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THE LAST WORD Wood-� red wizardry in the heart of Mayfair - this place is hot hot hot
THE LAST WORD A friendly, neighbourhood vibe backed
by top-drawer food - Fitzrovia has another hit on its hands
Portland
113 Great Portland Street, W1W 6QQ
020 7436 3261 Price £44
A collaboration between Will Lander
(co-owner of The Quality Chop House)
and Daniel Morganthau from 10 Greek
Street, this Fitzrovia newcomer feels like a
neighbourhood joint in the middle of town.
Wooden tables are cosily positioned to create
hubbub, sta are friendly and it's the kind
of place that begs for return visits. An open
kitchen sits at the back of
the long dining room and
doesn't impose on the
jovial chit-chat from the
assembled company.
We'd recommend
sco ng a couple of meaty
pig's head croquettes or
piquant pickled shiitake
with ginger while you
peruse the short, seasonal
menu - a mixed bag
new openings
WINE LIST
This short and traditional list majors on
France (notably the Rhône) with support
from classics such as Vinho Verde from
Portugal, Mosel Riesling, Chianti and Rioja,
plus a couple of big-hitting Burgundies.
Safe choices mean no thrills, but no horrors
either. BEST BUY Château de Montfaucon
Côtes du Rhône 2012, Rhône, France, £35.
of Anglo-European dishes with eclectic
overtones. Our chunky mackerel tartare
overlaid with thinly sliced beetroot was a
delight, but the star starter was a plate of
charred brassicas with a smoky egg emulsion
- evoking the last open res of winter.
To follow, a huge venison Wellington was
escorted to the table in a pan - to show o
its sheer length and girth - before returning
sliced on a plate with a side of red cabbage.
The result was pink and tender meat encased
in buttery pastry with mushroom pâté - a
dreamy combination.
Likewise, a dish of pink,
earthy wood pigeon with
all kinds of mushrooms
came bathed in smoked
onion 'tea' poured from a
pot at the table - a broth
so rich and fragrant it cried
out for some bread for
mopping up. To conclude,
rice pudding with Seville
orange and London honey
ice cream was a lightly citrusy, creamy bowlful
a world away from schoolroom stodge.
An enthusiastic sommelier its from table
to table, dispensing advice on Portland's
clever wine list - one more inspiring touch
that Lander and Morganthau have brought to
this supremely accomplished newcomer.
WINE LIST
A clever selection of 'Textbook', 'Left� eld'
and 'Special' wines is supplemented by
a diverse Reserve List that contains real
gems from top names and great vintages
- all in limited quantities, meaning
wonderful new discoveries each time you
visit. BEST BUY Peninsula Pinot Noir 2013,
Crittenden Estate, Victoria, Australia, £45.
Kitty Fisher's
10 Shepherd Market, W1J 7QF
020 3302 1661 Price £65
One of the biggest success stories of early 2015,
Kitty Fisher's has 'instant classic' written all over it.
This place gets so many things absolutely bang-on,
from the moment that the three owners working
front of house introduce themselves by name, with a
handshake to boot. In the kitchen is rising star Tomos
Parry (Young British Foodie Chef of the Year 2014), who
works the wood- red grill alongside Chris Leach, former
sous-chef at Pitt Cue Co.
Grilled bread features in two standout starters - a lightly
oiled version partnered by burnt onion butter, and an
even more intense combo spread with fennel butter and
whipped cod's roe. Elsewhere, roasted rye bread is topped
with roughly cut and assertively spiced steak tartare.
All the meat is excellent, from the waves of smoky, salty,
fatty avour rolling from the lamb cutlets anointed with
anchovy, mint and parsley to the standout dish of
Galician steak: charred to a black crust, glistening
ruby-rare within and tasting of ripe, rounded
maturity - although even this showstopper is
almost outdone by its accompanying pink r
apple potatoes, dressed with grain mustard and
discharging gooey Tunworth cheese.
With just a couple of tables and bar stools at street
level, most dining takes places in a vaulted basement,
where illumination comes from candlelight and an open
kitchen. Meanwhile, the rather louche furnishings nod to
the eponymous Kitty Fisher herself: one can imagine the
18th-century courtesan dusting her cheeks with rouge the
same shade of pink as the button-backed banquettes.
Service is also top-drawer, with notably friendly young sta .
If you add in some well-priced wines and reasonable value (for
Mayfair), it's no surprise that tables here are so hard to come by.
THE LAST WORD
works the wood- red grill alongside Chris Leach, former
Grilled bread features in two standout starters - a lightly
even more intense combo spread with fennel butter and
whipped cod's roe. Elsewhere, roasted rye bread is topped
All the meat is excellent, from the waves of smoky, salty,
fatty avour rolling from the lamb cutlets anointed with
anchovy, mint and parsley to the standout dish of
Galician steak: charred to a black crust, glistening
ruby-rare within and tasting of ripe, rounded
maturity - although even this showstopper is
almost outdone by its accompanying pink r
apple potatoes, dressed with grain mustard and
discharging gooey Tunworth cheese.
level, most dining takes places in a vaulted basement,
where illumination comes from candlelight and an open
kitchen. Meanwhile, the rather louche furnishings nod to
the eponymous Kitty Fisher herself: one can imagine the
18th-century courtesan dusting her cheeks with rouge the
same shade of pink as the button-backed banquettes.
Service is also top-drawer, with notably friendly young sta .
If you add in some well-priced wines and reasonable value (for
Mayfair), it's no surprise that tables here are so hard to come by.
David Cameron
at Kitty Fisher's
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