Holborn Dining Room

British pastry master

Hand raised pork pie

I rarely go to a hotel restaurant these days, simply just because usually is overprice with cooking that has no soul. You are paying for the expensive decor and fancy interior design instead of the quality of the cooking, hence I always try to stay away from hotel restaurants. Holborn Dining Room funny enough is inside a hotel and is at the luxury 5 stars Rosewood Hotel no less. The restaurant caught my attention as it has gained a reputation in providing top class British pies, the humble pie is somewhat a childhood memory for me so I was eager to see how head chef Calum Franklin has turned such an iconic British dish into something exquisite without losing its true essence. There are 5 choices of pies on the menu, along with a selection of modern British dishes and steaks.

Burrata, green sauce, olives, lemon

Grilled octopus, native breed chorizo, aioli

Truffle & parmesan fries

Before diving into the pie, I first had a starter of grilled octopus, it was very tender, along with a lovely smoky tone. I also enjoy the finely blended creamy aioli, buttery rich which worked outstandingly with the octopus. The main event of pork pie was British pastry work at its best. The pastry was so crispy but light, the mixture of apple, bacon and pork shoulder was just a pure joint. It was so rich in taste with the perfect balance of texture. In fact, the pie was good enough as it is and I found the pork gravy was not needed, and it did make the dish a touch too salty. For dessert, I had a really well-crafted apple tarte tatin. Again, the pastry work was simply fabulous, but the caramel clothing was a little too aggressive for me, as it was extremely sweet to the point that it was kind of unpleasant.

50 Day aged Cornish rare breed sirloin

Paris-Brest, English cherries, almonds

Apple tart tatin

If it wasn't the pork gravy or the caramel sauce, I would rate Holborn Dining Room close to being at the Michelin standard level. The kitchen has turned British cuisine to a very sophisticated, refined level, but at the same time without losing any of its characteristics. It is hard to find a top restaurant that masters fine quality British cooking, but that is exactly what the Holborn Dining Room is capable of. On top of that, the luxury grand dining room is not too bad either, really beautiful with lovely service to match. A meal at the restaurant is not a cheap affair, with most mains costing around the £20 - 25 marks. But then again, not many places elsewhere can deliver similar top quality pie dishes around in London.



Food 3/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£50

252 High Holborn, Holborn, London WC1V 7EN

https://holborndiningroom.com/