Had dinner here on Saturday night last following a mix up (my fault entirely) on a Friday night reservation which was speedily and gracefully managed by the maitre d’. Beautiful crab ravioli to start followed by a cod mains and chocolate tart for desert. We also had a bottle of delicious Arbois (2010) Chardonnay picked form a very very extensive wine list. A little pricey overall but a great dining experience. Worth a visit. One small negative for us..... The very top floor isn’t the most appealing dining space but that’s just a personal perspective.
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Medlar in Chelsea feels good. It is a fine dining place and you see the mature and well to do crowd who no doubt frequent it navigating their way through what is a delightful menu. As a solo diner, doing research in the area, you can feel that you may be a little bit self conscious sitting anywhere that isn't casual dining. After all, for such a 'posh' place, why would you not have a partner, friends or family. I can safely say that not only does this place make you fee comfortable dining alone, it is also devoid of any airs and graces to make you feel you are not worthy. For the gorgeous food and stellar service, everyone is welcome, if you can afford it of course.
Their lunch menu is prix fixe with three courses at £35, two courses at £30 and one course at £25. The prices clearly show that it is more value for money to do more than just the one dish. I went for the value for money and started with a sweet corn veloute with boneless chicken wings, ras el haout oil and aged comte gougeres. Basically it was like a cross between soup and gazpacho. The chicken wing meat was so tender and it worked really well in the dish. You could not immediately see it was in there, but as you dip you spoon in you get to fully experience the hidden goods.
For my main cours I had squash ravioli with king oyster mushrooms, cavolo nero, ricotta, fresh walnuts and a sage beure noisette. Delicious! I love wild mushrooms to the moon and back; it is highly like that it will feature in most of my food choices if it is available. The service in this place is slick. The decor is understated luxury. The guests keep themselves to themselves as they on their champagne. It is not what you would expect from the outside looking in, it is very inclusive.
Great food, great service & free meal!
We really enjoyed our visit to Medlar. Very much a foodie kind of place, with quite a sophisticated menu (calves brains an option as a starter). Plenty of great options, although I would say, lacking a bit in vegetarian options. (I believe there was only one vegetarian option on the menu).
The service was great, and very friendly, and the food was great too.
To top off the evening off, when we came to pay we were informed that the American family on the table next to us had settled our bill for us as they felt they had been overly noisy. This hadn't been the case, but it was a very nice gesture. Guys if you read this, thank you very much!
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Medlar was a good find. It's been around for a few years so it's definitely less buzzy (and hence actually bookable!) than other restaurants, but the calm, quiet atmosphere makes a nice break from the crazy pace of the city.
The menu is prix fixe for 3 courses and for each course I was spoilt for choice. At £46 for 3 abundant courses I think Medlar is one of the best value for money restaurant offerings I've seen in London.
I settled for a duck egg tart with pancetta and duck hearts as a starter (pictured) which was delicious and very carefully presented, followed by some seasonal grouse served with a pate of foie gras and some bread sauce on the side. The bread sauce didn't do much for me but the grouse was expertly prepared, rare, tender and juicy. Dessert (pictured) was a chocolate overload but very enjoyable!
Medlar has an extensive wine list and a lovely and knowledgeable sommelier who pointed us in the direction of a great Californian Syrah.
Overall really good experience and would definitely go back!
We went for the 3-course lunch. It was absolutely delicious. I had the duck egg tart as a starter. It was delicious. The fried duck egg on top of the lovely pastry. Can't be any better. The main I had was grilled monkfish with tomatoes. It's delicious, closer to Italian food because of the tomato sauce. The dessert I had was raspberry tart with clotted cream. The clotted cream was smooth matches well with the sourness from the raspberry. I asked to take away the chocolate truffle they gave out for free, and they offered to give me more to take away. We had a great Saturday lunch there
A couple of weeks ago I celebrated a fairly depressing birthday so not wanting to do anything major, I booked a table at French restaurant Medlar for myself and @bmcboy. The choice was partly due to glowing reviews the restaurant has received recently and partly due to the fact that is one of the few good places open on a Sunday evening.
Absolutely wonderful! Gorgeous food, lovely staff, such a pretty restaurant. We selected the set menu (three courses for £35) and were rewarded with a feast! Crisp salads, delicious steaks, sumptuous puddings...course after course was sublime. Highly, highly recommended- best meal I've had in a good long time.
Ideal for a celebration (we were toasting a friend's birthday), but also perfect for a family meal or a dinner a deux.
It would seem like I always have my best meal of the year towards the end of that year. Last year, it was at Barrafina. This year, The Medlar won me over. My decision to dine here was quite a spontaneous one. However, when I say "spontaneous", I really mean "reservation made 4 days in advance" - I'm not one to take any chances.
My last couple of visits to Medlar has seen a few changes to their staff with the departure of two key members. Sylvain their restaurant manager has moved on to the maitre’d position at L’Ortolan (Reading) while their head sommelier Clement has taken up a buyer/ head sommelier role at 28-50. It is a huge shame to see the two of them leave and wish them all the best in their new endeavours. No doubt I will bump into them in the future.
