The Greenhouse , London

PLEASE NOTE THAT VERY SADLY THE GREENHOUSE HAS PERMANENTLY CLOSED – HAPPY MEMORIES OF SOME AMAZING FOOD AND CHEF.

What is it ? – A well established 2 Michelin starred Restaurant in the Mayfair area of London. Currently a favourite destination for Chefs on their day off.
What`s Cooking ? – Haute cuisine / fine dining of the highest standards in the business.
Who`s Cooking ? – The superbly talented Chef Alex Dilling ( Ex Helene Darroze) is present at every service.
What should I expect ? An absolute treat of the Finest ingredients money can buy. Cooked to absolute perfection by a very skilled brigade. There`s no holding back on luxury here and the very best examples have been carefully sourced from the Worlds best suppliers.
Must Order dish – Hunter style Chicken is rapidly becoming a destination dish. We actually travelled to London just to eat this…and yes it was worth it.
What will it cost me ? – 3 course Lunch – £45 , 6 course Lunch Tasting menu £85 ALC , 4 Courses £110 9 course+ Tasting menu £155
My thoughts – Our meal was a good 2 star pushing well into the boundaries of 3. If you like immaculate attention to detail and a Chef obsessed with precise dining then head straight there. There`s a very good chance that the Greenhouse will become the UK`s next 3 star restaurant.
What`s the Atmosphere like ? – To be totally honest I was so into the food that I barely looked away from the table. I`ll return for lunch next visit so will feedback more information then. Service was really friendly and knowledgeable and the staff answered every question and more without hesitation.
What`s good ? – If you`re a foodie and a bit obsessed with fine dining then this is a dream destination. It`s the equivalent of meeting a favourite popstar.
Any Negatives ? Minor tweaks on a couple of dishes would elevate the whole food experience to perfection.
Check out – Chef Alex Dilling on Instagram for regular photo updates as new dishes are developed.
Would I return ? – Currently in lockdown due to Coronavirus but yes , absolutely. More than worth the 350 mile return trip to London just to eat there. Please make a special effort to eat at the Greenhouse , it really is something extraordinary if you`re into fine dining and perfection.
Restaurant Address – 27A Hay’s Mews, Mayfair, London W1J 5NY Phone – 02074993331 Website – https://www.greenhouserestaurant.co.uk/

The Photos below were all taken with a Samsung Galaxy S9 phone ( Well dated now and a new S20 is on the way) . The restaurant was dark and light casts were very Yellow. Next time I`ll dine in Lunchtime light and use a real Camera. TO VIEW ALL OF THE PHOTOS FROM THE MEAL – PLEASE CLICK HERE

Canape selection to begin the meal – Parmesan Sabayon , Black Truffle.

Cornish Sardines

Smoked Eel `Bavarois` stuffed with smoked Eel Rillette.

Gazpacho of English Cucumber , Green Herbs and Lime.

Hamachi with Black Truffle Dashi

Selection of freshly baked Greenhouse Bread

Marinated Scottish Langoustine Tartare en Gelee with Buttermilk Bavarois and aged Kaluga Caviar. Puffed Rice and Shiso blossom. This would have been beautiful as it was …….BUT THEN

this arrives at the table

Cornish Sardines marinated with Sake Gelee , English Cucumber , Vinegar and Dill. Very refreshing but the strength of the Vinegar dominated the delicate flavour of the Fish.

Andignac Foie gras glazed with Black Truffle , Roscoff Onion Soubise , Guinness Gelee. Is this Art on a plate or what ? Stunning visual dish , perfection in the precise composure of each item. Simplicity in its presentation and a wonderful balance when eaten together.

Black Truffle wafer dusted with Gold dust

I`m shaking my head here and letting out a little sigh as I write this. I would kill for this right now….. my all time favourite ingredient , Foie gras.

This was a little `off menu` treat from the kitchen and Battered Fish with a difference.

Greenhouse Clam Chowder – Stunning attention to detail , an absolute masterpiece of culinary expertise… Clams arranged alongside Razor Clams. Little Diamond shaped Potatoes topped with a Gelee of Creme Fraiche and of course…..finished with Caviar. This degree of attention to detail really does it for me. When i dine out i want to experience food that i can never recreate at home and Chef Alex`s food does exactly that.

Oeuf Noir – Soft boiled Egg glazed with Black Truffle fumaison emulsion and Périgord jus.

Beautiful examples of peeled Périgord Truffles.

Do i dare mention the word `Perfection` again ?

Blue Lobster “farci” with Ginger , Sauce Matelote and an emulsion of Madagascar Vanilla

Landes Chicken “Hunter Style” – Cep Mushroom , smoked Alsace Bacon , Lemon Thyme and Shiso flowers. Sauce Albufera and shaved Périgord Truffle as presented at our table….. OMG.

The Chicken is carefully sliced in half to reveal the highly skilled construction. I won`t give away the trade secrets as I have to admit that I haven`t seen a dish like this before. Basically the inner core comprises of the Chicken breast meat. Surrounding the Chicken is the dark layer of chopped Périgord Truffle with a farce of Cep Mushrooms. The next layer is the Chicken Mousseline with Alsace Bacon. The finished dish is glazed and then sprinkled with Thyme and Shiso blossom and taken to the diner.

A classic sauce Albufera (this is just so heavenly) accompanies the Chicken. As sauces go this one is just incredibly rich and decadent – Truffle jus , Madeira , Cognac , Foie gras , cream , Chicken veloute to hazard a guess.

And just when you think it couldn`t get any better…. The Périgord Truffle arrives. Now you know why i travelled from Cumbria to London for this main course and I`d do it again tomorrow. This is an example of my ultimate food indulgence and i`d be more than happy to eat this in any restaurant anywhere in the World….. A main course of a lifetime.

Daikon Salad Roll to accompany the Chicken. To be honest i was a little bit puzzled by this one and i personally couldn`t get the connection to the Chicken. I`m thinking that it was possibly a mouth cleansing refresher to cut through the powerful flavours of the Bacon, foie gras and Truffle, a very unusual side dish.

Pomme Souffle – I`m wondering how many they would have to make to get this bowl of perfect examples.

A crossover dish before dessert – Cultured Buttermilk Ice cream , aged Kaluga Caviar. Salty and Sweet…. It worked.

A palate refreshment – Yorkshire Rhubarb , Champagne , Manni Olive oil

Caranoa Chocolate , Piedmont Hazelnut , smoked Vanilla and 10 year old Talisker Whisky. Check out those delicate quenelles that have actually been immersed into Chocolate.