REVIEW: Sixtyone Restaurant, Upper Berkeley Street, Marylebone

Who knew that only a short few minutes walk from the grotty site around Marble Arch Station, adjacent to Oxford Street – a charming hotel and restaurant exist. A tranquil haven away from the swarms of shoppers and also just as convenient for a spot of pre-shopping.Although it’s not immediately apparent, Sixtyone restaurant is located in the ground floor of the Montcalm Hotel. In conjunction with luxury company Searcys, everyone involved has done a great job decorating, with mid-tones of greys and striking copper – it all feels very ‘in’ right now, and so does the food. Deconstructed dining, as the website describes the food and with head chef Arnaud Stevens cooking in the kitchen, him and his team have devised a menu which is sleek, oozing in flavours and looks fantastic on the plate.

Toiling over our menu i was astounded that in this pricey part of London, bordering Marylebone how competitive prices really were. Three courses at lunchtime will set you back around a mere £22. A la carte prices were still very reasonable for the quality of the food. To get our taste bud flowing our waiter brought out a cafetiere filled with a mushroom tea like powder, which is then met with a dashi broth creating a lovely earth, salty drink.

A rich and thick mushroom mouse was also served alongside with some pieces of crispy toast and dried mushrooms. The toast i wouldn’t give you too many thanks for but the mouse was lovely and transforms it completely. Sixtyone were a little different with the pre-meal offerings so it made a nice change to what can sometimes be a little predictable in other fine dining establishments.

Even things like the simple offering of their breads were expertly crafted and accompanied by a gorgeous whipped butter with a texture so light you could almost mistake it for marshmallow. Still, it felt like it would leave a scarring mark on the hips – of which mine seem to be growing exponentially.

Our starter of octopus carpaccio , red pepper confit , sorrel and sesame was a magnificent plate bursting with colour and flavour. The octopus was fresh and vibrant, while pieces of red pepper were juicy and retained all their sweet flavour. Dollops of sesame, sorrel, salad leaves and crunchy corn left for a mouthwatering affair which i didn’t want to part with.

If there were ever a low point to our meal at Sixtyone restaurant it was our second starter of crispy organic egg with artichoke. Compared to everything else we were to be eating it was just not exciting enough and the egg needed a few seconds more cooking. The artichoke and puree on the other hand were delightful – but i do feel this one dish, is letting the restaurant down a little.

One of my favourite dishes (excluding desserts) was the unbelievably juicy Cumbrian chicken with smokey Alsace bacon, braised leek and unquestionably the best tarragon and bread sauce you’ll ever eat – if you came across another that is. Every single element to this dish was a delight to eat and complemented one mouthful after the other. If you come here and this dish is on the menu, order it – you won’t be disappointed. It’s a medley of what is, some of this restaurants best cooking.

A slab of 32 day dry-aged Cumbrian beef rib with slivers of shallots, a lovely deep flavoured gravy, crispy duck fat roast potatoes, and a dangerously addictive bulb of soft roasted garlic – perfect for spreading over that meat. There was a Yorkshire pudding served in a pan on the side but it was extremely dry and actually wasn’t needed with this dish, although it resembled a roast – it didn’t feel exactly like one, and nor did i want it to.

Desserts at Sixtyone is where things make an even bigger impression – they were all outstanding, and will leave you long for much more than could possibly fit on the plate. Rhubarb was served in a multitude of ways – sorbet, sauce, mouse filled dome, and every bit was as delightful as the next. Discs of white chocolate, white chocolate jelly squares and dollops of ginger sauce made this one of my favourite desserts in a while. It also looked stunning on the plate.

The talent of the kitchen really shined through with an unbelievably moist chocolate and praline fondant cake with a spoon of richly infused vanilla ice cream, shards of cocoa dusted chocolate, crunchy and sticky honeycomb and toffee covered popcorn. It’s not something you’ll want to share and i struggled to get barely a spoon of it from my fellow dinner. If you ever had the craving for even just a dessert – this is where you need to be.

A plate of well sourced cheeses with an abundance of age, flavour and freshness were perfectly matched with a stunning rosemary jam – which if you have not tried before, should be added to your bucket list – and if you don’t have one, then start it now. For the price, this plate of cheese which is meant for one, was a very generous helping.

Petit fours were some the best I’ve experienced in London for a while now. It’s not that they were surprising or particularly unusual but they were all made with such absolute precision and skill. Gorgeous chewy macaroons and Belgian chocolates to die for. I love restaurant Sixtyone and i only hope it starts receiving some of those worthy awards *cough cough* that they deserve. Something tells me that this restaurant, in time, is only going to get better, and better.

8/10