A CLEAR CASE OF "GREAT SCOTT!"
June, 2011
| Food: |
 |
| Service: |
|
| Atmosphere: |
|
SUMMARY: Damnn near faultless, clever, interesting and engaging food by Marcus Wareing in superb surroundings. Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Expect to spend around £42 a head before drinks and service. There is an early supper menu (5.30pm to 6.30) at £19 for two courses, £24 for three.
WHEN I TASTED George’s chips, I automatically assumed that George was a specialist in the kitchen who had probably trained at the A1 chip stall in Antwerp – which, as everyone knows makes the best chips in the world.
But before I could make a complete ass of myself I was gently reminded that the architect of this truly great building was one George Gilbert Scott, and the chips are named after him. A fitting tribute, I thought, for these were the best chips I have ever eaten in Britain and George, looking down, must be right proud.
And my goodness this is a splendid building. The restaurant is housed in what was the entrance hall and coffee room of the old St Pancras Hotel – one of the architectural landmarks of London, the ultimate example of exuberant high Victorian gothic style.
It’s a large, curved room with full length arched windows, ornate marble columns and a king’s ransom of gold leaf detailing the elaborate cornices of the hand painted ceiling.
Because of its size Wareing has wisely not pretended that this is a cosy haven of haute cuisine. He calls it a brasserie, and the menu works perfectly in that description.
And, folks, it’s five stars all the way, even though I arrived bridling a little at the stern injunction that we would have the table for not more than two hours. I had visions of waiters trying to drag me out while I finished my pudding, but in the end it was all done at a pleasant, measured, pace, and two hours was more than enough.
My Chief Culinary Adviser enjoyed an artichoke tart starter that was Wareing at his best – glorious pastry, perfectly cooked and seasoned globe artichoke hearts and a simply superb tarragon dressing.
Other starters of offer included a Cornish lobster salad (£18.50), corned beef hash, rock oysters, baked onions, Dorset crab and a rich nettle and watercress soup.
But I chose some big, meaty mushrooms on sippets (small pieces of toast) surrounded by a red wine sauce and divine bits of bone marrow.
Main courses were, as expected, rather pricey, but very good indeed. My adviser’s fillet of poached halibut nestling shyly in a wonderful champagne sauce with small, tasty, mussels, was a joy to eat.
I ordered the chicken pie because they promised that it was cooked with girolle mushrooms. It turned out that they were chanterelle mushrooms, but my disappointment lasted only until I began to eat the thing, and it was simply excellent, and I forgive them for the incorrect description. I would like, one day, to be able to make a pie crust of that quality.
It was only slightly irritating that we had to order vegetables and accompaniments separately at around £4.50 a portion, but the herertoforeabovementioned chips dispelled all doubts. My adviser had excellent green beans.
The deserts were truly tempting and in the end we decided to share some baked bramley apple with a meringue and clotted cream. The apple had been cleverly sliced so that it was a manageable disk of fruit topped by a cluster of crisp meringues. The clotted cream’s job was to cut some of the sweetness of the dish, and it carried the task out to perfection.
Having shown some interest and asked the waiter about the kitchen she immediately offered to take us downstairs where we inspected the hustle and bustle, the sous vide baths (where food is gently cooked at 50 or 60 degrees) and the kitchen table (minimum spend: £1,000).
Also slightly irritating was the £2 per head cover charge which felt just a little too opportunistic for real comfort, but in the end I was impressed to see that our bill came to under £100 at £93, including a glass of wine and service. We left happy, pleased that we now have something so good so close by (you can go door to door from Hampstead on the 46 bus) and in such sumptuously gorgeous surroundings.