I need to make you aware of the launch of Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar which is due to open in March at the 5 star London Marriott County Hall Hotel.
The new restaurant aims to be “the most English of English dining destinations” and will feature the best of English beef and seasonal produce as well as over thirty gins and new cocktails created taking an influence from the satirical works of famed caricaturist of the late eighteenth century James Gillray.
Set in the County Hall, built 100 years ago to house London’s government, with views of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, few can claim a more inherently English location or vista.
The choice of namesake, James Gillray, reflects the political history of the County Hall’s past, and the intelligence, style and humour of the English personality. James Gillray’s work punctuates the menu and will be exhibited on the walls of the steakhouse restaurant and bar.
Location – check, History – check, Interior design – check. What about the menu? Well, for me this is where it gets really good.
The 1000g ‘Bulls Head’ steak sounds divine and when you throw in bar snacks like English Crumpet & Soft Boiled Egg washed down with 10 English beers, this high end London steakhouse looks to be debuting with gloves off. I am a fan already and I haven’t tasted a morsel.
(I am not suggesting all 10 beers need to be drunk, but merely pointing out the choice is rather good)
The menu features nine cuts of steak – bone-out and bone-in – 300g Fillet on the bone, 450g Porterhouse and 600g T-Bone steaks. Gillray’s Steakhouse signature dish, the 1000g ‘Bulls Head’ steak, will steal the show - a 1000g-butterfly cut, double rib steak served with the bone in.
The Englishness of Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar is evident throughout the bar menu, populated by 10 English beers (and two Scottish beers from Innis & Gunn), 29 English gins (including a few British favourites such as Hendrick’s) and five English vodkas.
The bar snacks menu brings Englishness to life in bite-sized morsels –Pigs in Blankets, English Crumpet & Soft Boiled Egg and Venison Sausage Rolls with HP Sauce – England on a plate.
Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar opens at London’s County Hall at the end of March 2012.
Join the queue….
It has been 60 years to the day since The Queen’s accession and to mark the Diamond Jubilee, John Walker & sons have created something rather special.
The Luxury Diamond Jubilee Whiskey by John Walker & Sons will today become one of the world’s rarest whiskys. Only 60 editions will be released for sale worldwide, with each bottle worth £100,000.
Diamond Jubilee has been maturing for 60 years, it is a specially crafted blend of rare malt and grain Scotch Whiskies.
In strengthening the connection to HM further, the final, traditional step of marrying has been carried out in casks made by the John Walker & Sons coopers using oak provided by kind permission of The Queen from her private Sandringham Estate.
More than 60 (yep, there’s a theme here….60!) artisans have been involved in producing this very special whisky including QEST scholars.
The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust is the charitable arm of the Royal Warrant Holders Association that preserves rare craft and conservation skills.
John Walker & Sons have pledged that £1,000,000 of the sales of Diamond Jubilee will be donated to QEST.
Other supreme craftsmanship in evidence here can be seen in the form of Baccarat Crystal. The multi-faceted, diamond-shaped decanter which rests on a crystal stand has six radial legs, each one reflecting a decade of The Queen’s enduring reign.
Hamilton & Inches, Scotland’s leading jeweller and silversmiths have been responsible for a Britannia silver decanter collar set with a half-carat diamond, a John Walker & Sons Ltd Royal Warrant and entwined JW&S monogram to adorn the crystal, and a silver transit stopper.
Cumbria Crystal, the only maker of English full lead crystal, have created a bespoke lead crystal glass, cut with six main facets to mark six decades of The Queen’s reign and with the John Walker & Sons monogram engraved in the base.
The Diamond Jubilee whisky from john Walker & Sons is a truly special whisky, made using the finest ingredients and craftsmanship.
Whisky fit for a Queen!
The idyllic sanctuary which is The LookOut in Hyde Park will be home to meditation expert Andy Puddicombe, creator of Headspace, for 3 events in February, March and April. Headspace is a mindfulness project designed to bring the benefits of meditation to busy, modern professionals.
The LookOut is the perfect space to escape busy London life and is designed with the environment in mind. It provides a light and airy space amongst nature to relax and enjoy your surroundings – perfect for meditation.
Andy will be introducing the art of meditation with a quick start guide with all attendees walking away confident that they know exactly what to do to get some Headspace. There’s no mystery, no jargon and no religion. There’s no role play, no name badges and no group hugging! Best of all, Andy’s teaching is clear, simple and easy to follow.
“He’s open, likable, direct, the kind of man any mother would approvingly call ‘down to earth’. He glows with health and energy and has an aura of natural charm. He also has two characteristics that distinguish him from most self-styled gurus: he is unaffected and modest, and he is eminently qualified to teach his subject’.” The Times
The events will offer short meditation sessions to introduce attendees to the art of meditation along with offering tips and guidance and support for those wanting to introduce meditation into their daily routine. Andy is a highly inspirational person and will also be sharing fascinating stories from his experiences as a Buddhist monk.
Afterwards you can gain access to personalised online support and you’ll be given resources to help you get the most out of the Headspace experience.
