We came up with our Tried & Trusted series because there are times in life when you need a sure-fire thing, be it when dining with business contacts, your team, friends or family.
Over the last few months, I’ve had the good fortune to eat at two excellent, relatively new establishments in London.
First, a dinner at The Hart (owned by The Public House group, who really know what they’re doing when it comes to pub restaurants) with one of my oldest friends, Clive. Amongst Clive’s myriad qualities, one of his greatest is to free himself up to meet me at under a week’s notice for dinner, any week of the year; the mark of a true pal.
Located in Marylebone (so slightly further west than Clive generally prefers to dine), it’s a traditional, if unashamedly gentrified boozer downstairs and a restaurant on the upper floors. Having booked for dinner on one of the hottest days of the year, on arrival we were lucky to nab the last available outside half table (the other half was already occupied by two finance bros) and spent an enjoyable hour catching up over a cold glass.
As eight approached, we were shown to a table high in the eaves. The food is exactly what we were looking for: elevated English classics, the highlights of which were devilled chicken livers; an aged bone-in prime rib (which we shared) accompanied by a Gem lettuce salad in a mustardy dressing; and a banoffee pie, as delicious as its presence on a smart pub menu was unexpected!
Second, a light supper at The Ambassadors Clubhouse. Owned by the excellent JKS Restaurants, by some way the UK’s premier chain of upscale eateries, it’s one of the very best Indian restaurants in Mayfair, maybe in London. If you’re stateside, it recently opened an outpost in New York.
However wonderful dining in company can be, very occasionally, usually after a day stacked with meetings, interviews and calls, I’ll book an early evening table for one, usually at the counter. Having finished my day just off Piccadilly Circus, a trip to Heddon Street a couple of hundred yards north seemed the path of least resistance.
Without doubt one of the most opulent dining rooms in London, it really is the first class to Dishoom's business. On entering, you’re transported to… well, what I imagine an ambassador's clubhouse would look like!
Encouraged by a friendly barman to try a Tamatar Martini (clarified spicy tomato juice and vodka), it was an excellent choice to start the evening. After perusing the extensive, genuinely exciting menu of Punjabi cuisine, I tucked into two assertively spiced plates of ‘Bitings’ and some Butter Chicken Chops, accompanied by an ice-cold Tusker. (If you know, you know.)
With an environment, cooking and service this sublime, I’ll be back with a guest or the team before too long!