The Greenhouse

True Haute cuisine in Mayfair

Bouillabaisse, sole. red prawns, saffron

The Greenhouse in Mayfair is a special restaurant, with some very high profile chefs working there in the past, such as Alyn Williams and the late Gary Rhode. It gained 2 Michelin star status with Arnaud Bignon but he has left in 2018, he was replaced by Alex Dilling, who was the executive chef for Helene Darroze. He has managed to maintain the 2 stars status for the 2020 guide. Alex appeared to be on the right track as he has already gained some positive reviews from the media and loved by many chefs across the nation with his modern French cooking. The last time I was at The Greenhouse was back in 2016 so I was interested to see what Alex's cuisine is all about. To fully experience that, I opted for its long tasting menu which cost £155.

Yellowtail, truffle cream, wagyu, eel, cucumber

Cornish crab, caviar, cracker

Clam chowder, potato, razor clams, caviar

Hare, foie gras, pig trotter, red wine

Duck, Maison Burgaud

Perfection

The first thing I noticed about the dishes is that everything is highly technical. For my clam chowder dish, it was beautifully presented just like a gift. It had thinly sliced razor clam and tones of well-placed cockles, wrapping around some aged caviar before finished off with some clam chowder that loaded with so much creamy seafood aroma, it was so appealing, just wished it was a touch warmer. The fish bouillabaisse was a well-crafted dish, the sole was seasoned wonderfully and it was buttery soft. It was wrapped around by some sweet carabineros, which offered a pool of seafood umami flavours. The duck at The Greenhouse was magical, dry-aged for 10 days with a hint of sweet and spicy aroma thanks to the honey and peppercorn. It was so moist and tender, in fact, I would rate it as the best duck dish I have encountered in London.  

British and French cheeseboard

Cheese up

Trou Normand

Meyer lemon, basil, gin

Santarem chocolate

p4

Without a doubt, Alex has taken Greenhouse to the next level. I had 3 meals (one lunch and two dinners) at Greenhouse in the past and I felt this was the best yet. The creativity, the presentation, and the taste were all outstanding. Food quality-wise, I would rate it as the top 5 in London, along with The Ledbury, Core, Kitchen Table and La dame de Pic. The only downside of the restaurant, just like in the past is the lack of ambiance, it is a very standard dining room space with not much to look at. The service was also weak, lacked the warmth character you would expect from a top fine dining restaurant. Having said that, the food quality was really something special.



Food 4.5/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£155

27A Hay's Mews, Mayfair, London W1J 5NY

https://www.greenhouserestaurant.co.uk/