There’s big change afoot in The Stafford London Hotel: the restaurant is set to close, undergo a hefty redesign and reopen in early 2017 as The Game Bird, with James Durrant at the helm.
The menu is set to be an ultra-British affair, with no chance to praise the provenance of each ingredient left untaken - there'll be Clarence Court eggs and Lincolnshire smoked eels, while the scallops hail from Orkney. There are also pies, including "Salt Marsh Mutton Lobscouse and Steak and ale steamed suet pudding".
On Sundays, you can opt for a traditional roast with gravy and all the trimmings , although it would be hard to pass up The Game Bird's eponymous dishes - game, and lots of it. On the main menu is:
- Roast grouse, bread sauce and game chips
- Rhug estate fallow deer tartar, quail egg, Worcester sauce, and charcoal mayonnaise
- Wood pigeon pot au feu
- Game pie with port and short crust pastry.
There’ll also be a special oyster menu, where you’ll be able to sample the British Isles’ shellfish offering, from Jersey to West Mersea and beyond. It’ll be served alongside a tableside trolley of smoked and cured fish, with lots of punchy condiments, and for special occasions, Oscietra and Keta caviar.
The whole experience is bound to be full of pleasing little touches, like the tableside trolley, excellent service and a cozy interior redesign focused on highlighting the five-star hotel’s historical origins.
Durrant has worked in a plethora of Michelin-starred restaurants including Jason Atherton’s Maze and Maze grill. He comes to the Game Bird following the success of his first solo restaurant in Longparish, The Plough Inn, which won a Michelin Bib Gourmand and his main course was chosen for the banquet on BBC2’s Great British Menu 2014.
The Game Bird opens early 2017 at The Stafford Hotel, 16-18 St James’s Place, London SW1A 1NJ. For more, follow them on Twitter @TheGameBirdLON.
