1 Lombard Street - Restaurant Review

Cuisine: Modern European
Style Point: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Covid Safety Measures:

Socially distanced tables with semi-private booths available
Hand-sanitiser at the entrance and washrooms
One-way system to the washroom
Well-trained staffed

Now restaurants are starting to open up again I was excited to make the journey to the City of London for the first time in a very long time, and enjoy lunch at 1 Lombard Street. This gorgeous brasserie has recently made none other than renowned chef and restauranteur Mark Hix as its Director of Food and Drink!

With Mark at the helm you know the food will be memorable and brimming with fresh British produce. The brasserie is a short walk away from London Bridge where you can gaze upon iconic landmarks including Tower Bridge and the Shard. After being away from the City for so long it was a walk I thoroughly enjoyed and set me in good stead and with quite an appetite for lunch.

With newly installed artwork and feature pieces specially curated by Mark himself, the space inside is vibrant and captivating, with lots of light being cast across the whole space courtesy of the stunning central glass cupola which houses the inviting 360-degree bar.

Food?

Onto the food and the daily changing menu had lots of choices to entice even the most demanding of diners. The starters included Linguine with Poole Poularde Clams, Severn & Wye Smoked VAR Salmon, and Summer Pea Salad with Crispy Kupros Halloumi. The fresh produce is evident across the menu and we decided upon Scrumpy-fried Jersey Rock Oysters with Scotch Bonnet Mayonaisse and Mark Hix’s signature starter, Heaven and Earth.

Starting with the former, the oysters were visually stunning, deep-fried oysters sitting atop their shells in a bed of laver seaweed. Essentially an oyster doughnut, the massive fresh oysters are deep-fried in a batter that encases the whole oyster and biting into the crispy batter you are met with a familiar mushroom-like texture and an almost meaty taste from the oyster. To put it another way, my husband likened it to a fried chicken ball you get from a Chinese takeaway and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! A delicious starter and definitely complemented by the flavoursome scotch bonnet mayonnaise.

The second starter, Heaven and Earth, is a soft and silky blood pudding (heaven) sitting upon the earth, a bed of crushed apples and potatoes. It’s quite a simple dish but if you love blood pudding then you will be in heaven, literally. My husband loved it, and he found the dish to be perfectly balanced with the rich meaty blood pudding being cut by the sour, almost acidic apple and potato combination. It wasn’t to my liking as I’m not a huge blood pudding fan but if you are a fan than you will certainly enjoy this one.

To wash down our first course, we tried a couple of cocktails. I went for the Acid Edge – Saffron-infused Ocho Blanco Tequila with Orange and Lime Juice, Agave Syrup, and Egg Whites. Picture a Pisco Sour infused with the subtle flavour of saffron, very delicious. My husband went for the Ship Shape and Bristol Old-Fashioned – Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum, Bramley and Sage Quince Liqueur, Bitters and Black Peppercorn. Old Fashioned being his favourite cocktail, this was definitely a winning cocktail and complete with that familiar smokey and citrus aroma.

With over 10 mains to choose from, it was a difficult choice with delicious-sounding dishes including Fillet of Torbay Cod with Chanterelles and Seahorse Vegetables, Moyallon Bacon Chop with Poole Cockles & Laverbread, and Indian Rock Chicken with Straw Potatoes and Baked New Season Garlic Sauce.

We eventually decided upon the Newlyn Monkfish with Sweetcorn & Brixham Crab and Peter Hannan Sirloin with peppercorn Sauce & Straw Potatoes. The monkfish was perfectly cooked and was soft yet meaty and went harmoniously with the delicious sweetcorn and crab melange.

Steak is often a hard thing to get wrong but when it’s cooked right and the meat is of the highest quality you can without doubt taste the difference. Thankfully, this was one of those times and my husband had immense pleasure working his way through the perfect medium-rare steak farmed and reared by the award-winning Peter Hannan farm in Northern Ireland. The peppercorn sauce was also rich and creamy, and the straw potatoes were crunchy, crispy and plentiful. We each had a glass of red and white recommended by our knowledgeable server from the extensive wine list and both were exquisite and complemented our mains very well.

After a brief respite, we perused the dessert menu for our final course. I must admit, I was hoping for a devilishly decadent sticky toffee pudding or chocolate fondant but sadly the dessert menu was a little too health conscious for the likes of me!

Having said that, there were some options that spiked my curiosity including Brogdale Cherry Bakewell Pudding and Gooseberry Meringue Pie. I decided on the latter and my husband went for the classic Eton Mess with Strawberries. Both desserts were very nice and with a Flat White, it was a nice way to finish a very splendid lunch in the City of London.

Price?

1 Lombard Street has a Set Menu offering 3 Courses for £35 which is very good value. There is an extensive wine list and a range of signature cocktails, as well as all the classics available for between £10-£12.

Overall?

1 Lombard Street is a great introduction back to the City of London. This area has suffered in the past few months and its great to see the restaurants back in business. The Dining here is a great way to enjoy lunch or dinner during a day enjoying the sights around the City, or after a day at the office too!