Review of 'Kerridge's Bar & Grill'
I am a big fan of Tom Kerridge's style of cooking - Simple dishes done to perfection and executed using nothing but the freshest and best ingredients. Indeed, we very much enjoyed our visit to Harrod's to dine in Kerridge's Fish & Chips, we even enjoyed a taste of his “Hand and Flower's” pub while at Pub in the Park 2019 at Chiswick House. So on our last visit to London we booked a table at Kerridge's Bar & Grill located in the Corinthia hotel on Northumberland Avenue between Embankment Station and Trafalgar Square. We were a bit nervous though when we looked at the price though noted they had a more reasonably priced set menu…
The elegant restaurant (I can't really call this a “bar & grill”, at least not in the traditional sense) is accessed by a series of steps from the pavement on Northumberland Avenue. Inside you are immediately impressed by the high ceilings and the sense of space. To the left is the bar along with a lounge area that continues in front of you. Off to the right is the large dining area with tables around a modern art piece (called “Steve” by the staff and made by Tom's wife Beth) and surrounded by large windows looking out into the street.
We were a bit early for our reservation so we had a seat in very comfortable leather seats in the lounge to place our drink orders from a rather extensive drinks list though, sadly, very few non-alcoholic options so I ended up simply ordering a “Franklin and Sons Ginger Beer” (£4) but we never saw this until we were seated a few minutes later at our table in the main dining area (which also had comfortable seats).
On the way to our table we passed by the impressive wine cooler stretching almost to the ceiling then beside that a temperature controlled display containing various cuts of meat with prices that you can select for your meal.
The dining menu is simply divided into “Starters”, “Mains”, and “Desserts” with a separate “Bar Menu” as well as a “Menu du Jour” which is priced at 2 courses for £39.50 or 3 courses for £47.50, by far the best dining deal. The three of us agreed on the 3 course set menu as, to be fair, we were interested in catching up with one another and did not have a lot of time before we had to leave for a previously booked engagement.
To start with we were presented with two breads: A simple soda and a delightful “Treacle Bread” served with a generous slice of fresh butter. This arrived at the table along with a small “amuse bouche” - A small cube of deep fried potato topped with a light cream that was absolutely delicious if not exactly a flavour bomb. The breads though were a huge hit - Fresh and delicious. In fact, we ended up being given the recipe for the “Treacle Bread”.
For my starter I had the “Mushroom Parfait with Cherry Ketchup” which was served with slice of toast that, sadly, was not enough for the size of the parfait. The parfait was deliciously creamy with the cherry providing a bit of zing. You could not really tell it was not an actual liver pate but rather mushroom, such was the richness.
My companions both had the “Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil Pesto and Cheese Straw” which I avoided thinking it might be too acidic but, on the contrary, it was velvety smooth tasting strongly of the roasted tomato with a slight sweetness to it that they both very much enjoyed along with the massive cheese “straw” on the side. Extremely morish and, indeed, they found the highlight of the meal.
We all ordered the “Deep Fried Cornish Haddock and Chips with Pease Pudding, Tartare and Matson Spiced Sauce” (picked over the “Honey Glazed Bacon with Crispy Hen's Egg and Brown Sauce” which sounded decidedly boring) which was absolutely amazing but overwhelmed at the huge size of the fish which stuck out beyond the confines of our plates. The sauces were served on the side along with a huge portion of chips. All was absolutely delicious but we found it was way too much fish which really detracted the dish. The deliciously, creamy but mostly flavourless fish was in encased in a slightly heavy but very crisp batter while I found the sauces absolutely amazing with only the tartar sauce disappointing at any lack of punchy flavour that you would normally expect (perhaps due to the tiny amount of cornichons). We all struggled to finish our portions and, indeed, only one of us did (me).
For dessert we all had the “Xoco Chocolate Pot with Honeycomb, Salted Caramel and Ale ice cream” (over the “Tunworth Cheese with Fig and Cherry Chutney, Sourdough Crackers and Grapes”). I found the chocolate, honeycomb and salted caramel absolutely dreamy. The chocolate incredibly dark and smooth, the honeycomb adding a bit of bite and the salted caramel wonderfully salty with not so much sweet. The ale ice cream I could have done without. Sour and very melty, it just spoiled the flavours of the other ingredients and left me disappointed.
The staff were extraordinarily chilled and friendly, stopping for a chat on occasion and very helpful. Our bill came to £205 for the three of us including £36 in drinks (which included a single G&T at £17) and a 15% service charge added to the bill. Yeah, so quite expensive and it would have been significantly more had we gone “a la carte”, more like at least £100 per person would be reasonable to expect there.
The staff and ambiance at Kerridge's Bar and Grill were absolutely excellent but the food on the set menu, surprisingly, fell a bit short of expectations in both taste and portion sizes particularly his iconic fish & chips (the fish was, to be honest, way, way too big) and the pudding (please remove the ale ice cream). It was also quite expensive but I can see it would make a great location for a fancy dinner though I would suggest not for a casual trip down to the “Bar & Grill”…
Rating: “Really good but I have some issues”
Review Date: 2024-05-25
Cuisine: American/British
Address: 10 Northumberland Ave, London WC2N 5AE ENGLAND
Public Transport: 
Charing Cross Embankment
Location: London (England) - Piccadilly Circus
Map:
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Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7321 3244
URL: https://www.kerridgesbarandgrill.co.uk/