One of the most hardest things these days for a restaurant is not being that new restaurant on the block, word spreads quickly – but it’s change. New décor, new staff or a new chef – it’s hard work getting that word on the street, especially as so many reviews and articles about you in your old form are already spread across the internet. The Cavendish is one of those restaurants. The venue first opened late 2014 with a menu focusing on modern, European dishes with punchy flavour. I visited just a couple of months after its opening and personally I loved it, but was it offering something which you couldn’t find elsewhere? Probably not. But now that has all changed with a new head chef at its helm, his name – Douglas Santi. As you’ll soon discover, this is a chef who knows his food and importantly compliments the already delicious cocktails created in the well stocked bar on the ground floor.
The menu here is extensive. Not only does it have a long main menu, but there’s also a huge selection of small plates, bar snacks and a solid brunch offering. We toiled through the menu trying to decide exactly what we wanted but head chef Douglas has created such a tantalising, quality led menu it’s hard to choose. From a chilli laced tuna tartar, Iberico ham and the chefs signature 100 layer lasagne – you’ll be easily needing more than one visit to get a real sense of its menu – or eat as much as you possibly can in one sitting. We swayed to an unlikely choice of sliders. I can’t recall ever having a slider that’s impressed me. They’re always lacking in a good quality bun or the meat is mostly overcooked. But not here. They’re pure perfection. The mini beef brioche beauties were small versions of the restaurants Cavendish Burger. A well-cooked beef patty, full of smokey tones, encased in well glazed brioche bun. It’s all finished with mature cheddar and jalepeno mayo. Quite honestly the best burger I’ve had in London to date. Mini lobster sliders in a Marie rose style sauce were also an excellent few bites and beautifully sweetened. This is food porn with a rocket attached. It’s serious stuff.
We enjoyed more starters and small plates, all of which continued to excite. Simple is sometimes best and the food here at The Cavendish is testament to that. It’s all about the ingredients and the quality. One of my favourite dishes from our afternoon lunch was this plate of tender artichoke, asparagus, sumac, chia seeds and shavings of aged Parmesan. A fantastic showcase of ingredients which left you salivating with each bite, and excited for the next. Pairing with our vibrant plates of food was a serious Pinot Grigio with body and richness. Quinoa with prawns, tabbouleh, garlic and slices of chilli was again perfectly executed and oh-so fresh.
Admittedly we were ridiculously full by this point, those mini sliders were not so mini – yet one bite into our blackened rib-eye left us in steak heaven. The meat is sourced from the finest suppliers and dry-aged for flavour. Head chef Douglas Santi first cooks his meat in a water bath, retaining flavour and texture – before finishing off in a josper oven to give it its blacked bark and rich smokey flavour. It was outstanding. Even the fries were perfect. Crispy golden sticks of fluffy, full-flavoured potato and a good salt & pepper coating.
Just when we thought our lunch couldn’t get any better, Douglas appeared from the kitchens, presenting a dessert which no doubt stemmed back to his Michelin days. He’s had over 25 years of experience in the industry, starting his career at the young age of 13 working for Laurent Saudeau, before moving on to work under Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse at Louis XV in Monaco. Avant garde in its presentation this medley of pistachio spaghetti, almond, meringue and chocolate, with a sprinkle of gold dust for decadence – was just perfect.
They’ve oddly dotted the casual downstairs with the occasional white table-cloth which looks rather messy as it’s not consistent so The Cavendish – please distinguish the two rooms and keep it neat. I really enjoyed The Cavendish when it first opened back in 2014, even if it wasn’t particularly unique back then – but now I’m in love with it. The quality of the food, the prices, the chefs story and the bold flavours, what’s not to love? Whether you’re looking for a hearty meal, cocktail, bar snack or mind-blowing burger there’s more than one occasion to visit. I think I may have just found my favourite London restaurant and I can’t wait to come back.
