The Game Bird

 Classy traditional charm

Venison, cabbage, redcurrant

The Game Bird is a British restaurant located inside the 5-star Stafford Hotel in Mayfair. As the name suggests, it is highly regarded as one of the top places for game meat in London, therefore, my last 3 visits have always been around the game season in late Autumn/ early winter times. My recent visit has switched things up for me to sample what The Game Bird is capable of outside game season. As expected, the seasonal ALC menu has no game dishes anymore in Spring so I opted for other meaty dishes to share.

Ribeye, onion rings

Chips and pumpkin

The treacled cured venison was cooked to perfection, medium rare as it should be, and rested properly. The earthy tone wasn't overly strong and the dressing of redcurrant sauce offered the right level of bitterness. What impressed me the most was the smoked hispi garnish. That charred profile worked so well with the meat and added a lovely creamy yet crunchy texture. I always opted for souffle when I dine at The Game Bird and once again it delivered. The rice pudding souffle with custard offered a lovely comforting childhood taste, yet in a pimped-up souffle version with such a light and pillow-soft mouthfeel.

Crepes suzette

Rice pudding souffle

The Game Bird might lack any creative cutting-edge or new exciting flavours, but it does classic dishes very well with a modern makeover, which itself isn't something easy to pull off. The pudding quality here is especially strong, turning out really fine-level classic desserts with no fuss. There are so many high-end places these days that offer poor-quality desserts so I am glad The Game Bird can maintain that standard. This is not a bad place at all for classy traditional dishes in a smart and elegant setting.

Food 3.5/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£80

The Stafford London, 16-18 St James's Place, London SW1A 1NJ

https://thestaffordlondon.com/the-game-bird/