Apsleys: to pamper yourselves

(Visited: April 2012)

(Previous review here)


Oh go on: pamper yourselves. 

Apsleys is the place where to do it. Everything is luxurious here. The grand bright room:




The ingredients: foie gras of the highest quality is never far off:


 

Bread is one of the best in London:




We hadn't been here for quite a while, and we wanted to remind ourselves of that most clever of Heinz Beck's creations, fagottelli carbonara. Yes, they still have us drooling, that explosion in the mouth feel, those rustic flavours of old trattoria memories so refined and sublimated here:



The other primo, pheasant tortelli with black truffle and pumpkin, was also a sublimely made pasta dish, rich and sweet on the palate, though to be honest the truffle, even by black truffle standard, was not the best we've ever had



Conversely, a pork thigh, presented theatrically thus



before being cut at your table and served with a myriad of supervegetables, was among the most glorious and succulent and best cooked ever:






 We weren't in the mood for desserts, and we even had no wine, but classy petit-fours were generously brought all the same in spite of our diet-induced remonstrations:




We've been several time at Apsleys, and this was the first without the excellent Max Blasone at the stoves. We can witness that the new chef is as capable and continuing the tradition of all the attractive features we love here: top ingredients whose clear flavours take firmly centre stage, cuisine that is only apparently simple but hides enormous technique, a sense of great generosity, impeccable service. Prices are high as you'd expect in such a luxurious environment (say well above £200 for three courses for two with reasonable wine). Especially the wine list is clearly targeted at people who don't much care about money. But there's also a modestly priced set lunch of great value. And anyway, even without a corporate account, once in a while, it's nice to be pampered. And if you ARE on a corporate account: what are you waiting for?

Home