Medlar is located in World’s End, right at the very end of the King’s Road in Chelsea. Owned by Joe Mercer Nairne and David O’Connor, who have both honed their skills in some of London’s top restaurants – some of which I’ve had my best meals at (The Square and The Ledbury). I added Medlar to my bucket list as soon as it opened but for one reason or another though I have only just managed to tick this one off. I was really looking forward to our lunch here…
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This post contains mostly photos of our recent visit to Medlar, Chelsea. London. We drank a bottle of Blauf Triebaumer 1339 £41.00 and many glasses of Tokaji Mad £9.50; Marsanne Tahbilk £9.00; Lacrima di Morro £9.50 and Velvet Pittnauer £12.00. We ate house bread; crab raviolo with samphire, brown shrimps, fondue of leeks and bisque sauce; tuna tartare with ponzu dressing, tobikko, preserved lemon, avocado purée and crispy garlic; English asparagus with Nutbourne tomatoes, ravigote, St. Maure frais mousse, rapeseeds and tapenade; roast guinea fowl with summer truffle pesto, sautéed wings, broad beans, St. George and cauliflower purée; rump of lamb with crisp croquettes, asparagus, pied bleu, carrot purée and pomme fondant; under blade fillet with Cafe de Paris snails, salad, triple cooked chips and béarnaise; veal sweetbread and tongue with spaetzle, romaine lettuce, monk's beard, shallot velouté and pancetta (supplement +£3.00); strawberry and champagne trifle with pistachios; cocoa nib panna cotta with Pedro Ximénez, honeycomb and stem ginger biscotti; lemon curd beignet with lemon sorbet and chantilly cream; and Medlar petit fours.
Instead of posting regularly about my visits to Medlar, I have decided to do a monthly round-up of my meals there and the new dishes tried. As usual, I have popped in every fortnight or so and have managed to try most of the new dishes on the menu. Boneless chicken wings with coco beans, fresh corn and Australian black truffle
Ahhh! Good ol’ England. We moan about the weather when it is wet and rainy. We moan about it when it is freezing cold. Yet when the sun comes out and it is nice and hot, we will still moan about it. On the hottest July day in many, many years, my fiancee decided it would be a good idea to have lunch outdoors in the sweltering heat. Now there aren’t many restaurants in London with options to dine outdoors but our favourite, Medlar, was one of them so the decision was easy.
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We visited madler which is opened recently admired by many, by booking in the very same day. All staff was very polite and kind. The waiters were so helpful about understanding the menu. Among the starters, crab ravioli was exceptionally good. The cooking rate of the ravioli very good. We chose the ramp of galloway and boneless chicken, among the main courses the ramp of galloway was avarage at best but chicken was perfect with beans, shelled broud beans and mushroom. 🎌Londra'da yeni açılan ve oldukça övgü alan mekanlardan biri olarak duyduğumuz Medlar'a aynı gün içerisinde rezervasyon yaparak gittik. Tüm çalışanların oldukça nazik oluşu dikkat çekici ve güzeldi.menü ilk aşamada Karışık gelse de garsonlar bu konuda da yardımcı:) başlangıçlardan yengeçli ravioli son derece başarılıydı. Aromatik lezzetinin yanı sıra ravioli hamurunun pişme seviyesi de harikaydı. Ana yemeklerden dilimlenmiş sınır bifteği ve kemiksiz tavuk kanadını tercih ettik. Biftek ortalama seviyedeyken, tavuk bakla, fasülye ve mantar aroması ile mükemmeldi. Son olarak tatlılardan böğürtlenli cheseecake'i denedik, hafif ve ferahlatıcı bir tadı vardı fakat mükemmel değil. Ambiyans ve servis ise gayet başarılıydı.
I have a confession – I am a regular at Medlar. On average I dine here twice a month. I have been coming here soon after they opened and have gone through all the ups and downs of winning and subsequently losing a Michelin star. As much as I enjoy Michelin star dining, I love good food even more. Even more so if it is delivered in a casual setting with a good wine list and service to match. That is something Medlar does very well – offer delicious food, at a very fair price point with relaxed yet attentive service. And I can enjoy all of this dressed in a t-shirt and jeans if I so choose to do so.
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Medlar is a 1 Michelin star restaurant in Chelsea. Nice little place, but like they say small packages come with a punch ! Its advised that you book your table in advance to avoid disappointment.
So lets start with the menu. They have a Prix Fixe menu starting from £42 for a 3 course dinner. And yes we did opt for the same. Somehow one observation I have to make is most of the restaurants dont offer much variety for vegetarians besides the regular gnocchis and pastas. I will be really happy the day they start offering more variety for the vegetarians (considering the fact that I have a lot of vegetarian friends !).
They have a extensive wine list, so wine lovers will have a field day and maybe might spend more time on selecting the wine than you will on selecting your food. Also worth mentioning is that the staff know their wines and they will be more than willing to help you choose a great wine.
So for the first course I ordered a Crisp calf’s brain with smoked duck breast, aioli, pink fir potatoes and tardivo. And my vegetarian friend ordered the New season’s asparagus with jamón ibérico, goat’s cheese mousse and broad bean vinaigrette (with the jamon iberico on the side for me !).
My starter was amazingly delicious. Had some reservations about having a calf's brain, but surprisingly it tasted good ! It was this nice gooey cheesy soft inside with the breadcrumb fried crisp on the outside. The smoked duck breast went well with it. The aioli and potatoes were a great accompaniment for the dish. And tardivo gave the necessary bitter punch to the taste for balance. All in all a great dish.
And the vegetarian starter was even better ! Surprise !! The goats cheese mousse and the broad bean
vinaigrette was to die for. I am not a big fan of asparagus but when I looked at the dish you could see that all the vegetables were so fresh, as if they were inviting you to come and indulge with them. Oh spring !!