The Events will be on 4th February, 3rd March and 14th April with the first session running from 11am-12.30pm and the second session running from 2.30pm-4pm.
The first official visit to Brazil by Prince Harry is to include a game of international polo, with the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup on Sunday 11th March, with the Prince in the Sentebale Polo team.
Sentebale was founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso from the Lesotho Royal family and gives vital support to the most vulnerable of Lesotho’s children.
You can expect the stars to be out for this as Prince Harry’s team plays the respected Argentine player Nacho Figueras who heads up the St. Regis team.
Christian Porta, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers said: “We’re so proud to be supporting such a deserving charity at an event that will no doubt be the highlight of the Royal Salute World Polo calendar,”
“The Brazilian appetite for the world’s leading luxury Scotch is clear with sales of Royal Salute more than doubling over the past year. The thriving market combined with the priority brand’s status as the fastest growing* within the Pernod Ricard Group are both strong signs of a bright future in this stunning country.”
Luxury Scotch Royal Salute continue to support international polo, with recent tournaments including the prestigious Royal Salute Maharaja of Jodhpur Golden Jubilee Cup in India as well as a full international program.
Set just off one of St John’s Wood beautiful, residential streets, One Blenheim Teerace is very inviting. The façade is glass and it has a lovely outside patio which must be wonderful in the summer. We were greeted at the door by the restaurant manager and head waiter. The restaurant manager has a lovely personality, very warm and he is very good at his job.
On entering, our coats were taken. Down a few steps from the cloakroom area there is a very inviting looking bar with some cosy seating – it looks the perfect space when waiting for a table.
We were seated at a corner table, with a nice view over the restaurant. One Blenheim Terrace is a new London restaurant so the décor is very clean and colourful. Very nice overhead lighting and beautiful little glass candle lamps adorn each table. The starched white table cloths and napkins always lend towards a nice evening ahead!
The manager brought us the a-la-carte menu’s along with the wine list and a beer list. I’m not a beer drinker, but there was a very extensive beer list. Apparently the beers are very popular on their Tasting Tuesday menu. Quirky! We decided on a glass of the house champagne to get us started, but were served the Pol Roger, even better! We also ordered still and sparkling water.
Both of the waiting staff (manager and waiter) were very attentive all the way through the evening. They asked if we needed help with menu. I explained my dairy intolerance and on choosing my starter and main course the manager very kindly advised the chef. Having ordered, a small but perfect selection of bread was brought to the table. My guest and I both had the brown rolls, which were delicious! We were then served an amuse bouche to open the taste buds. I found the fish taster to be intensely flavoured, but nonetheless a very nice touch.
The A-la-carte menu is small but perfectly formed with 6 starters and 6 main courses to choose from, (British favourites as the menu states) offering meat, fish, chicken, wood pigeon and vegetarian choices. The menu changes with the seasons, so the taste is always fresh. Prices tend to be on the higher side but this area of London can manage this.
My starter of organic cured salmon was delicious. Nicely cut, cured salmon, oak smoked with tiny pieces of pickled cauliflower. A miso caramel stripe of jus – slightly sweet, but it complimented the salmon perfectly. My food was covered with a glass dome which was removed by the manager to a puff of the oak smoke – very impressive. My guest had the lobster Bolognese: a very good portion of spaghetti mixed with lobster, served with a parmesan ‘air’ – a light fluffy infusion of parmesan, again very impressive presentation and very tasty.
Our main courses consisted of Surf & Turf for me and Bouillabaisse for my guest. The Surf & Turf – a delightful combination of roast halibut and confit chicken, served to me with the chanterelles (minus the cream), samphire, baby leeks and watercress. I am not a great fan of sauces, so choose to have it without the red wine sauce. This dish was truly delicious, the chicken pieces were small but tasty and the halibut was perfectly cooked.
The Bouillabaisse was a very clever modern take on the traditional dish. A great selection of fish served with baby fennel, saffron potatoes, leek – all in a rouille, that classic Provencal sauce. My guest enjoyed the dish very much and again the portion size was good. We chose a selection of vegetables served in individual dishes: broccoli – perfectly cooked, salad leaves – a good selection of leaves, nicely tossed in a delicate dressing, and roast potatoes – by this stage I had eaten quite enough, so the manager wrapped them for me and I took them home!
We chose a very decent Pinot Grigio with our meal, from the well stocked wine list, which has good price variations. We were then offered dessert. My guest, being a small eater, declined but I enjoyed the fruit salad – a good combination of fruit served with a raspberry sauce, very refreshing after a very tasty meal. We enjoyed a further glass of Pinot Grigio to round off a very pleasant evening.
During the evening there were various other tables of two in the restaurant. One Blenheim Terrace is a very good neighbourhood restaurant and I got the feeling that quite a few of the diners had eaten there before – always a good sign – as the restaurant manager was very au fait with them.
All in all, a very good restaurant: comfortable and inviting with very flavoursome food, well presented and served by lovely staff.
