Designer food on solid foundations
August, 2007
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SUMMARY: Excellent modern European food, beautifully presented in remarkable surroundings. Open weekdays from 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 4pm. There may be special events on Saturdays, so check first on 7631 0467. Expect to spend around £28 each for three courses, before drinks and service. Cheaper prix fixe menus available.
YOU’VE GOT to hand it to the Famous Ace Reporter – he sure can pick ‘em. He may have been the first ever Afrikaner vegetarian, but he knows a good restaurant when he sees one.
It was he who introduced us to the delightful La Rugoletta in East Finchley, and now he has maintained his 100% hit record by taking us to the excellent café and restaurant in the Royal Institute of British Architects building in Portland Place, just up from Broadcasting House.
It’s in the wonderfully vast and high-ceilinged Florence Hall on the first floor of this impressive 1930s, Grade II-listed building, with an almost entirely glazed wall looking out onto a splendid terrace where it would be really nice to eat if we ever again have any decent weather in this soggy country. It’s the sort of dining room most restaurateurs would sacrifice their children for.
The restaurant area, designed by Conran, has a slightly chequered history, but for the last couple of years it has been run by the Charlton House catering group, whose “food innovation director” is the Michelin starred David Cavalier, and I tip my hat to Alex Bailey, the chef they have installed at the RIBA, who cooked us a simply splendid lunch – and all the more enjoyable because it was so
unexpectedly good.
The famous Ferocious Biographer, who also happened to be there with his family, won’t agree with me, because he didn’t enjoy his lunch very much. By his own admission, he didn’t order very well.
We, on the other hand, ordered extremely well. My Chief Culinary Adviser and I both had an utterly irresistable and delectable starter of slices of marinated duck breast and a deep fried quail’s egg served with a greengage chutney – an excellent example from a menu full of interest and invention. Next time I will have the green pea soup with sesame crayfish toast (if it’s still on the menu).
The Afrikaner Vegetarian/Ace Reporter had the baked aubergine and raisin salad with a beautiful ribbon of daikon (Japanese radish) and a Japanese dressing. His verdict: “Aubergine sometimes can be a bit chewy, but mine just melted in the mouth. What I liked about the salads was that they too were not chewy. I must say I found myself examining the design and general lay-out of every dish with more than usual interest. Somewhere in that kitchen is an artist!”
For my main course I had a simply superb seared loin of veal served with a richly aromatic truffle potato cake, exquisite girolle mushrooms, spinach and green beans, and a light sprinkling of Madeira jus. Brilliantly conceived, and delightfully presented with an architectural eye for balance and style.
The other two both had one of the “big salads” listed on the menu, a tiger prawn and crayfish cocktail with cucumber, avocado, coriander and lime yoghurt. My adviser’s conclusion was that although the avocado was not ripe enough it was nevertheless a sumptuous salad, fresh and crisp. She does not use words like “sumptuous” lightly. The Ace Reporter described the salad as “perfect”.
Usually at this stage we call for the bill and go home, but the desserts were just too damn interesting to ignore. Two of us had a stunning white peach roasted with thyme and lemongrass and the most delicate nectarine sorbet imaginable and – bless this wonderful chef – it wasn’t loaded with too much sugar.
My Adviser had an even more architectural triumph, a wall of green English plums stuffed with blueberry mousse sitting on a block of blueberry mousse and served with a breathtakingly delicate mint granita. And, again, not too sweet.
By the time we had consumed a bottle of Californian red (a reasonable £20.50) and three coffees, our bill came to just over £100, or £33.50 a head – which is a broad daylight steal for food of this quality. The price/quality ratio puts it right up there in my four-star category.
There are cheaper menus, by the way, including a “Wine and Dine” offer of the fish of the day, with a glass of highly recommended English wine, for £18. Or there’s the “Menu 45” which promises a two course meal in 45 minutes at £17, or £23 for three courses.
An added benefit is the fact that there is always some kind of architectural exhibition on in the middle of the room, just in case you get bored with the food, or the company.