Proper first world problem here, but isn’t food envy the worst? It happens pretty much every time I eat – total nightmare. I mean, it’s not that I don’t like what I order, it’s just that everything else looks yummy too, which makes me begin to doubt everything. Apparently when I was younger, I used to sit under the table and sulk in restaurants because making a decision was too hard. CLEARLY I don’t do that now – I’ve found a more socially acceptable way to cope: tasting menus.
I followed this theory last night, at The Cavendish in Marylebone. The modern European restaurant has been at 35 New Cavendish a little while, but recently re-did just about everything (inc the menu – they poached head Chef Douglas Santi from the Soho House group) so it seemed a good moment to try.
I was there with a load of food bloggers who insisted on taking photos of absolutely everything, from absolutely every different angle. I suddenly had all-new gratitude for friends who put up with my own incessant photo-taking.
The tasting menu was vast. Admittedly I should have paced myself, but it’s pretty hard when everything tastes great. We were literally trying a bit of everything, from starters and mains to breakfasts and deserts. Which is a good point, actually – 35 New Cavendish do a pretty mega breakfast. And you can go for a stand-alone dish or a compilation of mini versions. Which is pretty genius. I mean, when has combining eggs Benedict, Florentine and Royale NOT been a good idea?!
Drinks-wise, we started with a campari & prosecco cocktail (I was doing Michael Macintyre impressions in my head. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, look it up), then moved onto wine. I’d love to tell you about them, but I’m useless at wine. I can’t do that whole swirl, purse, “mm, notes of oak” thing. It was wine and it tasted good.
Everything on The Cavendish’s menu is there for a reason and they’re proud of the close relationship they have with their suppliers. They’re picky – which means they can do things like cooking burgers rare. Which is quite rare. Pleasingly.
My favourite dish was the steak tartare, although the tuna tartare was close second (I always have trouble choosing).
Sadly, they didn’t have gluten-free alternatives to the starters my table was sharing, so my plate ended up looking like a carb graveyard. But if you were choosing individual plates from the main menu, there are some gluten-free options.
To book, visit Open Table.
Olivia x
