artisan
Located in the heart of London’s exclusive Mayfair district, the Westbury Hotel’s self proclaimed combination of ‘..modern luxury and comfort with timeless style’ would be looked upon with sheer cynicism if it wasn’t so patently true. Having recently gone a £25 million refurbishment, every penny of it shows, with the decor oozing earthy, luscious textures, with natural tones bathed in warming, golden amber glows. A hypnotically inviting atmosphere for those, like us, seeking respite from a torrential downpour – unusual weather, even for our much maligned British summer. Though at that point, retiring into the comfort of, say, the Westbury’s 7th floor, 1,213 sq ft penthouse suite would certainly have been welcome, our real concern, was the attraction that is Artisan, the Westbury’s ground floor restaurant. Headed by former Roux scholar Andrew Jones, the Artisan menu makes for reading as opulent as its surroundings. With promises of service and cuisine worthy of a 5 star hotel, we dried off and settled, with relief, into our centrally located dining room table…
As anticlimactic as this first image may appear, bites into the fluffy kernels revealed a subtle truffle flavour throughout. The elusive flavour, once confirmed by our ever helpful waitress, led to table-wide consideration of the contradictory blend of luxury ingredient with pedestrian snack.
A platter of amuse bouches then arrived, served on a rather self indulgent introductory text detailing Jones’ food ethos. A gazpacho masquerading as a tomato milkshake proved refreshing, if unoriginal. Mini foie gras burgers, goats cheese with white chocolate, and salted meringue sticks left the table divided, but mouths were nonetheless appropriately and unanimously amused.
An impressive selection of bread was then offered, with the rosemary [centre left] and chilli [centre right] rolls proving popular.
A surprise pre-starter slice of smoked mackerel then appeared on lens-like glassware. The meaty, smoky, singular mouthful was indeed a random, but decidedly welcome surprise.
Starters arrived with a piece of pure theatre. A whole leg of 5J Jabugo Jamón Ibérico was wheeled in, and carved at our table, centrepiece to a wonderfully rethought ham, egg and chips dish – the aforementioned ham laid slenderly over a poached duck egg and parsnip chips.
A set of 4 roasted dorset diver scallops, arranged like toppled dominoes. Meaty and with appropriate amounts of sear, the fleshy morsels partnered well with the tartness and sweetness of the confit cherry tomatoes.
A seared portion of seared Vendée foie gras melted with every mouthful, with pieces of roast peach playing their role in the traditional fruit and foie pairing. A rather ineffectual sliver of spice bread was overshadowed on the plate by a singular slice of chilli, inventively crystallised with sugar; the crunchy sweetness giving way to a slow burning heat was a delightfully new experience.
The mushroom carpaccio was a fusion of raw and cooked wild mushrooms and hints of Parmesan cheese. Elegantly presented with a crunchy tube of rocket, the dish was accentuated by splashes of citrus vinaigrette and scatterings of walnut. After a round of palate cleansers, which included a globule of rose jelly, and a shot glass of ginger and apple, we moved onto the main courses.
The dish of roast Scottish lobster arrived, with satisfyingly sweet and yielding meat. Crunches of asparagus complemented the soft, umami rich morels, but as a whole the dish probably could not justify its £8 supplemental charge. Another main of Caledonia crown Scottish beef fillet came disappointingly tough, as did a simple roast breast of Bresse chicken.
One main course highlight was the roast fillet of seabass, accompanied by a gorgeously five spiced braised pork belly. Most acclaimed main of the night was the roast saddle of west Devonshire lamb [pictured above]. Graced with an immaculately thin aubergine crisp, the cooked rare saddle was exceptionally tender. Sitting on top a bed of balsamic vinegar and basil jus, the dish also came with an unctuous portion of richly flavoured lamb tongue.
A selection of desserts began with bread and butter pudding…
…a raspberry and strawberry pavlova…
…and a chocolate fondant with butternut squash filling. Though desserts were spectacularly presented, none in particular stood out as particularly exceptional. Following desserts we were slightly crestfallen to see no hint of any petit fours, and, looking back, we noticed an absence of any pre-dessert courses. Though we concede that complimentary courses are not an entitlement in any way, we did find this puzzling given Artisan’s generous initial penchant for amuse bouches, pre-courses and palate cleansers.
On completion of the meal we still left a very impressed and satisfied party indeed, particularly with the politeness and pleasantness of the staff, who seemed to operate with a near supernatural level of unobtrusiveness. Additionally, the discreet, intimate opulence of both Artisan and the Westbury Hotel makes for an impressive dining experience. Where the plaudits matter, though, is with the food – Andrew Jones produces stunning dishes entirely appropriate for the grandiose setting. Although on the journey, from amuse bouche to dessert, there are times that overcomplicated and glaring misses detract from the admittedly stunning hits, you’ll still without a doubt, have an amazing time on the way.
