Alyn Williams at the Westbury

Good to be back

Poached halibut, courgette, lemon 

It has been 5 years since I last dined at Alyn Williams at the Westbury, I am a fan of Alyn, a top class chef with an amazing personality. The main reason I never went back was mostly down to the fact that there are so many new restaurant openings all the time and is hard for me to keep up. However, I do find the quality of most of the new openings in the last few years has been pretty average, lacking the cutting edge factor. So it is about time to return to old-time favourites, and Alyn Williams at the Westbury has to be one of them. These days, Alyn is also the Executive Chef at the gastropub Wild Rabbit in the Cotswold, leaving his head chef Tom Booton taking the lead at The Westbury. 

King crab, foie gras and cheese puff

Mackerel, gooseberry, cucumber

Tomato, tamarillo, balsamic, burrata

The poached halibut was light and soft in texture, I really liked the courgette and lemon combo which made the dish so fresh which was perfect for summer. I was a massive fan of the main lamb course, served two ways with the rack and the loin. Both finely seasoned but I especially enjoyed the rack, it had such a lovely and powerful charred aroma, really tender and just pulls off the bone like it was butter. The dessert of raspberry tartlet was what summer dessert is all about, colourful with bursting summer fruity flavours all over it, the sweet and sour balance was perfect and the touch of vanilla added a hint of richness, it was a lovely way to finish off the lunch.

Lamb rack, loin, kohlrabi, watercress

Cheeses

 Raspberry tartlet 

P4

I very much enjoyed everything from the kitchen, Tom and his young team has done a fabulous job. Everything was top notch and totally deserve its Michelin star status, great creativity with a blend of a mixture of European influences, making the food exciting and very enjoyable. Looking back, it is hard to believe that it has taken me so long to return to The Westbury, great location, lovely decor, charming service and most importantly, classy top-notch cooking, this restaurant has it all and I would 100% return very soon.


Food 4/5

Executive chef: 
Alyn Williams

What I paid: 
£85 per head with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
Lunch menu: £35
Tasting menu: £90

The Westbury Hotel  37 Conduit St, London W1S 2YF

www.alynwilliams.co.uk