Restaurant Review: Villandry, London

Ahh London. We have a bit of a love/hate relationship.

There are visits that are delightful and exciting and full of fun. And there are those that are stressful, irritating and full of grumpy faces and rudeness and I end up returning to the bosom of my northern home.

The reason for my visit this time around? Well an invite had appeared from The Lakes Distillery who were launching their new gin.

On a yacht.

Yeah. There was no way I was missing that one. It’s not the sort of thing that lands in my lap every day.

So, booking tickets that would transport me down nice and early and return nice and late (and that were cheap and cheerful), I then realised I had around 4 hours or so to kill in the big smoke. What to do?

Well, that’s where pictures from a chef on Twitter of a new menu caught my eye. Villandry, St James. The chef was teasing me with hints of the dishes on the menu and I…. couldn’t resist. The plan was simple. Lazy wander to St James’ from Euston, walk to The Savoy if I had time and finish at The Yacht before home.

All on the day when a little storm blew in. Perfectly timed, right?

So I arrived at Villandry a little, er, windswept. Of course, the staff at Villandry were kind and within minutes I’d repaired myself, and was seated in the bar.

Firstly, it exudes French style. Whether you’re in the bar, as I was, or in the restaurant itself with probably the most beautifully padded seats in the world, the building is elegant alone, but the the high decorated ceilings, artfully tarnished brass and mirrors, and tiled floors that ensure the gentle click clack of heels.

Seated, warmed, and repaired, and only having sipped a smoothie all day, to say I was ravenous was an understatement – a fact I was swift to reassure chef of.

The staff – sensing my defrosted state, immediately appeared to take my order. The whole menu is a treat, whether you’re in need of a sandwich, a salad, or something more substantial, the food has a fresh feel. It let’s the ingredients speak.

I went for an entirely seafood based menu. The starter of spiced squid with harissa mayonnaise and fresh chillies was, all I could have hoped for.

The squid was encased in a light crispy batter, and not a hint of grease in sight.

The mayonnaise was punchy, rich, creamy. Add in a squeeze of a lime wedge and I was in a very happy place.

But here was a challenge.

What to drink? Red? White? Beer? I put myself in the very expert hands of Monique, who suggested both a red and a white wine. Not only is there an extensive wine list, but every month Monique selects two wines as her ‘Wines of the Month’. One of these, her ‘secret weapon’ was the Hegarty Le Cheman Blanc 2010. This is a white wine with balls, rich honey, a little spice and floral notes.

Her second suggestion, was a light red, COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 2011. Forest fruits and cherries with a nice earthy base make this flavourful, but still light, meaning it copes well with seafood.

After a sampling and a chat, we decide to go from white to red, the Marsanne Rousanne blend paired with the squid. This pairing turned out to be perfect. The honey of the wine brought out nutty notes in the batter and enhanced the creaminess in the mayonnaise, whilst softening the heat.

A pause, while I sampled the bread from the Villandry bakery. The rye was crisp, and chewy, the focaccia buttery. This gave me the chance to watch the staff in action. The well oiled machine served, chatted – took coats and hat, served and poured. You can tell the level of care and detail taken by the staff when the Maitre d’ notices that I eat left-handed.

It was difficult not to be impressed.

And so to the main.

A craving for mashed potato led me to the cod loin and tiger prawns with lobster sauce and spring onion mashed potato.  To ensure a crisp skin, the cod had been pan fried skin side down, before being finished in the oven to ensure just cooked white flesh. The lobster sauce was intense enough to match with the Sicillian red wine, but soft enough to avoid overpowering the fish or the mashed potato.

Leaves of crisp fried parsley sat atop the fish, adding a little sweetness to the dish. I was a very happy lady.

Before dessert, a chance to tour the restaurant and meet with chef. Eddie took me to the bar area upstairs, to see the private dining areas and kitchen. He started in a bar and worked his way through the ranks to chef and at the time I met him, Villandry had just confirmed his title as Executive Chef.

When I asked why a Venezuelan chef was working in a French restaurant, his answer was simple, it’s what he loves. As his love means I can put fingers to keyboard, I can respect that.

Finally dessert – there was only one option for me. The assumption would be the cheeseboard or even the chocolate fondant that the pastry chef is very proud of, but I have three weaknesses when it comes to sweet things. Black cherries, custard and peaches.

So my eye was caught by the picioia. Picoia are peaches, tiny, green, soft preserved peaches. Even the centre stone is soft and edible. Served on ice, these are very sweet, with a quite intense peach flavour and though they are intended as more of a petit four, these and a black coffee were an ideal end to a lazy late afternoon lunch.

Villandry St James is delightful. Relaxed yet elegant and housed in a stunning period building, this French dining venue offers classic food, cooked beautifully. In a world of ‘twisting’ and ‘versions’, sometimes that’s just what the doctor ordered.

Personally if I can find a way to stay over in the capital, I really must try their Weekend Champagne Brunch menu. In any case, I’ll be revisiting as soon as I can.

The rest of my adventure? You can read that in Part 2.

The food and drink consumed at Villandry was (unexpectedly) paid for by the restaurant.

As ever, a meal supplied, doesn’t ensure a positive review. In this case the service, food and venue were fabulous and I’ll be heading back as soon as I can.