What: An upmarket rooftop restaurant in London’s Belgravia. Named after a genus of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, Cornus is from the same stable as Medlar, which launched on Chelsea’s King’s Road in 2011. The Eccleston Yards venture is perhaps a little more high-end than its older sibling offering a menu of refined modern European dishes.
Who: As with Medlar, Cornus is owned by long-standing front and back of house partnership David O’Connor and Joe Mercer Nairne. The latter will continue to cook at Medlar while the former has moved over to Cornus. Heading up the kitchen at the pair’s new place is Gary Foulkes. With a CV that includes stints with John Campbell, Phil Howard and Gary Rhodes, Foulkes is best known for securing a Michelin star for D&D’s Angler restaurant in The City (he remains a consultant chef there). High-profile somm Melania Battiston has moved over from Medlar to lead the wine programme at Cornus while pastry is being overseen by former Angler, Cornerstone and Allegra chef Kelly Cullen.
The food: Foulkes’ food is unapologetically high-end but unfussy. Cornus isn’t cheap - starters average out a little over £30, non-vegetarian mains range from £45 to £50 and desserts are priced around the £17 mark - but the pricing is justified by the skill level in the kitchen, the produce used and the generosity on the plate. For example, a crab dish served with wasabi, avocado and finger lime contains getting on for twice as much crab meat as one would usually expect to find in a typical starter portion. Other starters include tomatoes dressed in cherry juice with soft curd and fig leaf; and langoustine with truffle puree, Parmesan gnocchi, potato and truffle emulsion (the latter is attributed to Howard’s The Square, where O’Connor also worked). Mains include roast Landes chicken with langoustines, sweetcorn and roast chicken sauce; and turbot with niçoise potatoes, summer courgettes and tomatoes. Foulkes’ says there was no brief from Mercer Nairne and David O’Connor. “I share the same thoughts on food and how it should deliver pleasure and not be something you need to figure out before you eat it,” he says. “The food I cook is my style of cooking - some dishes have returned and some are new.” Cullen, meanwhile, has been given a “blank canvas” by Foulkes to create a selection of desserts that includes brown sugar custard tart with blackberries and fig leaf; and creamed rice pudding with caramelised oat milk, cherries and Amarena cherry ripple ice cream.
To drink: Originally from Piedmont, Battiston is a rising star on London’s wine scene (as is her number two Lukasz Gorski, currently the World Young Sommelier of the Year). She moved to the UK in 2015 to study but ended up catching the wine bug while working at 28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen. Like Medlar, the list at Cornus has an impressively large and varied by the glass section (six sparkling, 16 whites and 16 reds) with still wine starting at £8.50 a glass. The wider list is classically-minded and comprehensive, delving especially deep into Burgundy.
The vibe: The 70-cover restaurant is located on the rooftop of Grosvenor’s The Ice Factory development (it was once an ice warehouse). The space has been designed by Day Studio, whose previous restaurant projects include Islington’s Trullo and Sidechick in Marylebone. Cornus is stripped back with glamorous, often Mid Century-inspired touches including a rich palette of woods, muted greens and tans; bronze light fittings; a feature marble bar; and wrap-around floor-to-ceiling windows.
And another thing: Mercer Nairne acknowledges that the area around Victoria Station has historically been a tough pitch for restaurants, but says this has now changed pointing to the success of A Wong and Lorne (which are on the Pimlico side). An upmarket area in its own right and within easy striking distance of both Chelsea and Knightsbridge, the Belgravia side of Victoria is arguably a much better location even if the restaurant is somewhat tucked away in Eccleston Yards. Grown up but not in a boring way, Cornus is a good fit for this bit of town and looks likely to be a big success thanks to the team’s considerable pedigree.
27c Eccleston Place, London SW1W 9NF
