Lyle’s
Number of visits: 2
Named after head chef and co-owner James Lowe’s (of Young Turk fame) grandmother, Lyle’s is situated in the Tea Building, a 10-15 minute stroll from Liverpool Street Station. The large airy space and minimalistic setting allows the spotlight to shine on the food itself, and boy, does it impress. The menu changes daily, and is a nod to James’s time at St. John Bread and Wine; lamb hearts in this instance. Ingredients are seasonal, flavours clean, as shown by this plate of January King, mussels and seaweed.
January king, a winter cabbage, was sweet, and smoky round the edges, as only a good char can provide; mussels were dotted all over, lending a briny chew to every mouthful. The real star, however, was the sauce pooled under the cabbage. Rich and luscious, it tasted like the most intense mussel cream that you can imagine, with flecks of seaweed adding further depth. Thank goodness there was still some of the bread from the beginning of the meal to mop up every single drop.
Compared to my first lunch here, there were more options on the menu this time around. It is interesting to note that while lunch is wholly ala carte, dinner is a set menu only affair. The belief is that this makes choosing easier for customers, and also allows us to discover ingredients/pairings that we would usually not go for. Either way, it’s a lovely place to have a meal at.
Lyle’s
Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street
London E1 6JJ
Spring
Number of visits: 1
I never had the chance to sample Skye Gyngell’s cooking at Petersham Nurseries (it would have been a long journey out to Richmond for me), so I was delighted to be able to do so at her new restaurant in such a central location. Utilizing a space within Somerset House that had not been open to the public for the past 150 years, the dining room is very pretty with soft colours. The menu shows a strong Italian influence, and works hand in hand with the décor: rustic, generous and wholesome. Starters are simpler, allowing the ingredients to shine through, while mains are hearty and flavoursome, such as this dish of Halibut, salsify, agretti and seaweed butter.
The fillet of Halibut was capped by wonderfully crisp skin, while the salsify was tender and mild, with the agretti providing a nice grassy textural contrast. They were all bathed in a sauce of seaweed butter that was very tasty and brought the dish together.
The cooking here has an understated simplicity to it, demonstrating a keen understanding of flavour pairings. While there have been some gripes about the size of the menu (about 5-6 options for starters and mains), I would think that this is a very pleasant place to celebrate a special occasion at.
Spring
Somerset House, Lancaster Place
London WC2R 1LA
The French (Manchester)
Number of visits: 1
Simon Rogan’s first permanent venture into a big city garnered quite a bit of attention when it first opened, as he attempted to win Manchester a Michelin star (Restaurant Wars: The Battle for Manchester is a really interesting behind-the-scenes look at how The French and Manchester House came to be where they are today). Headed by Adam Reid, the current incarnation of The French offers a 6/10-course menu. The food style is very much what you would come to expect from a Simon Rogan venture: creative takes on fantastic British ingredients: as exemplified by this dish of sea bass, purple sprouting broccoli, potatoes and cockles.
The beautifully seasoned sea bass was delicious on its own, its buttery texture working well with the little balls of potatoes that had a nice flavour after being cooked in chicken fat. A touch of bitterness was added by sprigs of barbecued purple sprouting broccoli, which were nestled on top of a sweet broccoli puree that balanced the dish.
It’s been close to 2 years since The French came under new direction, and while accolades have been pouring in since, it’s still quite a surprise how the mysterious star has eluded them. (Manchester House should definitely be in contention as well)
The French
The Midland, Peter Street
Manchester M60 2DA
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