This was a nice little jaunt on a midweek evening. I’d eaten here once before for a birthday lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it then, so my standards were pre-set and high enough. However, since this was an evening occasion, I was more aware of the bar at the ground level of the place, which was suitably sedate on the previous lunch. In the evening, it was still fairly empty, only now playing latin-themed muzak far too loud. (Certainly loud enough to wend its way down the stairs to the restaurant to offend me.)
We went for that ever-present classic chicken liver parfait to start, and I loved that this particular version of the starter was some way between a parfait and a pate. I’m not certain if this is technically correct, but it worked really well with the crispy thick bread and jellied sherry dressing. If it’s good, I just cannot get enough parfait these days.
Main courses went well. A very competitive cut of pork belly with slightly chorizo-infused jus, cherry tomatoes and potatoes did not disappoint at all. It was crunchy on top, chewy underneath and then smoother at the bottom. I find a good cut of pork belly is hard to dislike, so as long as it’s cooked properly and the sides are right. With this, we tried some sea bream, presented as fish is often done these days: stripped off the bone, skin on, sliced long and piled in the centre of the plate with a few dressings. I can never complain about fish like this, but it always seems a little insubstantial to me. (Maybe that’s my hearty British meat-eating appetite baring its teeth a little too much though…)
Desserts weren’t too shabby either. A chocolate fondant (but of course) with some too-strong orange sorbet was fairly enjoyable. (But again – why overcomplicate something of such simple purity with some crazy accompaniment?) We also tried the Caramel Millefeuille, which I have to say was excellent. A sort of layered cake made from thin pastry slices with strongly sweet cream and some caramelised sugar decoration, it was light and very comforting.
If you’re near High Street Kensington then I suggest checking out L Restaurant for a meal. Equally useful for lunch or dinner, the quality is certainly high enough to make me want to try it a third time.
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