Seven Park Place

Classy and elegant

Tuck inside a beautiful boutique hotel: St James Hotel and Club in Mayfair, it is William Drabble's Michelin starred Seven Park Place, an intimate and elegant fine dinning restaurant. It has always been on my to go list as the venue just has that charming old fashion British aura around it which is rare these days in London as it has becomes such a multicultural city.

St James Hotel and Club

Seven Park Place

Arrived on a warm evening and we were warmly welcomed by the staffs which leaded us to the main restaurant. We went for the special 4 courses menu for £40 which I think it is super good value for a Michelin dinning experience in Mayfair! Started off with some really nice bread, the walnut bread was the best out of the lots, soft and lightly crunchy on the edge with a beautiful nutty after taste on the finish, it was perfect with the first course: Germini of lobster, potato and mint, an amazing lobster soup. It was soft and creamy and packed with powerful flavours from the lobster, the lobster was cooked at the right level and the potato cubes add a lovely smooth texture, what a delightful soup!

Bread

Germini of lobster, potato and mint

The fish course: Baked fillet of red mullet with orange and fennel, what an interesting combination of using blood orange with fish and turned out to be very successful. The citrus acted like a vinegar, but less sour with great level of bitterness and sweetness which worked nicely with the red mullet with the fennel. The fish was cooked perfectly, crispy skin and I really can taste the meatiness and freshness of the red mullet, great to see a chef using ordinary ingredients to produce such a wonderful plate of food.

Baked fillet of red mullet with orange and fennel

Next up: Breast of corn fed chicken with foie gras sauce, the chicken, especially the skin was nicely seasoned and lovely flavours from the creamy foie gras sauce but I think the sauce could afford to be a little richer. The smashed potato was a thing of beauty, smooth, buttery and soft, potato at its best! If I had to make one tiny criticism then it's the chicken which I think it would be even better if it is just a touch less cooked than how it was to have that extra softness which I think will blend in perfectly with the potato and spinach.

 Breast of corn fed chicken with foie gras sauce

 Daiquiri

The dessert: Banana soufflé with dark chocolate sauce, my kind of pudding! a really well executed soufflé using classic combination of chocolate and banana, rich in flavours but light in taste. Finished off with some nice petit fours and tea to round off a very quality meal. I like to give a special mention to the bartender from William's bar, the daiquiri was expertly mixed, it might be just only 3 ingredients but it is no easy task to get the balance right and I see so many bartenders in the past failed to deliver. 

 Banana soufflé with dark chocolate sauce

Petit fours and tea

The service was great and I loved the décor, it was pretty incredible to see Seven Park Place using ordinary ingredients to produces some top notch cooking and I love to see what they can do with more luxurious ingredients which I am sure it will be something pretty amazing, will need to return to try the tasting menu!


Food 3.5/5

Executive chef: 
William Drabble

What I paid: 
£80 per head with 3 drinks

Average cost without drinks and services :
£29.50 lunch menu
£72 tasting menu


St James Hotel and Club,
7-8 Park Place,
St. James'sLondon,
SW1A 1LS

http://www.stjameshotelandclub.com/restaurant-piccadilly