Having been a fan of Michael Caines for some time, it was good to see him open a restaurant in London, which made it easier for me to be able to visit.
Awarded 1 star by Michelin earlier this year, after opening late last year, the restaurant at The Stafford had all the opulence you'd expect from a 5 star hotel. Service was top notch, friendly yet remaining professional
Snacks
Chicken liver parfait with blood orange
Light parfait, nice bitterness from the blood orange
Truffle gougere
Super rich and creamy filling, lovely cheese and truffle flavour. Light crisp gougere
Parker house roll with caramelised onion, Lincolnshire poacher and thyme.
A nice bread, recommended to keep some for the sauces to come.
Scallop ceviche
Light and fresh, nice sharp clean flavours. Scallop wasn't lost, caviar added a nice pop of salt
Duck
Nice terrine, with good duck flavour. Pickled apple needed to cut through, and worked well together as a dish
Turbot
Perfectly cooked turbot, contrast on texture with the mousse was great. Deep flavour in the mousse, both mushroom and scallop.
The sauce was deep in flavour, well balanced and went well with the fish (and the bread)
Pigeon
Confit leg was good, nicely cooked and had a good flavour. The breast was tender and subtly flavoured, and went well with the sauce and puree.
Stand out was the fillet, tender and flavourful
Lamb
Beautifully cooked best end, great herb flavour in the coating and the accompanying puree. Belly added richness, as did the Boulanger potatoes. A lovely showcase of lamb
Strawberry – Strawberry mousse, strawberry jelly, strawberry sorbet, vanilla foam.
Lovely balance, sweet and fruity, with nice vanilla. Herbaceous notes from the lemon balm
Confit orange
Rich chocolate spiked with orange. Confit orange sorbet added sharpness. A lovely end to the meal
Petit fours – Chocolate and hazelnut financier with salted caramel, Coconut marshmallow
Both well made and flavoured well
Fairly expensive for one star, at £185 without drinks, service or additions, but a lovely experience and great cooking
by TheYorkshireSaint