A press announcement arrives, proclaiming the virtues of a new chef at this South Kensington address, which, as Bistrot 190, was a thriving early-’90s scene. More recently, the place has faded from prominence, however, so we ventured along to see if the new man – who has spent the past two years cooking for the trenderati at Soho House’s NYC outpost – has injected a bit of pizzazz.
It turns out that this appears to be another of the false dawns to which this place seems periodically prone. That’s not to say the food is bad. A starter of scallops with braised peas was really quite good. But otherwise dishes varied from OK (a terrine and a risotto) to a total non-event (seared organic salmon salad). If you were staying in the adjoining hotel – which would not be a bad choice, if you’re looking for a bit of OTT English style – you’d not have much cause to complain. This is not food worth crossing town for, however.
The dining room itself is quite grand, and furnished in a bohemian country house style – complete with large chandelier and mirrors – that makes it a pleasant rarity in town. The ambience never quite ignites, though. Perhaps if they ditched the paper napkins, and stopped sorting the cutlery so noisily, it might start to approach its potential.
The best feature of this address is, mercifully, unaffected by the passing of the years. Before or after your meal, you can still enjoy a drink in one of the most characterful panelled cocktail bars in London. On this front, the PR-burble – ‘racy, raffish and oozing with intrigue’ – really does seem to have it about right. The prominent Tory MP we bumped into certainly seemed to fit in very nicely.