For the mains I ordered a Roast poussin with sautéed spatzle, caramelised shallot, girolles and cauliflower purée and Sautéed gnocchi with fresh peas, baby artichokes, datterini tomatoes and sainte maure frais.
The mains were good but not great as one would expect from a Michelin star restaurant. Maybe its just the fact that chefs dont show any creativity when it comes to making a creative vegetarian main course.
The poussin was cooked perfectly but the accompaniments didnt seem to go along well with each other. I always thought something was missing. Maybe the spatzle or the cream in the cauliflower was overpowering the poussin and just didnt seem to go well together. Having said that, I am not implying that the food was bad, it did taste good, but when had it individually. As a dish in its entirety it didnt gel.
The vegetarian main course, well it was gnocchis and vegetables. I am sure most of you can make themhome as well. But again the star of the vegetarian dish were the fresh vegetables. They literally stare back at you !!
Then we ordered the desserts which were Crème chiboust with strawberries and honeycomb and Cardamom custard with saffron oranges, pomegranate and langues de chat. To be honest most of the restaurants fail to deliver a decent dessert. Dont know why. Its supposed to be the star of the menu as you always wanna end on a happy note.
The candied lemon peel on the creme chiboust just overpowered the dish and the cardamom custard was just dull and even the presentation lacked imagination.
All in all a great experience. Will I go there again ? Well, yes, considering the fact that they change their menu every month. I am sure I will hit the right one one of these coming months.
Absolutely perfect!!! There were 8 of us and we all commented on the fantastic service we received. ... good portion sizes if you go for the three course option.... The wine we had chosen for us was really good and the cheese board was divine.... must have cheese board!!!! You pay for what you get so don't expect anything cheap cause everything is freshly prepared and using really good quality products.... menu is very french with a modern twist but really good.... friendly staff that are super helpful...... I hope to go back again! !!!
I have a confession – I am a regular at Medlar. On average I dine here twice a month. I have been coming here soon after they opened and have gone through all the ups and downs of winning and subsequently losing a Michelin star. As much as I enjoy Michelin star dining, I love good food even more. Even more so if it is delivered in a casual setting with a good wine list and service to match. That is something Medlar does very well – offer delicious food, at a very fair price point with service to match. And I can enjoy all of this dressed in a t-shirt and jeans if I so choose to do so.
Food And Drinks Noob
+3.5
Overall it wasn't a great deal of difference compared to my last visit, as expected, some very classical western European flavours with a small modern touch
Quite possible the best value set lunch in London. Go! you will NOT be disappointed!!
9/10 Yes, Amazing restaurant !. I went to Medlar on last saturday for my birthday Lunch. Since I read the review on London eater, one of the restaurant that I wanted to visit.
It's amazing restaurant with excellent service and delicious food. Three course Lunch is £30 per head(dinner £40)+ service charge. Bottle of Water:£5, Glass of wine:around £5. The monthly menu is almost same as lunch and dinner.
It's very airy and clean ambience. Highly recommend! I wish the restaurant is in more central!!
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9/10 - outstanding new Chelsea restaurant. This is an outstanding new restaurant in Chelsea. The taste of the food served by the extremely friendly and competent staff was 9/10 by London standards. Our starters (rare grilled salmon with sauce vierge and oyster beignet, plus chilled broad bean and pea soup with goat's cheese and summer truffle) were truly world class. Our mains (beef fillet with persillade snails, salad and triple cooked chips, plus lamb rack) were really good too. The wine list is very impressive and we were able to enjoy an excellent 1er Cru Chablis by the glass, as well as a bottle of the Chateau Batailley (Pauillac) served properly in Riedel glassware by a knowledgeable and passionate sommelier. The dessert blew our heads off (lemon sorbet with black currents, Vodka and freshly baked madeleines). The interior was understated, comfortable and very cool and the service throughout was second to none. Finally, we thought the price tag was very reasonable too. We hope this place succeeds, it really deserves to.
Michelin stars without the attitude. Yummy food and solid service, with a French accent I felt like an idiot when we got to Medlar and I realised we had been there before. My excuse is that it was 1.5 years ago, way before we moved London and right about when they got their Michelin star but the word was not out yet. The previous meal was good, not great or worth rushing back to. I am happy I didn’t remember I had been there from the name or reviews, and as a result, gave it a second chance. The vibe is understated and nice, not pretentious at all. The menu is one of those that confuses you as nothing jumps off as a must eat and then luckily, really surprises you with great taste and good execution. Most of teh staff is french, which once you get used to the accent (in a good way), adds to the experience. What we ate: Duck egg tart with red wine sauce, turnip purée, lardons and sautéed duck heart: doesn’t sound that yummy does it? But it is absolutely delicious, rich and indulgent. Th
Sunday my bf and I headed to the Medlar Restaurant in Chelsea for lunch and it was so amazing I just had to post some photos of the delicious food we ate. Although it`s a Michelin star restaurant the prices were extremely affordable especially for the lunch menu and I would definitely recommend paying a visit. I didn`t have a starter as I was afraid I won`t have room for dessert after 2 courses (and for me the dessert is the most important course of the meal!), but my bf had this lovely Crab raviolo with shrimps, leeks and bisque sauce. For the mains I ordered the white pork and the boy had the beef fillet with snails and chunky chips. It was the first time I tried snails and I actually really liked them! (as you probably have already figured it out I always "taste" my partner`s food as well). And the desserts..oh my the desserts. Apparently I make this really weird, excited face every time I eat something that I really, really like and I was making it a lot during this course. I basi
We kicked things off during a recent trip to London with a visit to one Michelin star restaurant Medlar for Saturday lunch. A steal at 2 courses for £25 or 3 courses for £30. We noticed a good mix of meat and seafood dishes on the menu. Mr Nom found it quite hard to decide between the duck egg tart with red wine sauce, turnip puree, lardons and sautéed duck heart or the sea bream carpaccio with sauce vierge, tempura prawn, seaweed and cucumber. In the end settling for the bream he loved the delicate dish, it was a very light starter and the crunch from the cucumber was great, the added bit of texture to the dish. The tempura prawn had a very light batter and complimented the dish very well. Each element of the dish was beautifully matched. I was slightly jealous I didn’t pick the sea bream but my starter was lovely too. I ordered the crab ravioli with samphire, brown shrimps, fondue of leeks and bisque sauce. The ravioli starter was very appetising and there was a lot of crab filling
So where to start? The Medlar menu changes regularly but there are two starters that have featured from Day 1. The crab raviolo with samphire, brown shrimps, fondue of leeks and bisque sauce (33,929 portions served to early December 2013, or approximately 35 a day) is a really lovely dish but the king of the appetisers for me is the duck egg tart with red wine sauce, turnip purée, lardons and sautéed duck hearts. By 4th December they’d sold 7,923 portions and now I’m responsible for eating three of them. As a starter this is very, very close to perfection. The egg with its rich, soft yolk is a worthy centrepiece but every element combines perfectly.
