Restaurants

By Guy Dimond

A listed Georgian mansion surrounded by parkland should have the potential to make a destination restaurant. Yet this pristine example has been leased by a succession of restaurateurs over the past decade, none of whom have been able to make it work. The latest incumbent also runs the well-regarded L'Etranger in Earl's Court, and has given it a daringly modern refurbishment which contrasts with the 1785 building. The bar is now black and grey dotted with oversized seating like a nightclub VIP lounge; the dining room is bright white with a floor that's an industrial shade of orange. Flock-covered orange chairs and a chandelier that looks like a molecular model give it a look that's a bit '2001: A Space Odyssey'.

The menu comprises the kind of Oriental fusion dishes that you find in luxury holiday resorts across Asia. 'Spider crab soup' was served in an upturned shell of the crab and was beautiful to behold, but the Thai-influenced red curry held within was excessively salty, and the garnish of enoki mushrooms was badly damaged; it's slapdash to let a dish like this out of the kitchen. Much better was the starter of beef tartare and a main course of roasted eel served on interesting nibbles that included baby asparagus and foie gras.

Prices throughout are high. Venison was a few perfectly cooked discs of meat, served with a chocolate-flavoured jus and a peculiar brochette of grilled onion, quince and carrot: this cost £17.50. A small side dish of bok choy cost £3.50. Slivers from the cheeseboard cost £7.50.

After the obvious investment in the property, it's odd that the service in this brand new restaurant appears so complacent. The designated wine waiter knew next to nothing about the not-particularly-interesting wine list. Two waiters could only identify two of the cheeses between them. Service throughout was laidback and inattentive.

Unless they can get these glitches sorted out, it might not be long before this prime site is relaunched by yet another enterprising restaurateur.

Time Out London Issue 1855: March 8-15 2006