1 Lombard Street

This is probably the closest Michelin Star restaurant to our home, almost our local really, so were really hoping it will be special enough for us to come back.

Food

The a-la carte menu sounded very tempting, but we were here to take advantage of the 3 course special for London restaurant week. There was only one choice for the evening, but fortunately I was very tempted by what they were offering.

We started off with an appetiser of Celeriac Soup, which was actually rather boring and didn’t really show any flare or creativity. Better was the bread, as fitting for a 1 star restaurant, there were plenty of choice of bread. I tried the Poppy seed, olive and white, and all came hot with a crunchy crust and moist inside.

The meal proper started with Smoked Haddock Risotto with Quails Eggs, English Mustard and Lemon Veloute. I love the quail eggs which were still soft and just set, however the risotto was actually a bit bland. Pave of Angus Sirloin Steak Morel and Vin Jaune Sauce, Vegetable Fondant was cooked to medium as requested, however, it was a very boring dish. The steak was not even of the best quality I’ve had (I guess we aren’t paying top price for it afterall). The vegetable had had no special treatment either.

We had fun trying to figure out all the ingredients that went into the Apple and Mango Granita, with banana being a very popular choice, but surprisingly, mango didn’t feature. My favourite of the whole meal was definitely the dessert. The Gratin of Rhubarb with Elderflower Sabayon Honey and Vanilla Ice Cream was superb. The rhubarb retained its crunchiness and was rendered to perfection. The sabayon was what drew me though. Sweet, perfectly balanced, and a little different.

Some friends ordered from the a-la carte menu and were very satisfied with their choices, and also, we were the only ones ordering from the special menu. Which makes me wonder, did they skim on the London restaurant week menu? Because I thought the whole point of it was to show off their skills so that the new market of customer they were attracting would find it worthwhile to revisit again? Based on the performance today though, I won’t be back. It was good, but for a one start restaurant, I expect a lot more.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

It wasn’t quite what I expected. To get to the restaurant, you have to pass through the brasserie, which actually looked very spectacular. Situated in a big open space, with a huge dome just above the bar. The restaurant though, was tucked away at the back, behind a set of curtains. There was really no discerning feature there, although some of the banquette seating was very nice. After being to so many Michelin star places, I was really expecting more.

The restaurant itself was very small, with only small groups. None of them seem to be dining on the restaurant week menu though. Considering this restaurant was the only one not booked out for the special offer, I was wondering why.

Rating - 1.5

Service

We had booked 3 separate tables. I rang them to try to combine them into one, but was informed that they were only able to cater to a max of 6 per table. Going into the restaurant, I could see why. They simply didn’t have room for more. They were nice enough to arrange for us to sit at 2 adjacent tables though. In the end, 2 people pulled out, so we all squashed onto a small table. Never mind, they took it all in their stride, transferring our cups, plates. There was a sweeping of crumbs off the table and napkin folding too, plus all the waiters spoke French again.

Rating - 4

C-factor

For a 1 star restaurant, the prices are not that different to other restaurants in London, so in that sense, it is not that expensive. I don’t see though, how this place is better than some of the other places I have been to.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 12.5

Info

1 Lombard Street
London
EC3V 9AA
Phone +44 (0) 20 7929 6611
Website