The interior is not trying too hard, grey walls, green banquettes, splashes of paintings and green lamps lend themselves to a pleasing ambiance. Servers wear smart jeans which lends the place a casual air and met with Husband’s hearty approval – nothing worse (it seems) than waiters who are dressed better than you are.
Kate Moss once combined stupidity with outrage by saying “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” inviting a PR pounding for advocating anorexia. If only she’d eaten at Medlar. Medlar lies deep along the impoverished and downright dangerous Kings Road in Chelsea, West London. A joint venture between Head Chef Joe Mercer Nairne formerly of The Savoy Grill and Chez Bruce, and front of house David O’Connor who previously held the same position at Chez Bruce, The Square and The Ledbury. The surroundings are calm and the service ego-free. The prices breathe the life back into you: on a weekday a three course lunch is a moderate £26 and dinner is £39.50. By the time the food comes around you won’t believe they expect so little for it, for the cooking is phenomenal. Crab raviolo with samphire, brown shrimps, fondue of leeks and bisque sauce Most memorable are the starters, that appear to be where the chef has devoted most of his attention to formulating food that pulls your head in clo
Medlar is a great option if you happen to be hungry when in Chelsea. The food is very accomplished (chef used to be @ Chez Bruce and manager used to be @ The Square). I’d say the food, in terms of types of dishes, is somewhere in between Arbutus and Dinner and the service is spot on.
Samphire And Salsify
+4.5
My gentleman companion chose to start with the duck egg tart with red wine sauce, turnip puree, lardons and sautéed duck heart. This dish recently featured in a Time Out list of London’s top 100 dishes and I can see why. Other than looking stunning, it tasted delicious. Meaty soft duck hearts, buttery thin pastry and a perfectly fried duck egg really was a brilliant combination.
Now if there was one thing, i rarely do, it's make repeat visits to restaurants. Of course i fall in love with some, but the problem is i always feel like i'm missing out on the latest new opening, or one which the critics are going mad about. A late treat to my mother for Mothering Sunday (as i was abroad) is the only reason for my return. I remembered the last meal i had at Medlar was excellent and the added perk of it being only a few minutes from my flat sold it to me - especially for those of us who enjoy a drink, or two. Our love for wine definitely runs in the blood - and courses through mine.
Medlar is clearly a serious restaurant which has made an impressive start. The inspired cooking and seamless service on the second day of service augur well for the future. With three courses initially costing £20 for lunch and £30 for dinner, the promotion formula is likely to prove highly attractive.
Great food. It’s seasonal, well thought out and tasty. It’s not the best I’ve ever had but as long as you’re not expecting the meal of a lifetime you wont be disappointed. There’s plenty of choice and I can highly recommend the under blade fillet with chips and béarnaise - a regular on the menu for very good reason. They also have a cheese board to die for and the staff are happy to give you as many slices as they can fit on the board. How often does that happ
Medlar. Not meddler. Which is sometimes said of me. Unfairly, in my view. And medlar is a fruit which is rotten before it is ripe. Have a look: Not so difficult to see how that name came about. My favourite reference to it appears in Chaucer. The historic slang name for medlar is open arse . I’m glad I know that.
If you have not yet had the unmatchable pleasure of dining at Medlar you must drop everything and make a booking immediately.
Overall, Medlar was an above average restaurant. Food was well cooked but lacked the “wow” factor. Vegetables were badly mixed for both my starter and main. None of the flavours matched to the core ingredients, which simply made them irrelevant. The long descriptions of these vegetables were wasted on the menu. It’s a good place for locals and the atmo
They have a fantastic value dinner menu (£42 for three course) for Michelin starred food. It just had to be done as a birthday dinner.
Food wise, we found it a bit of a mixed bag – instead of a Tasting menu or à la carte, Medlar serve a three course Prix Fixe menu. We loved one of our dishes; quite liked another but sadly disliked one too.
