved the holy grail of grilling, char and tenderness without drying out.

My dining companion the redoubtable Fiona from London Unattached gets very excited at the prospect of South American steak and so chose the Lomo de Res (£29) -Rib eye, chimichurri, aji rocoto salsa-which also benefitted from the caress of the Josper. South Americans like their steak cooked medium and this was a classic combination with the parsley based chimichurri sauce (a salsa verde with added chilli) and the fierce heat of the rocoto pepper salsa which she pronounced delicious.

Esparragos Peruanos

For our sides we had Esparragos Peruanos (£6) -Peruvian asparagus, panca chilli, garlic-which had been grilled to within an inch of their life but were full of flavour, and Patatas Bravas a la Peruana (£5)-Crisp potatoes, spicy tomatoes, huancaina sauce-.

Patatas Bravas a la Peruana

The Patatas Bravas were given a Peruvian slant with the addition of huancaina sauce-a mix of amarillo chillies, queso fresco (fresh farmers cheese), milk, garlic and saltine crackers that managed to be creamy at the same time as having a spicy edge to its flavour.

Chocolate Fundido

Having eaten a lot by this point it would have been churlish not to have dessert, and with our Pisco sours finished the matched dessert wines seemed like a very attractive prospect. The Chocolate Fundido (£8) -Fortunato Chocolate, almond, white chocolate ice cream-was perfectly complemented by the glass of Maury, Mas Mudigliza, Rousillon, France 2009 (£14). The hot melted (fundido) chocolate oozed in a rather sexy manner out of and all over the chocolate sponge but without overwhelming the wine, made from the grenache grape by the vin doux naturel method of mutage where wine is fortified with unfermented grape juice and grape spirit.

Lucuma Bavarois, Passion Fruit Sorbet

Our second dessert was a Lucuma Bavarois, Passion Fruit Sorbet (£8). This was paired with a Gewurztraminer Vendage Tardive Hugel, Alsace, France 2000 (£12). The Lucuma was described to us as a cross between mango and avocado and is known for its dry flesh, with the texture of a hard-boiled egg yoke. This was an altogether lighter proposition, sweet and refreshing and beautifully set off by the floral notes of the wine.

I’m slowly starting to get a grip on aspects of South American food and drink. There has been such an explosion of restaurant openings and the concomitant interest in Mexican, Argentinian, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisine that it must be on the radar of anyone interested in the contemporary scene. The combination of citrus and chilli with raw seafood, the new varieties of potato and corn, the use of the charcoal grill and the ubiquitous Pisco sour are all starting to enter our food consciousness. In the firmament of this welcome South American culinary invasion Coya stands out as a very classy act. As with all of Arjun Waney’s projects the level of investment is there to be seen; in the location, the size and specification of the kitchens and the standard of finish for the interior. Whilst we were there on a quiet Monday lunch it is easy to imagine the place really buzzing with good looking South Americans and London’s well-heeled enjoying the cultural and culinary adventure that the restaurant offers. Did I have any complaints? Well, my teapot for my mint tea clearly thought it was a watering can, managing to shower the table quite effectively, but apart from that Coya was perfect.

The Hedonist was a guest of Coya.

Review-The Angler

January 22, 2013 by Adrian 1 Comment

The Angler City

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South Place Hotel 3 South Place. London EC2M 2AF.

020 3215 1260. angler@southplacehotel.com

South Place Hotel

The restaurant scene in the City has changed radically since Conran (now D&D) restaurants opened Coq d’Argent in 1998. Before then most places would be closed by 9 p.m.. The city gents would scurry off home to the suburbs or to the West End for some action. Coq d’Argent stayed open late, had live music and a postmodernist design aesthetic . D&D’s new City establishment South Place Hotel, reflects the new social geography of London. The cultural centre of gravity has moved eastwards and the hotel reflects this. It has a hip metropolitan New York feel with a sprinkle of Hoxton edge. There are seven bars and two restaurants and up on the top seventh floor sits The Angler.

The Angler

The interior is cool and understated but with some unusual touches as you would expect from the Conran Design Group. The cooking is similarly clean and precise but Tony Fleming’s cooking has the ability to move the heart of even the most hardened banker.

We started with a glass of house champagne and very soon a Cheese Sable arrived.

Cheese Sable

It was light and crumbly, flavoured with Montgomery Cheddar and set the scene for an intense and brilliant Cappuccino of Lobster bisque. This unexpected little cup of happiness told of a kitchen that meant business.

Cappuccino of Lobster bisque

We moved on to a glass each of Ailala Treixadura Ribeiro 2011 (£8.75) from Galicia in the northwest of Spain. Treixadura is the up and coming grape of the northwest and this wine is a single varietal only into its second year of production. It had a smoky nose with citrus flavours coming through and was wonderful with our Shellfish Platters (£24). These consisted of Mersey Rock, Colchester Native and Irish Rock oysters, Cherrystone Clams, Langoustines and Dressed Crab. The freshness and quality of the seafood was terrific and it was served with the necessary trimmings:tabasco, lemon, a shallot vinaigrette, a lemon mayonnaise and bread and butter.

Shellfish Platter

For mains I had Roast Turbot, brown shrimp, capers, butter and parsley (£26.50).

Roast Turbot, brown shrimp, capers, butter and parsley

The turbot was perfectly cooked on the bone and was full of flavour, the shrimps giving the dish an additional richness. With my fish I drank a wonderful Cambria Chardonnay from Katherine’s Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley, California 2007 (£14) which was full-bodied and elegant with hints of pineapple and vanilla.

Steamed Wild Bass, crushed potato, sauce vierge, herb salad

My dining companion, Fiona from London Unattached was eating Steamed Wild Bass, crushed potato, sauce vierge, herb salad (£24.50). This would make a perfect dish for spring with the flavour of the bass being enhanced by the steaming and not compromised by pan-frying as so often happens. With her fish she drank a glass of False Bay Wild Yeast Chenin Blanc, Coastal region, 2011 South Africa (£6.25) that tasted of pears and honey.

Black Cabbage (Cavolo Nero) and creamy Potato Mousseline

For sides we had a portion of buttery Black Cabbage (Cavolo Nero) and creamy Potato Mousseline (£3.75 each) which were perfect with the turbot.

Roast figs, yoghurt and honey parfait, pistachio crumble

We shared our desserts-Roast figs, yoghurt and honey parfait, pistachio crumble (£6.50) and Caramel pear trifle, Pedro Ximinez jelly (£7.50).

Caramel pear trifle, Pedro Ximinez jelly

They weren’t oversweetened and were in tune with the restrained elegance of the restaurant, however the glass of 2008 Brumaire, Chateau Bouscasse, Pacherenes du Vic Bilh Moelleux (£11.50 for 100ml) that accompanied them had plenty of tropical fruits and a cream and honey richness.

Pistachio Madeleines and Earl Grey Fudge

We ended the meal with Pistachio Madeleines and Earl Grey Fudge with my peppermint tea.

This was a great meal. Tony Fleming is able to apply his classical technique to top class ingredients in a very comfortable space. Service was charming and both unobtrusive and knowledgeable where necessary-in fact I knew that would be the case when I saw the legendary Wendy Vera working front of house-she is one of the great unsung heroes of the London dining scene of the last …years- and the sommelier made some great wine choices. For serious fish cooking in the City there is nowhere to match The Angler.

The Hedonist was a guest of The Angler.