THE COLONY GRILL ROOM MAYFAIR

When The Colony Grill Room opened last year, it immediately went on my list of restaurants I wanted to visit. It is the latest venture from Corbin and King who run the very successful Wolseley and Delaunay restaurants. This time they have not only opened an American style old school grill restaurant, but it is also part of their first ever deluxe hotel.

The restaurant is wood panelled, low lit and very art deco - I loved it and felt like I had been transported to Manhattan. There were also plenty of smart booths to sit in, great if you are in a small group.

I have been drooling over the menu for over a year so knew exactly what I wanted. I had seen plenty of photos of the sundae menu on Instagram and it had my name all over it, I therefore decided to skip a starter so I wasnt too full. It was a shame though as I was very tempted by dressed crab and the tuna tartar. Instead I nibbled on the delicious warm breads.

There is plenty to choose from for mains ranging from Dover sole with Bearnaise sauce to Kennys meatloaf. I nearly had a burger but I decided to branch out and have a salt beef Reuben. This was delicious and packed full of salt beef, pickles, sauerkraut, cheese and thousand island dressing. I wolfed it down in a very unladylike way!

I then had a side of mac and cheese and this has to be the best mac and cheese I have ever had in a London restaurant. It was cheesy and creamy with a crumbly topping. I was gutted I had to share it as I could easily have eaten the whole lot myself!

Pascal nearly ordered a steak but decided to be different and went for a pork chop which he claimed was fantastic, not dry in the slightest and full of flavour.

We also had an iceberg and blue cheese wedge, which for me was the only weak point of the meal, I thought it was rather bitter however Pascal enjoyed it.

Both our mains came with fries and they were perfectly salty and crispy and even though we didnt need them, I could not stop eating them.

Then came the much anticipated sundae time. The pudding menu came with a sundae checklist - I went for a scoop of vanilla ice cream and one chocolate, chocolate flake, kids candy and honeycomb with a salted caramel sauce. WOW! This is what my dreams are made of, ingredients were plentiful, there was extra sauce on the side and it was the perfect combination. Best pudding ever.

Pascal had the cheese board which came with a cheddar, a Stilton and a goats cheese……it looked good, but I only had eyes for my sundae.

Service was impeccable, everything was presented beautifully and the restaurant had an elegant, classic ambiance. I adore this place, it is open all day from breakfast to dinner, I am thinking of moving in!!

The Colony Grill Room

The Beaumont,
8 Balderton Street,
Brown Hart Gardens,
London
W1K 6TF
Tel: 0207 499 9499

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THE ONLY RUNNING FOOTMAN MAYFAIR

The weather was so wet on Thursday, I felt we were in the depths of winter rather than the middle of August….another wonderful English summer! I could have easily stayed in and watched reruns of Gossip Girl however I had a table reserved at The Only Running Footman and I had been looking forward to it all week.

I had been here for drinks before as it was my brothers old local when he worked in nearby Berkeley Square and as I arrived I could see it hadnt changed in the 7 years since I had last been, the pub was absolutely heaving! Ladies -  I reckon it would be a great place to meet men…..I was however meeting my husband.

Downstairs is the pub and then upstairs is a smart but cosy dining room. We were shown to our table and ordered a drink while we perused the menu. I was starving so I was very grateful for the freshly baked bread to nibble on.

There was so much I wanted to order and I found it hard to decide. For starter I wanted the crispy squid or the risotto Milanese or the falafel with homemade hummus but I ended up ordering Dorset crab with toast, broad beans, pea shoots and lemon dressing. For main I was torn between the pan fried sea bass with Jerusalem artichoke puree, girolles, wilted spinach and sauce vierge or the shepherds pie but I then chose the Chateaubriand to share with Pascal which came with fries, mixed herb salads, roast tomatoes, mushrooms and a green peppercorn sauce.

The food was beautifully presented and I was delighted with my crab when it arrived. It tasted so fresh and light and the broad beans were a perfect addition - I dont know why I dont have them more often, they are delicious.

Pascal chose the burrata with heritage tomatoes, asparagus and truffle dressing and I will admit, I had slight food envy when his arrived as it smelt amazing….I love truffles. This starter was exceptionally good, the burrata was soft and creamy and went really well with the tomatoes, asparagus and of course the truffle dressing. It was so much more special than a usual tomato and burrata salad.

As I had already checked out the pudding menu and knew exactly what I was going to order, I was thinking I should have fish as a main so I wasnt too full however Pascal and I were too tempted by the Chateaubriand and when it arrived we knew we had made the right choice.

We had it served rare and the meat was excellent - cooked to perfection (even my fussy french husband was impressed). I thought it was just as good, if not better than the well known steak restaurants around London but much more reasonably priced plus we loved the sides and sauce too. Even the simple mushroom was a delight and I couldnt stop picking at the fries even though I was full to the brim.

I could not resist the ferrero rocher cheesecake, it was rich, chocolatey and decadent and worth every single calorie. I am a huge fan of the Cheesecake Factory in the States and wish more restaurants served such enticing cheesecake flavours. 

Wow - what a meal! Service was friendly and efficient - nothing was too much trouble for the staff and judging by the full restaurant we werent the only people impressed by the Only Running Footman. 

If you are in the Mayfair area, ignore the usual ostentatious places (there are many) and head for the Only Running Footman for breakfast, brunch, lunch, supper or even just a drink - it is a gem and not to be missed.

(The restaurant also has 2 private dining rooms).

The Only Running Footman

5 Charles Street,
Mayfair
London
W1J 5DF
Tel: 020 7499 2988

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