Berners Tavern

Glamour dining

Jason Atherton shows no sign of stopping in restaurant expansion, his latest London outlet, Berners Tavern in The London Edition Hotel on Berners Street is a stunning looking restaurant with photos and paintings across the dining room. This time around Jason took a totally a different path of launching a hotel restaurant, unlike all the "social" concepts he has had in the past.

decor

bread

I started off with a cocktail "Dill or no Dill", a similar approach like the cocktail you would find in Social Eating House (another Jason Atherton's outlet), cucumber and elderflower notes with a hint of dill aroma, perfectly matched with the gin. My starter: Romney marsh lamb breast had a great crispy texture, the meat was well seasoned with lovely presentation. The butternut crumble that came along had a lovely buttery and creamy texture, a very enjoyable starter and it was perfect to consume with the bread.

Crispy Romney Marsh lamb breast, butternut and
pecorino fregola, and lamb marrow crumble

Orkney scallop ceviche, avocado, radish,
baby gem, jalapeño and lime ice

“Egg, Ham and Peas” Deep fried Clarence Court duck egg,
mushy peas and crispy Cumbrian ham

My main: Creedy Carver duck was cooked two ways, the breasts were pink with a well cooked braised leg. The breasts were tender with lovely robustness, very moist with the caramel apples giving it an outstanding harmony. The leg had richer flavours and went better with the powerful picked plum puree, a very lovely dish of flavours combination. The other main of slow cooked Irish ox wasn't as good as I was hoping for, the meat was a little dry and the mash had far too much horseradish.

Creedy Carver duck, braised leg, caramel apples,
pickled plum puree and turnips

Whole slow cooked Irish ox, tongue ‘n cheek, roast carrots
and onions, bone marrow and horseradish mash

For desert I went for the caramel apple and Calvados éclair. That lovely apple flavour from the Calvados was just pure French heaven, a good balance of flavours with the salted caramel ice cream. It was great to see the kitchen taking on a classic dessert and turning it into something so elegant and refined, great stuff. To top it off, the waiter surprised one of my guests with a little Birthday treat at the end, a nice touch and by the end of it, I left as a very satisfied customer.

Caramel apple and Calvados éclair,
Devon cream salted caramel ice cream

Sweet potato brulée, figs, spiced ice-cream

Warm almond brioche, pear compote, ginger sorbet

Birthday treat!

Overall it was a very solid meal, while nothing really wowed me over, it was well within my expectations in terms of the food vs price and what you would expect from Jason's creations. Service was also top class, our waiter really knew how to engage with customers with a great eye for detail, one of the best waiters I've come across this year. With the stunning décor along with the quality food, I wouldn't be surprised to see Berners Tavern becoming one of the most popular restaurants in London and picking up a Michelin star next year.  

Food 6.5
Service 8
Ambience 8
Value 6

£58 per head with a cocktail

The London Edition Hotel, 10 Berners St, London W1T 3LF

http://www.bernerstavern.com/