Pollen Street Social

ALC speed rush 

Afternoon tea

This is my 6th visit to Pollen Street Social, the much-celebrated chef Jason Atherton's flagship Michelin-starred restaurant. I had its great value for money set lunch for my first 3 visits, a Tasting menu for 4th, then a really great chef counter experience dinner for my 5th. Funny enough, I never got the chance to try the ALC option so I figure I give it a go, especially with its restaurant's latest price rollback on the back of the cost of living challenge. The ALC contains 4 to 5 choices per course, all using prime British ingredients, cooked in a modern European style.

Cornish lobster, Ceps & Madeira, Ibérico ham, Provencal citrus

Devon crab, Spanish melon, preserved lemon, ajo blanco ice-cream

Shellfish raviolo, golden Oscietra caviar & seaweed duxelles

Sea bass, Brixham crab, Aged koshihikari rice, smoked Leeks

My starter of crab was outstanding, the crab was very fresh and sweet, and the use of melon and white wine really worked in harmony with the Cornish crab. This dish wouldn't look out of place in a 2 stars restaurant. My main on the other hand was underwhelming, the seabass was a touch overcooked and lacked seasoning. Funny enough all the garnishes were done really well, from the crab meat to the leeks. Especially the side of rice cooked in lovely shellfish stock with a hint of lemongrass, such a shame the main star of seabass let the whole thing down. The dessert however recovered to a high level, almost like a tiramisu with chocolate, coffee, and mascarpone ice cream. The taste was clean and refined.

John Dory ‘Veronique’, Verjus pickled grapes, Celery, Brown butter

Lincolnshire Rabbit, Duck liver, Parma ham, Teardrop peas, Langoustine

Japanese citrus parfait, yoghurt sorbet with citrus sauce

Manjari 64% chocolate, espresso meringue, Mascarpone ice cream, Amaretto

Apart from the seabass, the food on the day was at a really high standard, as expected from a restaurant with such a great reputation. However, one thing that bothered me was the table turnaround time, with only 2 hours per dinner seating is somewhat outrageous when I pay almost £200 per person when wine is factored in. The staff ensure we finish on time so all courses were served at such a fast pace, and the staff had to remind us of the time which I found is not very 'social' friendly. For a fine dining restaurant commanding such a price tag, it is not to my liking.

Food 4/5

Average cost without drinks and services:
£110

8-10 Pollen St, London W1S 1NQ

https://pollenstreetsocial.com/