The Square

French Haute cuisine

The Square

With two Michelin stars and countless awards over the years, The Square is perhaps one of the most loved French food institutions in London beside the legendary Le Gavroche. Phil Howard is one of the greatest British chefs, and under him he has trained up some supreme talents such as Brett Graham at The Ledbury and Rob Weston at La Trompette. This is my second visit to The Square, having eaten there about three years ago.

canapes

game consomme with game canapes

terrine of Dover sole & smoked eel, pickled cucumber,
tarama and caviar

We went for the tasting menu and as you would expect in a proper 2 star Michelin restaurant, all the dishes were great or outstanding, one of the best dishes on the night was the Dover sole and the smoky eel dish, the soft, light and clean flavours with a luxurious touch of caviar was just a pure joy to eat, the dish really showcased the exceptional fresh and fine ingredients which were on offer. The ravioli of partridge and ceps was as good as you would get in a ravioli dish, lovely texture and well balanced flavours with not one single ingredient overpowering the others.

ravioli of partridge, ceps, bacon vinaigrette & truffle

roast foie gras, endive, burnt orange, cranberry puree,
puffed wild rice & ice wine vinegar

fillet of brill, smoked celeriac milk, savoy cabbage,
hazelnut praline, truffle

bbq saddle of deer, roasted chervil root,
creamed cabbage, tesa bacon & juniper

The barbecued deer was another solid dish, the sweet and earthy flavours of the tender meat worked nicely with the sharp note of the juniper, It was a dish full of mouthwatering rich and bold tastes. The dessert of quince souffle was a real delight, the fruity sourness blended in so well with the herbal notes of the tea and yet it was surprisingly light, one of the best souffles I've encountered. 

Vacherin Mont D'or with fresh honeycomb, pear, truffle

brillat savarin cheesecake with clementine sorbet

quince souffle with Darjeeling tea & bergamot ice cream

p4 & tea

Overall, very enjoyable food but maybe because of the style of the classical cooking, I did find the creative cooking at The Ledbury much more enjoyable, its sister restaurant at Notting Hill. Service was good and the wine sommelier was charming and took great care of us, I did find the decor a little dull and lacked energy on the other hand, but the overall dinner experience at The Square was hard to fault.

Food 4.5/5

Executive chef: 
Phil Howard

What I paid: 
£145 per head with a glass of wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
Lunch menu: £40
Tasting menu: £115

6-10 Bruton St, London W1J 6PU

http://www.squarerestaurant.com/