Restaurants

By Susan Low

In autumn 2007, Launceston Place was acquired by D&D London (formerly called Conran Restaurants). Since then, what used to be a dowager aunt of a restaurant has undergone a full facelift and refurb over several months, shedding its former dowdiness for a sultry, chic elegance. The wainscoted walls are still there, now painted in tones of doe-brown and caramel. There’s the occasional bright flash of fuchsia pink vases over the ornate fireplaces, and spidery modern chandeliers bringing the look up to date.

Both menu and chef have changed too. At the stoves is Tristan Welch, former head chef at the renowned Pétrus in Knightsbridge. Welch has also undergone something of a transformation, swapping the French classicism for which Pétrus is known for British modernity. And his cooking is shockingly good, in every detail.

We suspected we were in for a treat when the amuse-bouche arrived: a witty take on cheese-and-onion crisps, own-made and dusted with a flavoursome umami-rich powder; naughty, but nice.

A starter of scallops, served in their shells, balanced on a piece of olive wood and, on our visit, strewn with wildflowers looked as glamorous as a food stylist’s portfolio, but the straight-from-the-sea flavour was what really bowled us over. The flesh was so sweetly, subtly briny we could almost hear the sound of the sea coming from the shells. Deep, velvety green nettle soup was served with a little mound of frozen horseradish ‘snow’, the only over-embellishment we encountered during the meal.

Main courses were equally accomplished. Tamworth suckling pig was served in small pieces, the meat moist and juicy with just the right amount of fat. Served with a smooth sauce of creamed onions atop warm potato salad, the dish was decidedly brown, but still looked beautiful. Cornish mackerel , gleaming in their iridescent blue skins and served on toast, were perked up with the spiky flavour of green tomatoes. Each dish here is served on its own crockery in the Japanese style, so they all look stunning.

The pre-dessert was every bit as witty as the amuse-bouche. A hollowed-out eggshell was filled with vanilla custard, topped with slightly salty, caramel-flavoured crumbs that neatly bridged the change from savoury to sweet. Dessert proper, an intensely flavoured bitter lemon slice served with sweet-savoury thyme sorbet, was neither too sweet nor too rich – a fittingly accomplished ending to a brilliant meal.

The £38 three-course, prix-fixe menu is tremendous value. It delivers all the bells and whistles and is served at a leisurely pace and without fussiness. The wine list is long and prices are in keeping with the moneyed Kensington surrounds but there’s great choice by the glass, including a delectable Cerasuolo from Planeta in Sicily. The 12.5 per cent service added to the bill is well-earned by the professionalism of the solicitous, humorous staff. We left feeling cosseted and pampered. It wasn’t what we had expected from Launceston Place, but this is the same restaurant in name only.

Time Out Issue 1977: July 10-16