London, has for the past five years being undergoing some BIG changes. In 2010 this city wasn’t known for its food across the world, really – it wasn’t. Just five years ago I was eating at Berwick Market in Soho – but not at Pizza Pilgrims or Tongue in Cheek – the only thing here was a few fruit & veg legends and a white van man selling burgers for £2.99 and the quality was rather shocking, but back then I had no idea. I wasn’t educated, it was normal and London was still in its infancy. Five years on however and things have changed, massively.
One thing I love about food blogging is realising how much insight I have. Without blowing my own trumpet, I’ve reviewed over 500 restaurants across Europe now and 300 of those in London. This city has become world-renowned as a gastronomic capital and the population is getting rather obese, so the newspapers say. So in a city so advanced and educated in food I had to wonder why its newest addition, Tavern at 15, inside The London Capital Club is so far off the mark and about two years behind the every current food trend. Unfortunately I have no idea whose idea this menu was – but the chef can cook. Oh and the cocktails – sublime.
Ham & cheese croquettes were first to grace the table. They looked delicious, the pepper sauce underneath was very nice and so was the crumb – but the filling lacked seasoning. Enjoyable, but sadly not very memorable. Prawns and chorizo was a classic Spanish tapas offering. Again it was nice but the Chorizo could have been of better quality and much softer. Visually, it looked very rustic – which I suppose it should be given its origins but perhaps inside a members club a little more excitement could be imagined. The one dish I really didn’t get was the chicken wings with a paprika marinade. Since when do City diners eat this sort of food? Perhaps they’re looking to attract a new crowd but given that London is already flooded with some of the most amazing Korean chicken wings known to man, these simply felt lazy. On the flip side of things the scotch egg was excellent – one dish they should never take off the menu – it has signature dish written all over it.
Soft shell crab is another popular dish across London, very much in its prime and much-loved by Londoners – so I was happy to encounter and it turned out to be my favourite dish of the dinner. Very good batter, juicy crab meat and well seasoned. The squeeze of lemon and dip of aioli went down very well with it. Some things however are simply meant to be served simple and uncomplicated. Warm baked camembert with a red onion compote and toasted brioche for dunking. A good hearty dish for those cold winter nights, but I still can’t see it working in this part of town. I hadn’t seen mini-sliders in some years so that came as a surprise too. Whether it was because we’re in a group – perhaps. So I’ll reserve judgement but the meat was dry on all of those I ate and the Thai prawn burgers had that familiar Thai fishcake sponge texture to them – something everyone pretends to love when dining out but really can’t stand.
Another winner here, along with the soft shell crab was the tiramisu and crème brulee. The table most enjoyed the tiramisu more but personally I thought they were both a solid offering. Flavoursome, well constructed and very moorish – a safe option if visiting Tavern at 15.
The London Capital Club as a venue itself is fantastic. It’s classic, has that old gentlemens feel you crave, dark wood and a type of service you wouldn’t find elsewhere in London. However, this new restaurant downstairs for the general public, currently feels like a space they need to fill. The chef can cook, you can feel it deep in the dishes, but currently the food is not exciting and if you took each dish individually – they’re all famous of their own in different restaurants across London, yet here nothing stands out. Think I’m wrong? Well only time will tell. If in 6 months Tavern at 15 is the busiest restaurant in London then that’s me done, but if not I’ll come work here for free and help get this place on form – I know the kitchen can do it, the question however is who put this menu together? Someone very out of touch with London it would seem.
6/10
