CHINA Tang has been delighting diners at The Dorchester in Park Lane for many years while Dim Sum by China Tang in Harrods is absolutely new and with a vibe all of its own. It is to be found it in a corner of the grand dining hall, with a small number of tables and, facing the kitchen, comfy stools which you swirl around in to admire the art-deco ceiling and the wall tiles of flamingos and peacocks.
A veritable feast from the menu in the dining hall at Harrods
Come here at weekends, the dining hall can be packed full and cacophonous, making Dim Sum by China Tang’s corner spot a precious destination. A visit at a quieter time delivers a relaxed cadence for the enjoyment of fine food, splendid décor and a unique milieu.
My benchmark for steamed dim sum comes from a visit to Din Tai Fung at Taipei 101 and although the ones here in London are not quite as wafer-thin they taste exceedingly good because, this being Harrods, they are filled with suitably luxurious ingredients like scallop and caviar or, equally tempting, truffle and shitake.
The dim sum also comes deep-fried and, complementing the richness of other tastes, those with shrimp and spicy cabbage are wonderfully zesty. Wok-based dishes include silky, melt-in-your-mouth ma po tofu, topped with gold leaf which, supplemented with perfectly-cooked asparagus, is supremely gratifying.
Signature favourites from China Tang in Park Lane – roast duck and stir-fried A5 Wagyu beef in black pepper – add extra class to the choice of dishes. Fine wines, by glass or bottle, might be preferred for some of the food while dim sum affionados who swear by tea as the absolute accompaniment will be pleased to find pots of premium teas such asIron Goddess on the menu; plus a Tang Tea Punch cocktail, an uplifting blend of osmanthus tea, hibiscus syrup and gin.
Gorgeous to look at and to taste at Dim Sum by China Tang
In Waterloo Place, the piazza-like and monument-filled street connecting Pall Mall with Lower Regent Street, Claro is a new restaurant making its mark on the London food scene.
Mere minutes away from Piccadilly Circus with its domineering digital presence, Claro wisely opts for an undisturbed, sound-proofed dining space: occasional double-decker red buses trundle by in strange silence and the Duke of York column, over 40m high, is unmistakably there in the distance.
A corner table at Claro on St James
From a seat at the bar, looking at a kitchen scene, cocktails are deftly prepared and, if you wish, menus can be consulted. The wine list champions bottles from France and this is its strength. The seasonal food menu suggests the sharing of dishes, especially if starting with the Frena bread, the thin crust easily giving way to its fluffy taste, served with giant olives, labneh, matbucha and harissa.
You may think of passing on the brussel sprouts but this would be a serious mistake: fried with aioli, they elevate the humble vegetable with a taste worthy of the finest fine dining.
Ofri Rahav, pastry chef in Claro’s kitchen
Claro looks to be dedicated to intelligent, not indulgent, food and the main dishes will appeal to various diets. Desserts are in a class of their own, mixing fruits with vegetables with imagination and flair: think carrot cake with parsnip, dates with pecan crumble and whiskey caramel, strawberries and beetroot.
Filled with light during the day, the dining room at The Campaner
Another new and attractive restaurant, The Campaner, also invites sharing of food without excluding stand-alone dishes for one person. The location, Chelsea, is very different. While Claro occupies an historic building, The Campaner appears as if built and completed a matter of just days before your visit.
Sand-coloured brickwork defines the exterior as well as the interior which includes brick-built arches well beyond the skill set of your average bricklayer. Distinctive too are the lampshades that may be the largest you will ever see hanging from the ceiling of a restaurant.
Comfy seats at the bar in The Campaner
Menus abound at The Campaner: a weekly one, a sharing one and for good measure an á la carte menu. Choosing what to eat may require some time and there are stools at the island bar that will serve this purpose. Starters include a delicious plate of endives with Olavidia cheese and a beetroot cream (from the weekly menu) or mussels and Stilton (from the á la carte one).
This was followed by, for me, hake with a seafood sauce topped with Carabinero and for my friend beef fillet which was judged flawless. The chef is from Barcelona and most of the customers enjoying his creations looked to be Chelsea folk popping in to their neighbourhood restaurant for a meal.
by Sean Sheehan
Claro, 12 Waterloo Place, St James’s, London, reservations
The Campaner, Chelsea Barracks, 1 Garrison St, London, reservations
Dim Sum by China Tang, Brompton Road
, Knightsbridge, London, reservations