Fresh from its recent placing at no. 16 on the inaugural World’s 50 Best Hotels list last week, Claridge’s has now officially reopened its main restaurant. The space, which has been operated by external partners in recent years (Gordon Ramsay, Simon Rogan, Daniel Humm), is now back to being run in-house and has simply been branded Claridge’s Restaurant, which it was last known as over 20 years ago. It’s a sort of back to basics approach, but Claridge’s style.
The room has had a beautiful makeover courtesy of Bryan O’Sullivan Studio and it is, of course, a total stunner. The hotel’s 1920s-era design has been honoured with new elements: mosaic flooring, central leather banquettes and dramatic pendant lamps that have been designed in the style of art deco architect Joseph Hoffman. The restaurant’s artwork has been chosen from Claridge’s private collection – including pieces from Sean Scully, Guggi and Richard Gorman – and the doors to the kitchen have been adorned with Calcutta Viola marble and antique brass.
The menu has taken a similar timeless elegance approach, with classic dishes delivered with aplomb. We began with an excellent, refreshing duo of a peach picante and a glass of Hundred Hills – one of the best English fizzes out there. Do not pass up the Parker House loaf with Claridge’s butter when you sit down either. This soft, pillowy brioche mini-loaf is an absolute joy, and the little pad of butter shaped like the Claridge’s crest is a nice touch.
Across the menu you’ll find a raw seafood section (including tall towers of fruits de mer), plus caviar, starters, mains and sides. We began with homemade buckwheat crumpets loaded with freshly shaved black truffle, and a pitch perfect bowl of pumpkin agnolotti with smoked delica pumpkin and crisp sage leaves. You can also get this dish as a main course size and it’s honestly well worth considering as a meat-free option.
For mains, we were very happy we went for the roasted chicken, stuffed with lemon and brioche and served with a rich, deeply flavourful sauce Diable. We also got the grilled Cornish turbot fillet (you can also opt for a bigger size for two to share) which comes with a buttery sauce Emeline. Perfectly thin, crispy fries were the ideal accompaniment, as was the welcome sharpness of pickled radish and white strawberries in the bitter leaf side salad.
We would normally just share a dessert but sometimes you’ve got to go all out. Of the two we tried, we’d say the ‘do not miss’ choice would be the incredible, oozy chocolate soufflé tart with cocoa nib ice cream, though the blackberry vacherin was no slouch and a good choice if you were after something not quite so rich.
It was a shame Davies & Brook didn’t work out as everyone had hoped, but in all honestly, the new Claridge’s Restaurant feels like the restaurant the space was crying out for. It’s very easy to love and a great fit for the hotel – we’re sure it’ll be around for many years to come now.
Claridge’s, Brook Street, London W1K 4HR
claridges.co.uk