Few establishments in London have managed to withstand the test of time quite like Claridge’s. Having originally opened its doors in 1897, the five-star hotel still remains a place of shimmering glamour, where no request is too large and no name is too big.
Whilst its history beckons a read and its Afternoon Tea named unrivalled, earlier this Autumn it welcomed a new era of its culinary expertise in an aptly titled, Claridge’s Restaurant.
Claridge’s Restaurant
Following a mammoth 18-month transformation by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio, the interior pays homage to the hotel’s art deco heritage. Complete with marble walls and antique brass touches, a mosaic tile floor and over-the-top chandelier lamps, there is a feeling that you are entering something worthy of a scene in The Great Gatsby.
Fronted by Head Chef Coalin Finn, formerly of Savoy Grill and Inverlochy Castle, the debut menu centres itself around the new ethos of the restaurant – best of British.
Sourcing vegetables, meat and fish from home counties and local waters, there is a serious emphasis on ensuring each plate brings attention to the hidden beauty of what this country’s produce has to offer.
So, on a wintery November evening, I entered Claridge’s Restaurant to be greeted by Ivan Di Nasta, its General Manager. Passionate about the opening, he urged me to try a cocktail to begin with as he explained the changes and evolution of this dining experience.
A Negroni for me and a Sherry Buck Fizz for my guest – both ample in flavour with the sort of kick you want when dining in an opulent place like this.
Plateau de Fruits de Mer (£45 for one, £90 for two – add half a lobster for £37.50)
The menu itself is easy to digest. On the one hand, most of the dishes are known classics with an elevated spin, like Roasted Norfolk Chicken with a Brioche and Lemon Stuffing, Baby Beetroot Salad, and Leek and Watercress Velouté.
On the other hand, the location was reinforced: grilled Native Lobster, Black Truffle Crumpet, a choice of either Oscietra or Beluga Caviar, and a Plateau de Fruits de Mer.
Black Truffle Crumpet (£16)
After a few head scratches, my waiter Adrian offered me some welcomed personal favourites of his to guide me to my decision. To start, I ordered the Seared Orkney Scallops with Jerusalem Artichoke, Pumpkin Agnolotti and the hailed Herefordshire Beef Tartare with Bone Marrow.
The latter is a staple. Soaked in seaweed for hours, the raw beef is delicate whilst the side of bone marrow adds a heavier depth to each mouthful. My favourite, however, was the Pumpkin Agnolotti. It was soft and swam in a warm buttery sauce, elevating an ordinary autumnal vegetable and mundane pasta dish to a starter worthy of wanting as a main.
Grilled Native Lobster (£80)
With a wine list so long you could get lost in it, sommelier Christian looked at my order and recommended Shaw + Smith’s Chardonnay 2021. As someone slightly out of my depth with knowledge of Australian wine, I was pleasantly surprised by the velvety taste of this bottle from Adelaide Hills. Throughout my dinner, despite the mouthfuls of red meat, the two managed to compliment one another leaving me with no other choice but to now purchase a few bottles myself.
For our main, we opted for the 18oz Dry-Aged Beef Sirloin (seared to a personal preference of blue), the Grilled Cornish Turbot (off the bone) and sides of French Fries, French Beans and Glazed Carrots. A gluttonous order with all the trimmings – but if you’re dining at Claridge’s, you may as well go the full nine yards.
Grilled Cornish Turbot (£58 for one, £115 for two)
They did all the right things. The steak was generous in size and certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted. The Turbot was a highly recommended choice and one I could see why. Finished with a sprinkling of smoked caviar, they have created the most glamorous fish and chips in London. The sauce Nantais wasn’t over-empowering and still allowed the white fish to be at the front and centre of the dish, something they could have easily stumbled at.
It’s uncomplicated and familiar, and yet very special. But I guess that is what Claridge’s has always been. If you want frills and fireworks from your food and a menu made up of complex words, then there are plenty of places in Mayfair that will cater to that.
This is a restaurant that has now returned to the very roots of the hotel it’s located in. It’s British. It’s luxury. And it’s going to make the ordinary, extraordinary.
by Imogen Clark
Claridge’s Hotel, Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR