23 - 25 Leadenhall Market,
London,
EC3V 1LR
0872 148 3107
The ViewLondon Review
Despite the huge monoliths of capitalism and city trading that crane towards the skyline in almost every direction, the interior of Leadenhall market feels like an unhurried and prosperous country town.
This comes as something of a relief from the seriousness of the surrounding architecture, and provides a relaxing contrast to the scurrying on the streets outside.
The atmosphere of agreeably ponderous plenty is echoed inside Chamberlains. There are three levels; a basement bar and restaurant, a ground floor restaurant and a mezzanine first floor dining room. None of them are huge, which creates a convivial atmosphere.
My favourite spot was the first floor dining room, where there are secluded spots that combine privacy with the fun of a bird’s eye view.
Although there is certainly nothing overtly themed in the décor, it is nonetheless pleasantly marine. Cream and pale blue walls are set off with large panels of engraved textured glass and wrought iron. Very comfortable tan leather armchairs mean that however much you eat, your body mass is well supported and accomodated.
The food was fantastic. After an unfortunate incident involving French cousins (a dangerous breed) and runny raw oysters, I had sworn I would never eat another until I sampled them here. They were rich with flavour and topped with a creamy spinach affair.
The Cornish crab with lime mousse and avocado that I had next didn’t disappoint; the lime was a delicious citrussy alternative to lemon. My companion stopped talking altogether when he started eating his scallops with foie gras, which he pronounced to be the most felicitous combination he had eaten in a long time. I wrestled one off his plate in the spirit of thorough research and heartily agree.
The skate was also very good, set off by a simple lemon butter dressing. The chocolate soufflé pudding did not quite attain the high standards set by the rest of the meal. It was perfect in texture but somewhat lacking in flavour, although the raspberry sorbet and compote was fruity and refreshing.
This is a lovely place to come for some incredibly fresh and delicious fish in a restaurant with a cheerful family atmosphere and great service.
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