Naples-born chef Carlo Scotto, who was previously at Babbo and Angela Hartnett’s Murano, has just opened his first solo restaurant Xier, in London’s Marylebone. Located on Thayer Street right between St Christopher’s Place, Oxford Street and Marylebone High Street, the restaurant offers casual ground floor dining with XR and then the fine dining approach for lunch and dinner with upstairs at Xier.
The modern European and global influences can be played out over a ten-course tasting menu that will set you back £90. It is a banquet that will keep you entertained and well looked after.
The menu began with a soft, sweet stracciatella cheese topped with pollen, calamondin, taro and organic honey alongside a beetroot and goat’s cheese macaron that came served on a bed of dry ice smoked moss, and looked damn impressive.
Three starters followed with a super fresh and zingy red prawn crudo, raspberry, red caviar and yuzu, then a brilliant rose cured salmon, foie gras, rhubarb and Bramley apple AND if we had to pick a fave, then the lamb sweetbread would be the one, with kohlrabi jam, pickled kohlrabi and spinach.
Mains saw an impressive black cod in caramel miso alongside asparagus, parsnips, duck and perilla infused oil. Cooked to perfection and delicately presented the combination of crunch to tender was
Dessert, or should we say desserts, saw an array of delicate and interesting tarts, sorbet and cakes with dense dark chocolates and lightly refreshing ice cream that represented the ‘sweet tooth’ part of the menu. A sugary, sweet playground is laid out before you. Go explore.
The ten-course feast is a journey Carlo definitely takes you on with exciting flavours, artistic presentation and a love of food that is cleverly designed and impressively delivered. Combined with attentive service, (your glass is never close to empty), the whole evening flowed, making the three-hour dining experience a total breeze. Hats off to Carlo.
13-14 Thayer Street London W1U 3JR
xierlondon.com