Restaurants

At night this is a sleek, space-age restaurant, designed by architects Stiff + Trevillion, with big art by Michael Craig-Martin and lots of curvy white fittings. Owned by Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, who also run the Wolesley (and before that the Caprice, the Ivy and J Sheekey), St Alban marks a departure for them as the space is entirely modern, and the menu concentrates on modern Mediterranean dishes. It’s a mouth-watering read. Sadly, there was no slow-roasted Norfolk Black pig with seared potatoes and lemon, though this was the only disappointment. We were treated to a procession of punchy flavours right from the start, beautifully demo-ed by Sardinian tomato and mozzarella salad, courgette flowers stuffed with salt cod, and broad beans with chorizo. Mains were equally impeccable: nicely spicy Sardinian fish stew, and juicy seared scallops with a big tangle of samphire. Dark chocolate tart with white chocolate mousse was a fine pudding, though we couldn’t help but envy a neighbouring table their wild strawberry soufflé with chocolate sauce. Prices are very reasonable for this level of cooking. As with all Corbin-King venues, it’s the attention to detail that counts: interesting breads and grissini come with glorious olive oil; beautifully chewy mini macaroons accompany the coffee; staff are ultra-attentive without being bothersome.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008