Launceston Place

The taste of Spring 

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you will know I am a massive fan of Launceston Place, located in the quite neighbourhood near Cromwell Road. Head chef Tim Allen and his team have really got something special going on inside this 1 Michelin starred restaurant. A great degree of presentation and wonderful flavours with a creative approach on top of lovely service, Launceston Place ticks all the boxes that make me want to keep going back, and this time I returned to try out their latest tasting menu. 

canapes

The Cornish mackerel tartar dish is what spring is all about, light and refreshing but it still offered a good amount of flavours: bitter, sweet, spicy, peppery, it had a bit of everything. French green asparagus was perhaps the best asparagus dish I've encountered, sweet and moist with a lovely smoky and earthy outer layer. The soft texture of the morels gave a good contrast to the asparagus with the wild garlic. Hand dived scallop was a fun and exciting dish of pairing scallop and confit chicken wing, the rich and earthy taste of the fresh truffle cassonade worked like a treat with both scallop and the chicken, a very unusual ingredients combination but it worked wonders.

Cornish mackerel tartar, chilled cucumber gazpacho,
frozen buttermilk infused with horseradish

French green asparagus,cooked on the barbeque, morels and wild garlic

hand dived scallop,fresh truffle cassonade, confit chicken wing and sorrel

The fish course of sole had a lot of elements and I could see lots of Spanish inspiration on the plate, the padron pepper with the stuffed brandade was clever and offered a nice hint of spicy and bitter tastes to the dish, I really enjoyed the brown shrimp and fennel as it had the perfect balance of texture and seasoning. English veal rump with tete de veau was robust with a mixture of moist and settled flavours, while the ravioli of truffle cheese and Madeira sauce offered a great kick and rich taste to the finish.
  

sole, padron pepper and
brandade, piquillo, squid brown shrimp and fennel

English veal rump, tete de veau and smoked grelots,
ceps, ravioli of truffle cheese and Madeira sauce

The cucumber buttermilk was a perfect palate cleaner after the great selection of cheese suggested by our knowledgeable waiter. It was so light but yet blessed with fresh and powerful flavours. Delice of strawberry was also outstanding, that Yorkshire rhubarb was just magnificent with its silky and crisp texture. Roasted pineapple was pineapple at the highest order, rich and delightful with the component of lime and bourbon cheesecake working in perfect harmony. The trio of deserts was nothing short of quality and some of the finest desserts I've tasted in London.

cheese board

cheese overdose!

cucumber buttermilk, lime and mint

strawberry, Yorkshire rhubarb,
white chocolate and jus de fraise jelly

whole roasted pineapple...

with lime and bourbon cheesecake, pineapple ice cream

Launceston Place once again delivered another very high level of fine dinning experience, it has evolved from my last visit with some very forward thinking dishes which were very intriguing and eye opening at the same time. Service once again was top notch and at the cost of £70 per tasting menu for such a high level of cooking, simply put: Launceston Place offers the best value for money fine dining experience in London in that price range and it doesn't matter what the Michelin inspectors think, in my own view it is definitely 2 stars level and one of my favourite restaurants in the UK.

Food 4.5/5

Head chef: 
Tim Allen

What I paid: 
£112 per head with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
Lunch menu: £30
Tasting menu: £70


1A Launceston Pl  London, Greater London W8 5RL

http://www.launcestonplace-restaurant.co.uk/