City Social

London skyline dining

Devon crab, nashi pear, pickled mooli, ponzu, dill oil

City Social is British chef Jason Atherton's fine dining restaurant in the busy city zone of London's financial hub. It is now Jason's only Michelin-starred restaurant beside his flagship Pollen Street Social in London. I first visited City Social back in 2014 when it first opened. Since then, a lot has changed as now it offers an ALC menu only, instead of a 4-course menu when it offers a middle course of pasta like you would see in a typical Italian joint. These days, it has a much stronger focus on British cuisine, with a new head chef running the show, so I am visiting with an open mind.

Bread

Roasted Orkney scallop, confit red pepper, barbecued corn, yuzu

Line caught Sea bass, shellfish ragù, Datterini tomatoes, baby courgette

My starter of crab was lovely and full of a refreshing sweet taste. The fresh crab and pear is the perfect combination, the addition of dill oil and yuzu made the dish even lighter while enhancing the taste of the crab further, very enjoyable. The main of Herdwick lamb saddle was served rare and used a range of classic garnishes that worked with lamb well like asparagus and olive. The meat was tender and seasoned, and all elements on the dish served its purpose but I just found it lacked the cutting edge or wow factor. Nothing wrong with it, it was solid cooking but no excitement. the dark chocolate souffle was a great ending on the other hand, that bitter-sweet taste had a good balance, and the blood orange sorbet added such an elegant refreshing fruit finish.

Herdwick lamb saddle & belly, cime di rapa, white asparagus

Elderflower and lemon parfait, Gariguette strawberries, white chocolate

Dark chocolate soufflé, Sicilian blood orange sorbet

The food at City Social was a touch improvement to my last visit. I would still rate the quality as not as good as Jason's HQ Pollen Street Social but let's face it, the prices are about 25% lower at City Social, and you have a fantastic view of London, as the restaurant is located on the 24th floor of Tower 24 in the City. It feels like an upgrade regarding decor, setting, and service. I got to say the service was great, the best yet I have encountered out of any of Jason's restaurants. There aren't that many great high-end British dining spaces in the City, and I would say with years of experience trading, City Social has a pretty good formula that is very suitable for the locals.

Food 3.5/5

Average cost without drinks and services:
£75

Tower 42, 25 Old Broad St, London EC2N 1HQ

https://citysociallondon.com/