Mister was quite taken aback by the mountain ravioli. It was jam packed with shredded crab meat that was unbelievably sweet, its juices oozed and merged with the luscious bisque sauce. It felt as though Chef had stuffed half of the ocean between the al-dente pasta sheets and poured the other half onto it. Splendid start.
Anyone who has read our blog knows how much we appreciate Chez Bruce and the other restaurants in the Nigel Platts-Martin stable. The Medlar in Chelsea although not directly connected with that group of restaurants, is certainly influenced by them (which is no bad thing). The head chef Joe Mercer Nairne used to work at Chez Bruce and his business partner David O’Connor also managed front of house at Chez Bruce, The Ledbury and The Square. So it was no surprise that we found that the menu and the service style was reminiscent of these restaurants.
I have never knowingly eaten duck heart before, so I thought I’d give it a go. Firstly, the actual tart pastry was near perfect, buttery, not too heavy, not too crispy and easy to cut. The expected richness of the duck egg yolk complimented the earthy turnip purée and the meaty taste of the duck heart, I was expecting a taste more in line with liver or kidney. But I’m not complaining, because the skill in which these flavours were balanced and executed in this dish was extremely impressive. I was already beginning to get more excited about this restaurant. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a restaurant where I notably over-heard other tables making comments like ” That sauce is ridiculously good” or “Jesus christ, that’s amazing” and a lot of “mmmm’s” and “oh my god’s”. And I’m not exaggerating about this!
In hindsight however, I should probably have opted for the Duck egg tart with red wine sauce, turnip purée, lardons, young sorrel and sautéed duck heart, which was recommended by our waiter,
Medlar is the first restaurant venture of David O’Connor (previously manager at The Square) and Joe Mercer-Naine, previously sous-chef at Chez Bruce, who also worked at Savoy Grill and Rockpool in Sydney. It is in the Chelsea premises of what was once Vama, near World’s End. The ground-floor dining room is in three sections, seating around 55 diners, with a skylight at the back, and there is also a private dining room upstairs.
I love Medlar. Turn round and walk away now if you're expecting one of my occasional scathing, sharp tongued rants, this is going to be nothing but an homage to what has incredibly quickly become my favourite London restaurant. Since my first visit towards the end of 2012 I have already returned far more often than the waistband of my jeans would like but its formula of great, relaxed service, perfectly executed food and a delicious, varied wine list makes it irresistible. Medlar made an understated but immediately acclaimed entrance into the London food scene in April 2011. Its more public prominence came about when it was awarded its first Michelin star in September 2012. If you were to summarise London food trends in one sentence, 2012 was the year of the super-trendy, starry, young chefs like Ollie Dabbous or Ben Spalding, it was also the year of the hyped up, queue-because-its-worth-it, fast/finger food type restaurants. Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with this - o
It's hard to pick a favourite dessert - we tried a large macaroon with divine English raspberries and lemon curd, a vanilla custard pot with blackcurrent compote and langue de chat (TPG mostly hogged this so it was hard to get a look in), a terrific, chocolately torte with almonds, topped in crunchy honeycomb chunks, honeycomb ice cream and a rich, velvety
Time Out recently released a list of the "top 100 dishes in London". It's an interesting read even if (in fact, as ever with these lists, particularly if) you don't agree with every choice, but if nothing else just goes to show the astonishing diversity of dining out in the capital; you can question the quality of food here if you like, but there's absolutely no arguing with the variety. Anyway, amongst the lobster rolls and salt beef beigels and lamb chops is the Duck Egg Tart from Medlar, an artistic arrangement of moist, sautéed duck hearts and crunchy lardons orbiting a perfectly spherical duck egg on a thin layer of puff pastry. I had it for my starter on Saturday evening, and it's absolutely lovely - a supremely accomplished mixture of textures and hearty (sorry) flavours, the kind of thing that on most other restaurant menus would be an obvious highlight. Except, the meal we enjoyed at Medlar was just so good in every respect that even this astonishingly good dish wasn't the bes
Exceptional in every way: amazing food, great staff, and a top wine list (not overly bargainous but quality stuff). Might have to suffer the odd guffaw from the Kings Rd locals but it lives up to the hype in every way - and represents extremely good value given its calibre.
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Since my last meal here the wine list has expanded dramatically, under the guidance of 2013 Young Sommelier of The Year Clement Robert. There are now perhaps 500 wines, ranging in price from £26 to £900, and with bottles from as far afield as Georgia (which incidentally, is where there is the oldest evidence of viticulture, a little matter of 8,000 years ago). Example offerings were Trimbach Riesling 2012 at £45 for a label that you can find in the high street for £13, Talley Arroya at £65 for a bottle that has a shop price of £24, and Chateau Batailley 2003 at £120 for a wine that retails at £41. Cash mark-ups are still substantial even at the top of the list, with Penfolds Grange 2004 at £800 compared to a shop price of £432, and the glorious Guigal La Mouline 1989 at £900 compared to a market price of £540.
Roast quail came with warm foie gras, sweet corn puree, macadamia, and sherry vinegar caramel. The bird was cooked well, though the sweet corn puree seemed a slightly curious pairing given the richness of the foie gras, which was of reasonable rather than dazzling quality; the sherry vinegar at least gave a semblance of balance to the dish (14/20).
Coquelet was served with potato gnocchi, Romaine lettuce, shallot puree and roasting juices flavoured with tarragon. The cockerel chick was cooked well and the tarragon was a classic pairing, the shallot puree having good texture (15/20).
