REVIEW: Brunch at Salmontini, Pont Street, Belgravia

Cliche I know, but if I had to survive on a dessert island with one thing only (in a world where your body didn’t depend on food) it would have to be Champagne. I could guzzle it all day long. So when the invite came through for a bottomless saturday afternoon Champagne brunch – well I got a little excited. Salmontini is a restaurant located in the heart of Belgravia serving up as its names suggest, lots of salmon based dishes, sourced only from the finest producers in Scotland. Inside it’s a rather lavish affair with dark woods, low lighting and huge windows at the front, the bar area is pretty special too. To ease you through your guzzling champagne brunches they also have a resident DJ on hand to whirl the afternoon away.

Food wise here it was nothing at all like I was expecting. Much fresher and very ingredients focused as opposed to confusing plates of food cooked a million different ways. A huge bowl of the familiar edamame was on had to help that Champagne flow nicely, along with a quiona salad which was a nice addition to the meal, but not something I’d particularly write home about. Th salmon tartar contained in baby gem on the other hand was a whole other story. Beautiful salmon drench in some kind of sauce, seasoned to perfection and topped with crunchy puffed rice. Eaten in one bite of course, you’ll be begging for more after. A similar tuna tartar creation made an appearance too but got demolished by fellow diners (including me) quicker then I could take a snap.

Excluding desserts (because they were rather phenomenal), the sushi here at Salmontini was easily the highlight over our epic brunch. A huge platter of inside out maki rolls. Beautiful fresh salmon and wasabi, tender and salty tuna and avocado rolls topped with roe – the avocado makis topped with shredded crab meat however were really something special and the rice on all had the perfect consistency and temperature. My meal so far may have looked a little fish/vegetarian led but Salmontini does offer a lot more choice, with an array of grilled meaty dishes, to pasta and fillets of juicy pink salmon. But the sushi here is still where this kitchen excels.

And then desserts arrived and everything got a whole lot more serious. Three magnificent creations were on display and each was perfectly crafted. A gorgeously made tiramisu with dollops of caramel was a dream. The chocolate sphere soaked in rich dark chocolate sauce really hit that sweet tooth spot, while the giant raspberry macaroon was the stuff of legends and along with that sushi it was a real highlight for me – featuring that all important crunch on the outside and soft chewy centre.

So what did I think of Salmontini? Well for most parts of it I loved. They serve magnificent sushi and the kitchen puts together some incredible desserts which are worth the travel for alone. While the salads here were nothing to write home about I’ve no doubt the fishy mains and grilled meaty courses don’t disappoint. So if you’re looking for a Champagne filled brunch and more sushi then you could ever need then you better get booking at Salmontini now before it gets any more popular than it already is.

7/10

I was invited to review