Embassy London Restaurant – A
Restaurant Review by Louise Elgin
Embassy London
29 Old Burlington Street
London W1
Tel: 020 7851 0956
The burning question as we pushed
open the doors of the discreetly
located Embassy London restaurant
was - were we going to be cool
enough for its notoriously glamorous
clientele? Located in the heart
of swanky Mayfair, Embassy London
is three venues in one, comprising
of a sophisticated cocktail bar,
elegant restaurant and downstairs
a private members club. From the
moment I stepped inside I knew
I was in for a good evening, with
the low, pulsating music, attentive
service and smartly attired staff.
The restaurant and bar are divided
into two separate areas, both being
spacious and uncluttered, the atmosphere
is modern and minimalist, with
clean lines and unfussy décor.
The bar is slick and professional,
with a lengthy cocktail list tempting
enough for even the pickiest of
the cognoscenti. Moving through
to the restaurant, this again is
very tastefully furnished in a
chic and contemporary style. The
tables are well spread out and
the music is played at a level
that does not interfere with conversation.
I was very much looking forward
to getting stuck into the menu
as one of my favourite chefs, Garry
Hollihead was cooking in the kitchen.
Last time I ate Mr Hollihead’s
food was at Geales Restaurant,
(see my dine-online review), which
was quality cuisine. With winter
looming I was excited by Garry’s
newly launched autumn/winter menu.
Our starters were art on a plate,
the presentation being magnificent
and almost making us not want to
stick our forks in and spoil the
effect. My guest began with sea
scallops, roast chicory and merlot
vinegar. She said it was presented
sensationally, the glass plate
it was served on being reminiscent
of the sea. The scallops were particularly
fresh, with a bacon flavour and
delicate brown coating, opening
up to reveal moist succulent flesh.
This was complemented by the sharpness
of the chicory and the orange and
merlot vinegar. As it was a large
helping, I had the added pleasure
of having to help her finish them.
My starter of tuna with a sesame,
chilli and ginger dressing, was
again stunningly presented. It
was very well flavoured with different
textures, zests and tangs adding
bite, the tuna perfectly seared,
tender but meaty in texture. To
drink we tried an unoaked Chardonnay,
Vaquero 2006 Monterery. It is a
rare treat to find one of these
on a menu, and at a reasonable
price. It was very fresh and quaffable,
with undemanding overtones, that
easily complemented are starters.
The main courses were split into
two sections, fish and meat and
a separate grills section that
I felt would satisfy even the most
ardent carnivore. My guest had
the monkfish tail, served with
piqullo peppers and blushed tomatoes.
She said it was a quality piece
of fish, perhaps a little “under
whelming” after the scallops
- the reviewer’s fault to
choose a very similar dish or should
the staff have advised about the
similarity? Meanwhile I was more
than happy with my choice, slow
cooked pork belly with Bramley
apple sauce that came so cleverly
served we thought it was a pudding!
This was ingenious presentation,
like a piece of modern art, the
crackling served as a wafer biscuit.
The pork delivered in a square
shape with pea puree and apple
sauce skilfully added to the art
work. The meat was tender and well
flavoured. We also tried some side
dishes, including some very well
cooked spinach, al dente green
beans, hot fat chips and perfect
mash.
As the evening progressed the
music became a little less pulsating
and moved onto something altogether
more relaxing. Somehow I decided
I had room for pudding as it was
all looking too good to resist.
I tried the warm chocolate and
pear fondant with Tanka beans.
This was another star presentation;
served on a rectangular plate,
the rich and smooth chocolate pudding
was all that it should be, with
refreshing pear cutting through
the richness. My guest had a plate
of cheese from Britain and France,
with chutney and biscuits, which
included Colston Basset, Comte
and Tommed. They were served at
perfect temperature, with all the
cheeses being deliciously warmed!
The biscuits were unusual with
a crisp and wide ranging selection.
As we left to stagger home, several
hundred calories heavier than we
had arrived, the night owls were
arriving at the private club for
an evening of (no doubt) rock and
roll. I was very happy to leave
them to it. I had had a damn fine
dinner and I could happily leave
the fashionistas to their air kissing
and gossip and take myself home
to bed!
Louise Elgin. November 2007.
A meal for two with wine, water
and cocktails is about £140.00
Embassy London
29 Old Burlington Street, Mayfair,
London W1S 3AN
T: 020 7851 0956
F: 020 7734 3224
E: embassy@embassylondon.com