Lemon sorbet was infused with a touch of vodka and served with a pair of freshly cooked Madeleines. I enjoyed the cakes, which had pleasing texture, but I would have preferred the lemon sorbet au naturel; the vodka seemed a rather jarring addition (14/20).
The bill came to £99 a head with some glasses of wine. Service was excellent, unobtrusive yet attentive. The three courses were now priced at £46, with £3.95 for a double espresso, the same as a bottle of water. The price of three courses has nudged up 19% in the roughly two and a half years since I last visited, and so this no longer feels quite the bargain that it once did, though there are plenty of pricier restaurants in London serving less good food. If you shared a modest bottle of wine then a typical price per head all in might be around £81. Based on tonight’s dishes the food seemed a notch less impressive than I remember it, though this was certainly still a perfectly enjoyable meal.
Best lunch ever - best for couples
My girlfriend and me had our best lunch date ever at this restaurant.
When inside, the sensation you get is just amazing. The dining area is really nice. Everything from fabric to decorative arts.
The food is seriously delicious. Any course you get is enjoyable, and I agree with other reviews that the this place offers the best value for food at this level.
Service was almost perfect.I think they can smile a bit more :). They are too serious and professional.
Timing of service was also stunning. Everything came out just in time and the courses flowed well. When writing a review, I normally describe one or two courses, but honestly, just go.
We finished with a beautifully presented dessert.
It’s a lovely touch for a lunch/dinner date. An experience that I have never tried before.
There were many tourists in the restaurant, but also some business meetings.
Personally I think it is perfect for a date.
A very classy place.
Tucked away at the non Sloane Sq end of Kings Road, I passed it a few times with realising !
A smart canopy outside opens up into a very elegant place.
Fab menu, some adventurous and unusual dishes. I had crab ravioli followed by pork fillet, wonderful creations and flavours. The wine menu is wonderful and the 3 of us went a bit crazy with the pudding wine !
A really up market and quality venue.
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I’ve been hearing about Michelin starred Medlar for ages.
It’s tucked away down King’s Road and I must’ve unknowingly passed it a thousand times. It’s the kind of place I casually put on my bucket list somewhere near the bottom with no real sense of urgency, but enough enticement to feel the need to get around to it.
Ya know whadda mean?
Well, I finally decided to take a date to lunch, a very reasonably priced set menu of 3 courses for £27.
We arrived to a partially full dining room, which grew into a buzzing atmosphere throughout the afternoon.
The interior is elegant without being fussy. The grey walls are decorated by eccentrically busy artwork and obscure light fixtures. The banquettes are a vibrant green with artfully distressed mirrors overhead. Although we were sat in the front dining room, a trip to the bathroom meant passing through the restaurant. There’s a middle section of intimate booths filled with businessmen conducting deals and a naturally lit back room from the skylight overhead decorated by walls painted with the restaurant’s namesake.
Considering the menu aims to serve seasonal ingredients from the British Aisles and Europe, we were not short for choice. I battled back and forth between the dishes, ensuring there was no overlap in ordering so I’d get a taste of whatever my date decided on.
We placed our order and a bread basket arrived with the choice of sourdough and brown bread.
Having finished round two of the bread basket, I was pleased when our starters arrived.
He ordered the beetroot soup with smoked eel, crème fraîche, croutons, orange zest and cornered garlic flowers. Rich, comforting and delicious. The kind of dish you want to spoon into your mouth whilst curled up on a leather chair by the fireplace.
I went for the thinly sliced veal with tonnato dressing, green beans, pickled shimeji and salted almonds. Inventive flavour combinations with the pickled shimeji mushrooms adding an incredibly balanced, sweet tang to the dish.
For our main course, he ordered rump of lamb with crisp croquettes, asparagus, pied bleu, carrot purée and pommel fondant. This was a lot of food. It was all well cooked, but had more than the necessary amount of ingredients on the plate.
I ordered the gilt-head bream with palourde clams, speck, jersey royals, fresh peas and a nettle and parsley sauce. The dish was beautifully cooked and had great ingredients, but unfortunately, the sauce only tasted of butter. I would’ve loved a citrusy kick rather than a pool of butter. C’est la vie.
For dessert, we shared poached rhubarb with Prosecco and Kaffir lime jelly, mandarin sorbet and pistachios. This one makes your eyes squint and lips purse, in a good way.
I bet your mouth just watered thinking about it.
The cocoa nib panna cotta with Pedro Ximénez, honeycomb and stem ginger biscotti was a tiny bit of a let down, only because I am obsessed with panna cotta. You may have seen my panna cotta recipe here, of which I devoured all by myself. The flavours of Medlar’s panna cotta were good, but the springy, jelly texture that I so enjoy with a panna cotta was instead more of a creamy mousse. There are worse mixups in the dessert world, and it was still very tasty, but I wanted the spring in my step mouth.
I think I’ve told you before, but I’ll tell you again.
I love a petit four.
We nibbled away on lime marshmallows and rich chocolate truffles with Pedro Ximénez as we planned adventures for the rest of our day.
A new Whole Foods has recently opened in Fulham and seeing as I frequent the store as a home sickness cure, I had to check it out.
The store is lovely, filled with friendly staff and my favourite, samples!
Delicious French cooking in a very nice dining room in Chelsea. Make sure you get a table at the front of the room and not one the ones at the back where there is no atmosphere. It's all about the food and wine here, and it's a winner.
