Latest opening: The Midland Grand Dining Room
What: Named after Midland Grand Hotel, the gothic revival 19th century hotel that is now the St Pancras Renaissance hotel, this new restaurant replaces Marcus Wareing’s The Gilbert Scott and pays tribute to the building’s heyday.
Who: Restaurateur and hotelier Harry Handelsman and chef Patrick Powell, the duo behind Stratford restaurant Allegra, are behind this new project. The pair originally worked together at Handelsman’s Chiltern Firehouse where Powell was head chef for four years and then continued their partnership when Powell went on to open Allegra, located on the 7th floor of Handelsman’s Manhattan Loft Gardens in Stratford, in 2019. Working alongside Powell in the kitchen is head chef Charlie Crote and Arran Schaffer as head pastry chef while out front is general manager Emma Underwood, who was most recently at The Pem. Bar manager is Jack Porter, who is also in charge of the hotel’s standalone The Gothic Bar located just across from the restaurant.
The food: Powell’s menu reflects the Eurostar station’s position as a gateway to Paris and Europe with a strong French influence and a large helping of classic dishes that are given a modern touch. Appetisers range from one-bite wonders, such as a parmesan fritter with black garlic and shaved coppa; and delicate comté gougères, pickled walnut; to a heartier yet still light silky liver parfait topped with truffle and madeira jelly served with a duck fat parker house roll. A selection of salads include one with Charentais melon, Bayonne ham, lime and olive oil; and another with courgette, stracciatella, lemon and almond, with entrees that include a textbook pâté en croûte du jour; and a striking dish of pommes pallaison, snails bourgiugnon, nduja and guanciale (pictured below). Portion sizes are generous with mains that include roasted lamb, pomme anna, spiced aubergine and sauce Provençale; and grilled poussin, red pepper glaze, green olive tapenade. There's also a number of dishes also designed for two to share - the whole roast chicken with Vin Jaune, morels and wild garlic comes highly recommended. Desserts are no less impressive, with a pretty much perfect crème caramel; and strawberry, almond and clotted cream Paris-Brest two options (among others) available to round off a meal.
To drink: The predominantly Old World list showcases established as well as more up-and-coming producers with a good selection of wines by the glass and a strong champagne and sparkling offer. France dominates, with options from regions including the Loire, Languedoc, Bordeaux, the Rhone Valley, Burgundy, Alsace, and Jura but there’s also a good selection of wines from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Austria, South Africa, the US, New Zealand, and Australia. Wines start at a very reasonable £7 a glass with many bottles in the £40 to £70 bracket, although those wishing to splash out more will not find it too difficult to do so.
The vibe: A successful attempt by designer Hugo Toro to bring warmth to the vast high-ceilinged listed dining room with foliage, huge gilt mirrors, a lick of burnt orange paint and art from Handelsman’s private collection has created a comfy but opulent space that is less austere than The Gilbert Scott aesthetic of before. Heavy upholstered chairs (once you’re ensconced comfortably in them it’s hard to leave) and a patterned deep-pile carpet emphasise the 86-cover room’s hotel restaurant feel, as do the brass chandeliers that feature 3,000 individual pipes of glass. This is fancy dining at its finest.
And another thing: The restaurant occupies the space that what was once the hotel’s Dining & Coffee Room, which opened upon the hotel’s launch all the way back in 1873.
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Road, London NW1 2AR
https://www.midlandgranddiningroom.com
