Latest opening: The Restaurant at The Capital
What: The relaunch of The Capital Hotel’s in-house restaurant in Knightsbridge, which has been spruced up to herald the arrival of the hotel’s new executive chef…
Who: He is Adam Simmonds, who joined The Capital back in June, having aborted his role as executive chef at the nearby Belmond Cadogan. Simmonds’ arrival follows the departure of Nathan Outlaw, who had acted as consultant at the restaurant for six years, but left back in March to oversee the opening of Siren; the new restaurant at Belgravia hotel The Goring. Following Simmonds’ appointment, the decision was made to bring the roles of executive chef and restaurant consultant together once again, with him managing The Restaurant at the Capital’s menu alongside the hotel’s wider food operation.
The food: As you would expect given the setting, the offer is firmly rooted in no-expense-spared fine dining, with Simmonds’ food combining elements of classic British and European cuisine. The à la carte follows the traditional starters, mains and desserts format, with prices generally averaging between £20 and £30 per dish. Starters include oyster with cucumber, English wasabi and lardo; foie gras with sour cherry, chamomile and pistachio; and veal sweetbreads with cockles, watercress, lemon and liquorice. Mains feature John Dory with curd, cuttlefish, kohlrabi and caviar; mutton with leek, onion miso and capers; and salt-baked celeriac with ceps, wet walnuts, brown butter and truffle. Desserts, meanwhile, include an elderflower ice cream on a bed of oats and yoghurt, and topped with blossom honey; and poached pear cooked with tarragon and served with crumble and pear sorbet.
The vibe: The bijou restaurant has been smartened up ahead of its relaunch, but in terms of layout and look it remains similar to what came before. The traditional, old school appearance has also been refined with a pair of strikingly large chandeliers of which Del Boy would be proud.
And another thing: Though there is no open kitchen per say, guests are able to get a glimpse into the kitchen operation from the pass by way of a window built into the wall.
22-24 Basil St, Knightsbridge, London SW3 1AT
therestaurantatthecapitallondon.com
