Serious pastry action going on at The Northall
So what do we need to know about The Northall?
Plenty of column inches have been written about the other restaurant at the Corinthia Hotel London - Kerridge's Bar & Grill - but you may not be aware that there's another big restaurant in the same hotel - The Northall. Here it's chef André Garrett who runs the kitchen. You may have tried his food before when he was head chef at Galvin at Windows or during his tenure outside London at Cliveden. Back in central London, Andre's food is all about celebrating what's seasonal both here and on our doorstep in Europe.
Oh, and you might also remember The Northall as the restaurant where James Corden and Chris Hemsworth battled it out as competitive waiters.
Where exactly is it?
The Corinthia Hotel London is right down by the river on the corner of Northumberland Avenue and Whitehall Place. You can reach the restaurant through the hotel, but it also has its own separate entrance. As you might imagine it's a popular lunch spot for parliamentarians and embassy staff. The nearest tubes are Embankment or Charing Cross.
Where should we meet friends for a drink first?
Definitely here. There's a large, standalone bar at The Northall which is clearly a big draw in the area. Popping in here at the end of Dry January meant they had an interesting range of no and low-ABV cocktail on offer, but we went for the full alcohol option.
Yes, the martini definitely was a bit small, but on the plus side, it was well made and the bar snacks included very good olives and crackers.
What's on the menu?
The menu at The Northall goes big on local produce - there are scallops from Orkney, Cornish cod, and the black leg chicken is from Norfolk. It's the kind of menu you'd expect to find in a five star hotel, so there's a lot of luxury items for their A-list clientele (we bumped into Penelope Cruz, literally, the last time we were here), but plenty to entice a Londoner too.
Here's what we had:
The snacks menu - in addition to the usual choice of caviar and oysters - features a selection of bite-sized 'snacks'. We loved both our duck liver and smoked eel crumpets with apple vinegar (£9) and the tartare of Rhug Estate venison with caviar (£10).
Baked semolina gnocchi with broccoli, trompette mushrooms, truffle and a hazelnut pesto (£14 for a starter size) - gorgeously light gnocchi with loads of seasonal greens.
Rabbit, ham hock and duck liver terrine with grape husk and pickled vegetables (£17.50) - regular Hot Dinners readers will know we can't resist a good terrine and this was a stellar version, made even better by not being served fridge-cold.
Romney Marsh lamb en croute with braised endive and sherry vinegar caramel (£75 for two). Head to our Instagram page to see this being served up - and to hear how beautiful the pastry was when they cut it. Very good indeed and even better when served with their oh-so-buttery pommes puree.
Room for dessert?
We were a little disappointed with our dessert of caramel, yuzu and milk chocolate tartlet - the yuzu really overwhelmed the dish. But what you should definitely reserve space for is the cheese trolley. It isn't a huge selection but the all-British cheese offering was very good.
The cheese selection is an all British one - choose five for £14.50 and make sure you get the truffle honey to go with it.
And to drink?
The wine list roams around the world with a focus on organic and biodynamic wines. There's an interesting section of grower Champagnes along with Grande Marque ones. £40 is the entry point but if you are after something special you could soar up to £7k+ for Pétrus. Definitely make sure you opt for a glass of the tawny Port with your cheese course to enjoy the spectacle of the waiter hefting a humongous bottle over to your table.
Overall thoughts:
It's hard not to be overshadowed by the other big-name chef in the building, but André Garrett's food here at The Northall really is worth seeking out. Yes, this being a five-star hotel the bill's on the pricey side, but they also do a crackingly good set lunch deal and the Sunday Lunch is apparently winning them a serious fan base. If you're sick of perching on stools or shouting to be heard over the soundtrack of your usual neighbourhood spot, take yourself off here for some proper, comfortable cosseting.
More about The Northall
Where is it? Corinthia Hotel London, Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2BD
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Twitter @corinthialondon
Subscribe to be the first to get the news from Hot Dinners
