The rather beautiful new Dining Room restaurant downstairs at The Ned
So what do we need to know about The Dining Room at The Ned?
We hadn't realised that down in the lower levels of The Ned (which are accessible to members and any hotel guests in larger rooms) they'd done away with the original beauty salon and barbers and transformed the space into a restaurant, bar and private dining area. But this is where you'll now find The Dining Room. Chef Matteo Nardin (ex-Zafferano and Frenchie in Paris) is serving a dinner menu focusing on independent British producers.
Where is it exactly?
Well, the Ned is right by Bank station, but once inside you need to head down to the -1 level to find The Dining Room. The room itself is rather lovely. We were dining here on the hottest day of the year (and, as it turned out, since UK records began) and it was beautifully air-conditioned and very comfortably appointed. With velvet club chairs and beautiful hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper from Paris, it's an opulent dining space.
Here's what we ate:
Rice crackers with tuna tartare and oyster emulsion - a complimentary pre-starter that arrives along with cones of tomato caviar and a teeny martini made with Grey Goose and Earl Grey tea.
Isle of Wight tomatoes with pickled onion, stracciatella and green almonds (£8) - it's a great time of year to order these, although we had to hunt for the stracciatella.
Native lobster with English peas and summer berries (£15) - a plate of High Summer, beautifully cooked and presented.
Ayrshire Angus rib of beef with broccoli and wild garlic sabayon (£23) - we were happy to forgo the carbs with this.
Roast Launceston lamb with paprika aioli, confit sand carrot and rose harissa (£22).
Caramelia chocolate rocks with mint and Madagascan vanilla custard (£8)
Ned raw honey ice cream with Gosnells London mead, thyme and olive oil (£6) - made with honey from the Ned hive which is found on the Bees & Co farm on the Lincolnshire/Cambridgeshire border.
And to drink?
The wine list here is the work of The Ned's master sommelier Vincent Gasnier who has created a wine list to match the locally-sourced ingredients on the new menu. So there's a lively Cinsault from South Africa, a punchy organic Loire white from Saumur and a selection of favourites, such as Chardonnay and Cabernet.
Overall thoughts
If you're lucky enough to be a member or a guest staying here, then it would be well worth your time to step away from the frenetic energy of the ground floor goings-on and check out The Dining Room at The Ned. Chef Matteo has clearly availed himself of the best that the British larder has to offer and is treating it with a light hand.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of The Ned. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
More about the Dining Room at The Ned
Where is it? The Ned, 27 Poultry, London EC2R 8AJ
How to book: book online
Find out more: Visit their website.
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