After wandering around St James’, lost on a cold Saturday in February, we are relieved to finally stumble across the warmth and comfort of the Caxton Grill, located on the ground floor of St Ermin’s luxurious 4 star hotel. Aside from being away from the wintery wind, we are looking forward to tasting Chef Hus Vedat’s cuisine, highly representative of the “Field to Fork” movement which promotes locally-grown and high quality produce, at this newly refurbished venue.
A very welcome open fire crackles, and at the bar the waiter whips up two Bowler Hat cocktails with gin, lemon, and honey from the roof of the hotel. There aren’t many customers around and most of them are hotel guests about to go out for the night. It is quiet, but the atmosphere is elegant and cosy and reminds me of Rococo.
At the dinner table, the food is incredibly fresh and seasonal. A thick and hearty winter consommé is first served as an amuse-bouche, along with baguette and rapeseed oil (a pleasant change from the traditional olive oil and balsamic vinegar) that jump starts the taste buds.
The slow cooked pork belly with crispy squid and granny smith and thyme infused cream as a starter, melts in the mouth and brings out all the flavour of the evidently British grown meat.
The pièces de résistance chosen on this occasion are the day boat catch – a fillet of cod with chorizo, and a fillet of beef cooked over real charcoal embers. The fish tastes like it has been caught only hours before it was cooked and the meat is presented on a wooden board with a selection of mustard and béarnaise sauce.
Our sides include 300 degree oyster mushrooms and incredibly tender, honey roasted, baby parsnips. (If they count as 1 of your 5 a day – I’d have them every day!) We ask our waiter to suggest a wine to go with our meals and he recommends a glass of Rioja from the Chef’s wife’s vineyard in Spain. Perfect. To follow, we also have a Wicham Estate Fume 2010, which gently lingers on the palate for a few seconds before revealing its oaky flavour.
To finish, who could resist the appeal of a zesty iced yogurt parfait with lemon thyme glaze, lemon curd and pepper tuile? Or the creamy white chocolate mascarpone cheesecake? Delicious.
Although quiet at weekends, the Caxton Grill becomes welcomes large crowds during week days (especially at lunchtimes), and is popular amongst theatre goers for its pre-theatre dinner menu. The quality of its products, affability of its staff and suave furnishings make this a go-to venue for a gourmet evening out in Westminster.
Written by Amy Denier
Date posted: 21/02/2012