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Husband & I have devised a bit of a quirky system for celebrating our wedding anniversary. An August wedding (for the most part) secures you nice weather, but it also guarantees extortionate weekend away/holiday prices. Therefore we've been awarding ourselves Michelin Star dining per year. Year 1 we visited the Fat Duck (3 Michelin *), Year 2 was Hibiscus (2*) and this year, Year 3, we went for Medlar, an exquisite 1* in Chelsea.
Now that we've run out of stars, Husband is threatening Pizza Express for Year 4...
Medlar is located on the Kings Road - at the opposite end from the hubbub of Sloane's Square & Peter Jones & surrounded by a number of establishments referring to themselves as the World's End? Is the end of the Kings Road really the world's end?
Nevertheless, an unassuming exterior and in we go, We originally opted to sit outside, but a word of warning - watching traffic (Even if it is Chelsea traffic) gets boring very quickly and we cheekily asked to be shifted back indoors (Which they did very obligingly!) The interior is not trying too hard, grey walls, green banquettes, splashes of paintings and green lamps lend themselves to a pleasing ambiance. Servers wear smart jeans which lends the place a casual air and met with Husband's hearty approval - nothing worse (it seems) than waiters who are dressed better than you are.
The menu is a Prix Fixe - 3 courses for £45.
For starters, I opt for Ajo Blanco, which I'd never heard of before, but the waitress described it as a chilled white garlic/almond soup. This was the best starter I've come across in a long time! The garlic flavour was sweet and not at all overpowering and the almonds added a texture and taste of their own that was sublime. Garnished with a breadstick, cucumber, grapes and scallops, I was in love. So much so, I could have happily even omitted the scallops!
Husband opted for the crab raviolo, which looking around appeared to the starter of choice, but he had nothing negative to say - meaty crab. Tick. Delicious bisque. Tick, What else can one ask for?
Onto Mains - Husband opted for the Rabbit & I, the Red Mullet. Now I would class Rabbit as a heavy sort of gamey choice, suitable for red wine pairings, cold winter nights and times when you want some stodge. Oh so wrong was I.
This rabbit was soft, tender and garnished with chard and a side of potato terrine, it swept aside my misconceptions on the choice of Rabbit on a summers' eve.
My fish was flaky and had a hint of a crab meat sort of texture to it, which made it light and airy (And given what was to follow, a great choice). The accompanying smoked mackerel was melt-in-mouth, the tomato tart sweet sweet & punchy. The aubergine caviar was a little too plentiful & i was envisioning a baba ghanoush type flavour, but nothing of the sort, this was much lighter & sweeter although albeit a little excessive in volume.
Time for dessert. I opted for a Creme chiboust (Vanilla parfait in the common tongue) with strawberries & a bit of honeycomb. The strawberry sorbet melted fast so this had to be devoured pretty quick smart. The honeycomb was unnoticeable but the strawberries & vanilla cream made this perfect English fare.
Husband opted for the Chocolate Pave, which in the few bites I had, contributed much of my Chocolate intake for the remainder of the year. So so rich you need to be a chocoholic to get through this bad boy. And surprise, since it was our anniversary, they brought us a bonus dessert. Pine Kernel & Cherry Tart. I loved that it was so different to both our offerings & despite 2 very rich desserts on the table, we still managed all of the 3rd.
Finally, Petit Fours - Passionfruit Marshmallow & Boozy Chocolate Truffles. I had a nibble at a truffle but couldn't face any more chocolate & even Husband was defeated by the Chocolate he'd had so far but we did gamely manage a marshmallow each! If only supermarket marshmallows tasted like this, I'd imagine the humble 'mallow would take on cult status.
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Medlar sits on the Kings Road in the Worlds End area, where shoppers wouldn’t venture about two or so years ago, but with new shops and restaurants opening up frequently this is turning into good place to eat and drink, especially now they have shut down the conservative club, which means no drunks falling out onto the pavement! Just Riley’s left to go.
I’ve passed this place before and always assumed it was another typical Chelsea restaurant, overpriced and with no substance, but I was wrong. They have a small seating area outside which is worth a mention as Alfresco-eating space on the kings road is scarce, which would be great if we ever have a summer. Upon entering we were greeted with a warm welcome but this somehow lacked personality and felt a bit awkward, this was soon rectified with the attentive service throughout the meal.
Medlar offers a three course set menu only, lunch (£26) and dinner (39.50) of three courses, both menus are the same, so this is not the place for a light snack. The restaurant boasts an extensive wine list prepared by Sommelier Clement Robert (who won UK young Sommelier of the year 2010). With a bottle entry price of around £24, which isn’t bad, but not great when it consists of cheaper grape varieties such as Airen and Aligote, fine for me, but maybe not for the uneducated wine consumer, but I guess this is what Clement is here for.
The first starter (and the best) was the Crab raviolo with samphire, brown shrimp, fondue of leeks and bisque sauce, it was truly stunning. The raviolo, cooked to perfection, stuffed with soft warm crab and the tiny brown shrimps hold so much flavour in them. The Bisque itself is stunning and brings the whole dish together, slightly salty, smooth, creamy and delicious, the best I’ve had in a while, I even had to ask for bread just to mop up the plate.
Hungry? Read more - http://www.londonfoodaholic.co.uk/2012/07/review-medlar-kings-road-chelsea_05.html
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I am a huge fan of Chez Bruce and the other restaurants in the Nigel Platts-Martin stable. The Medlar in Chelsea although not directly connected with that group of restaurants, is certainly influenced by them. The head chef Joe Mercer Nairne used to work at Chez Bruce and his business partner David O'Connor also managed front of house at Chez Bruce, The Ledbury and The Square. So it was no surprise that we found that the menu and the service style was reminiscent of these restaurants.
