Review by Compass Magazine March 2006, Rating:
'Simon and Joy try a fine dining experience'
REUBEN EVANS' MISSION IS TO ESTABLISH A NUMBER OF FINE DINING RESTAURANTS AND ST JOHN IS HIS FIRST. The establishment has undergone extensive restoration and now looks very chic and classy. It includes a private dining-room that doubles up for business meetings.
Reuben has a fine eye for detail and sets the highest of standards. On the night we visited there was a table of ten businessmen, plus another 6 covers. Not a bad turnout for a Monday evening. Care was taken to spread everyone over the restaurant thus giving customers some intimacy. Considering that the front of house was being looked after by Reuben and a young waitress the standard of service was excellent. It was cool, calm and efficient.
The restaurant offers standard à la carte, a market menu, offering two courses for £14.95 or three for £18.95 and a gourmet menu consisting of 10 courses for £45. Joy selected a starter from the market menu, a boudin of salmon and crayfish, leek fondue and crab bisque. I selected the sautéed pigeon and celeriac and ceps. We chose a bottle of Sancerre 'Les Caillottes' Domaine LaPorte from the Loire Valley. We were offered a selection of four breads; walnut, raisin and fennel, ciabatta and white. These were freshly made and delicious. We were served an amuse bouche of delicious parsnip and chestnut velouté. The sweetness of the chestnut certainly came through and the coffee cup portion was certainly sufficient to amuse and stimulate the palate. More importantly it gave indication that the kitchen had a chef of skill and quality.
The boudin was served on a bed of leeks and was full of crayfish. It was sublimely delicious being subtle and sweet. My pigeon breast was perfectly pink and served on a sandwich of rosti filled with ceps and celeriac. The contrast of the ceps and celeriac with the gamey flavour of the pigeon made this a perfect starter. Joy was equally enthusiastic about her boudin.
After the starter a blood orange sorbet was served in a vodka shot glass. It had been flavoured with rosewater. It was very important to have something to cleanse our palates after starters that had such strong flavours.
Joy had selected pan fried John Dory with a bouillabaisse sauce and saffron potatoes. It was served in a deep oval bowl. The fillets of John Dory were rested on courgettes, beans, carrots, new potatoes and a black potato. The presentation was exceptional and the dish was nicely balanced. I had chosen a rump of lamb with boulangère of potatoes, sautéed ratatouille and thyme reduction. The lamb was perfectly cooked, nice and pink as I had requested. The sauce was full of flavour from the thyme and complemented the sweetness of the lamb. These were two expectional dishes.
For dessert Joy went for the St John's chocolate fondant with vanilla ice-cream. This is a serious chocolate dish that would have chocoholics crawling over broken glass for a portion. Though I am often accused of being a chocoholic by my wife, I had been tempted by the brioche and butter pudding with cinnamon ice-cream. This was superbly light and classy. The pudding was laced with almonds and raisins while the delicious cinnamon ice-cream had been placed in a brandy-snap basket.
Reuben has certainly achieved his initial goal of establishing a fine dining establishment and has the drive and passion to develop this success further. We found that it was an exquisite dining experience and strongly recommend it to you.
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