A very popular venue even on a weeknight, tables were filled to the brim. With large see-through open windows, it beckons and invites the curious to peek in and hear the chattering voices and cluttering of meals being eaten.
We were ushered to a corner and served with the menu. Our waitstaff was friendly and was quick to serve us at the beginning (before it slowly started moving in the other direction). We were a little surprised when she didn’t know what the soup of the day was and had to check.
Our appetisers arrived timely and we were happy to tuck in.
The soup of the day was a rustic tomato base soup which actually turned out to be a cold dish. Unexpected but refreshing.
The beetroot cured salmon with lemon crème fraiche was wonderful. Thin slices of salmon cured with beetroot, it was light and fresh with a slight tang from the lemon crème fraiche.
The beetroot cured salmon with lemon crème fraiche was wonderful. Thin slices of salmon cured with beetroot, it was light and fresh with a slight tang from the lemon crème fraiche.
The place was on full service when we finished our appetisers and it took forever for someone to come and clear our plates for our mains to arrive. The lady did apologise for the wait when she came with our mains which at least meant that the long wait did not go unnoticed.
I had the Roast cod with apple and potato gratin and grain mustard sauce. The cod was unfortunately overcooked and was dry. The rest of the accompaniments were cooked to the right balance and texture. Very unfortunate with the fish considering that it was the main ingredient.
The other mains was the special which is grilled pork loin, sautéed mushroom and apple jus. The juices from the meat encapsulates in the mouth, very tasty.
It was another long wait after the mains again and trying to get the attention of the wait-staff was proving to be a tad futile. We were finally attended to and decided to finish our meal with dessert. Seeing that there were a number of tarts available on the menu, we sense that it might be their niche and decided upon the peach tart with crème Chantilly.
It was easily another 15 minutes wait for our dessert and I was beginning to wonder whether this might be due to it being made on the spot or had to be placed in the oven? Looking forward to the tart being warm and fresh from the oven, that was not the case. However, it was well worth the wait. This has got to be one of the best tarts I have had.
Slices of peaches curled and swirled with the crème Chantilly to fill the base of the tart, this was served plain and simple. I love it whenever desserts are hand made and not one of those manufactured in large quantities and shipped to various shops for sale type. The tart itself was the perfect balance in its density and crumbliness which allows you to savour and taste it without overpowering the subtleness from the peaches. I could not get enough of this.
When we were finally ready to go, it was another long wait for a water refill and the bill again. A chat with our lady finally revealed that she is extremely new to the restaurant but had been given the largest section to work on. Forgivable but the customers should not have to pay the price for it. Service was unexpectedly slow and there were times when the feeling of being neglected is felt. You could see that all the wait staff was really busy but perhaps management should look at making sure that they have allocated enough wait staff to the respective sections.
The food here is of a good standard although unmemorable.
Toptable currently has a 50% off all food offer which makes dining here an excellent bargain.
29 Romilly St. Soho, London W1D 5HP
0207 734 6112
http://www.kettners.com
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