I started with a lovely dish, Crab raviolo with samphire, brown shrimps, fondue of leeks and bisque sauce. This was matched with a glass of Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos St Yves 2007, a beautifully smooth fresh tasting wine that I could so easily have consumed by the bottle. My companion was not so enamoured by the Lambs Tongue and Lentil salad which was rather dominated by the lentils, he did however very much enjoy the matching wine, a glass of Egri Bikaver, Bolyki a smooth light red wine from Hungary.
For main course I had Cornish brill with jerusalem artichoke puree, braised chicken wings, crisp pancetta and salsify, which was another good choice, this was matched with a Marlborough Pinor Noir. My companion also had a rather nice fish dish. The Roast cod with a ragoût of mussels, pieds de mouton and charlotte potatoes. It went well with a glass of Chardonnay, Kooyong "Clonale".
The wines were selected by Clement Robert the UK young sommelier of the year 2010 and were uniformly excellent.
We knew we could not manage to squeeze in a cheese course, so went straight to dessert instead. I had a rather good Chocolate tart with pistachio ice cream and my companion had the Almond panna cotta with PX, poached pear and ricciarelli. He really liked the panna cotta part of the dessert, but did not feel that it particularly went with the other elements.
The dress code here is fairly casual, although we did spot one chap who I am sure is on a fashion police wanted poster (there is a certain shade of pink that should only be worn by 5 year old girls). The customers are very much the Chelsea set. We would not have been at all surprised to see the crew from that dire show "Made in Chelsea" swanning in.
The food at the Medlar is good, we enjoyed everything we ate, although the wine did rather eclipse a couple of the dishes. It's not going to replace Chez Bruce as a favourite, but it's pretty good for Chelsea.
Had a wonderful and memorable lunch experience at Medlar. It’s our first time and will definitely visit again. We enjoyed the food very much. The staff were so kind and thoughtful the entire time. My favourite is the crab raviolo!
We had an incredible dinner for six at Medlar. The restaurant is beautiful, and the service is absolutely wonderful.
I’ve dined at many Michelin restaurants but Medlar outshines on service. They really have a brilliant and attentive team, and create a lovely atmosphere for your meal. From the person greeting me at the door, our sommelier and our waiter, they made us feel so welcome and made wonderful conversation that gave us more smiles throughout the evening.
Every course was very delicious, this is some of the best food I’ve had in London. Each bottle we tried with our meal was delicious too! I’d highly recommend!
My wife and I turned 70 this year, and good friends treated us to a lunch at Medlar. Everything was wonderful: the staff were delightful, the food delicious, and the whole experience very memorable. I had duck egg, followed by turbot, with panna cotta to finish. Unexpectedly, the staff brought us a little extra chocolate pudding with a candle, to celebrate our milestone. I recommend Medlar wholeheartedly
Hosted my birthday party here. Good food.. services could be better - they tried to be friendly, but it’d be great if the staff could be more proactive & helpful for the host. The wine list is expansive.
We saw a couple proposed! Great service and nothing to fault. - crab ravioli and the beef was the highlight of the day. They even gave us complementary cheese towards the end. A lovely neighbourhood restaurant with great hospitality and great food. I would definitely return to sample other cheeses & dessert.
Ps. The server takes amazing photos
We went as a party of four today and had a fantastic lunch. Everything from the food to the drink to the service was extremely difficult to fault.
We had brought two bottles of our own wine and the sommelier was more than happy to decant and serve the wine, and our glasses were almost never empty (until the wine ran out, anyway). My friend ordered two glasses on top of this and said they were delicious.
The service was friendly and professional throughout and the menu offered a great selection of dishes, certainly more than one often finds on a set lunchtime menu. It was all of a high standard, especially the beef main with stuffed mushroom, snails and shallot puree, which is one of the best plates of food I've had this year.
For a gougere each, three courses, corkage for the wine (and a couple of glasses on top), plus tea and coffees, it came to around £74 with service. For a meal like that, it was well worth it and we look forward to revisiting again.
What makes this place more special is the engagement of the staff with the guests, friendly yet professional. Wine list is very well presented and the food is delicious.
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I booked Medlar for wife's birthday, I saw the reviews were decent and I thought I give it ago myself. I like the menu was just a set price. Either opting for the 2 course or 3 course menu. As it was a celebration we opted for the 3 course menu. The menu looked great with a nice selection of options. My wife went for the crab ravioli to start and I chose the tuna option. Both were really tasty, the tuna was fresh and light with a lovely Asian dressing. We ordered the rioja red wine which was lovely. Its nice you can bring your own wine and pay the corkage fee. They brought us lovely bread through out courses which was a nice touch. My wife had the beef for mains and I went for the monkfish. Both were beautiful cooked and delicious. For dessert I had the chocolate moose and my wife had the creme brulee. If was a lovely finish to the meal. We enjoyed the food it felt quite high end and seemed decent value. As it was my wife's birthday they surprised her with a sorbet with a candle in it and some complimentary marshmallows and chocolate truffles.
Great on all fronts with particularly friendly and accommodating service. Formal yet relaxed atmosphere - I guess it can be anything you want it to be. Reasonable corkage fees if you have that special bottle sitting at home.
Outstanding service, excellent cuisine, lovely decor, great cocktails, wonderful wine list. A foodies paradise and an out-of-this-World cheese board with an even better Port to accompany! Top notch.
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