Medlar

Classy French cooking in Chelsea

Freshly back from my food adventure trip from Spain and back in London for another restaurant treat. I went to Medlar in Chelsea this time around on a sunny afternoon. So why Medlar? Well, freshly awarded its first Michelin star in the 2013 guide, Medlar is the joint venture of two ex Chez Bruze staff. And at £26 for a 3 courses lunch(£30 on weekends), for London this is very good value, you will need to pay a similar fee for a decent pub meal at an average London pub.

Medlar

Medlar is on the quiet neighbourhood side of Chelsea, the décor is classy but cosy at the same time, a good mix which I think it is a great balance given its location. The bread was of good quality, the rosemary bread had great depth of herbs aroma and not too oily. My starter was the restaurant's signature dish: Crab raviolo with samphire, brown shrimps, fondue of leeks and bisque sauce. The raviolo was cooked at the perfect level, the crab was sweet but I found the samphire just a touch too salty, the bisque sauce was decent, not overly loaded with cream and it worked great with the shrimps. 

Bread

Crab raviolo

Confit skate with razor clam vinaigrette

For main I had rack of lamb with confit shoulder, tongue, petit pois a la francaise and Jersey royals. This has to be the biggest plate of food I had at a Michelin venue! From first glance I  thought it was over cooked but actually it tasted great, tender and moist. Both the tongue and shoulder carried the robust flavours of classic French style, the peas and potatos were fresh with great neutral flavours which served as a good balance to the bold flavours from the meat. All elements of the dish linked up together nicely, very good execution of a classical combination.  

Rack of lamb

For dessert I went for their Cheese. Credit to whoever sources their cheese, a great selection with each one holding their own nicely. A diverse range of flavours and there is something for everyone.

Cheese:p

So, was it 1 star cooking? Not quite. Don't get me wrong, the cooking was solid and represented excellent value for money, but it just lacked the "taste sensation" and "refinement" to what I consider a true 1 star level. Put the star issue aside then I enjoyed the food a lot. It does exactly what it said on its website statement: "...strives to cook food that is first and foremost satisfying to eat, without over-elaboration or pretension" I couldn't agree more. 

Food 6.5
Service 6
Ambience 7
Value 8

£40 per head

438 King's Rd  London SW10 0LJ http://www.medlarrestaurant.co.uk