Launceston Place

2 stars in the making

canapes

Launceston Place, the crown jewels of the D&D restaurant group and perhaps one of the best restaurants in London is a personal favourite of mine. From the lovely and informal services to the excellent food, Launceston Place guarantees high levels of fine dining experiences at amazing values. This time we had a special 10 course tasting menu for a birthday occasion for my 6th visit, and again it turned out to be such an incredible evening.  

heritage tomatoes, grain mustard and cauliflower

Iberico ham, lardo, cep and fig

quail, newcorn, verjus, truffle and... 

The quail dish was faultless, the mixture of flavours and elements were superb, crisp sweet corn and the mild earthy note of the truffle worked like a treat with the tender and earthy flavour of the quail. Pork Jowl was a pork dish at the highest level, the meat was sweet and moist but without a sign of fat and the flavour matched well with the mild fruitiness of the warm apricot, the crackling was incredibly crispy and crunchy but not oily at the same time.

... and legs smoked in hay

pork jowl, red chicory and apricot

wild salmon, English crayfish and seashore herbs

grouse, sourdough puree,
cured foie gras cannelloni, fig, elderberry

Then there was the game dish, Allenhead's grouse, the earthy and bold flavour of the grouse was spot on, all offset by the sweetness of the figs and elderberry. Oh, and the cured foie gras cannelloni was to die for.... The final course of the evening was the milk chocolate sphere, a progressive version of a similar dessert which I had from my last visit. The cherries had the perfect balance of sourness and sweetness, the pistachio provided a contrast of texture to the not overly rich chocolate sphere.

salt marsh lamb, flavours of Provence

cheeses

lemon cream, lemon cured ice cream and granite

milk chocolate sphere, Scottish cherries,
puffed rice and pistachio

Launceston Place once again produced another stunning dinner, the combination of flavours and textures were top class with elegant and beautiful presentation. If there is a 1 star restaurant deserving to be promoted to the 2 stars territory in London in the upcoming Michelin Guide, I can't think of a better candidate than Launceston Place, the food here is truly outstanding and always progressive but remains consistent in quality at the same time, truly 2 stars in the making.

Food 4.5/5

Head chef: 
Tim Allen

What I paid: 
£120 per head with a glass of wine

Average cost without drinks and services :
Lunch menu: £30
Tasting menu: £70


1A Launceston Pl  London, Greater London W8 5RL

http://www.launcestonplace-restaurant.co.uk/