St James's Hotel and Club,
7-8 Park Place,
St James's,
London,
SW1A 1LP
(020) 7316 1600
The ViewLondon Review
Michelin-starred chef William Drabble has made the move from Aubergine in Chelsea to Seven Park Place in St James’s.
The Venue
Located in the St James’s Hotel and Club, Seven Park Place is tucked around the corner from the main entrance, past William’s Bar and Bistro and at the end of a narrow bar area. The restaurant itself is almost miniature in size, with one small main room and another one-room dining area off to the side. The decor is overwhelming at first, with the dizzying effect of flower patterned wallpaper, black and gold striped banquettes and a grey patterned carpet. Tables are mostly set up in twos, and thanks to the room's small size they’re placed very closely together, although the attached room has space for larger parties.
The Atmosphere
Hotel diners seem to prefer the bistro instead, which, with its low seats and tables, has a warmer, cosier atmosphere. The adjoining bar, with its high, vibrantly coloured seats, is also buzzing, which makes Seven Park Place seem even emptier in comparison. Despite this, staff are professionally unobtrusive, polite but not too reserved.
The Food
For an a la carte menu you’ll have to head to the bistro as at Seven Park Place it’s a fine dining style set menu, with two courses for £39 and three for £45, which seems surprisingly reasonable given the chef’s reputation and the hotel’s posh location. There are five choices each for starters and mains, but before your order arrives you’re treated to an amuse bouche – a recent choice was a chicken consomme, served in a little cup with a tiny spoon.
The starter of pan-fried foie gras with white beans, onions and bacon is an interesting take on foie gras, especially as it’s usually served with a fruity accompaniment. Seven Park Place’s version, instead, is more like a stew, which is rich and warming, complementing the foie gras perfectly. The tortellini of lobster with roasted cauliflower and truffle butter sauce is similarly indulgent, with the sweetness of the lobster enhanced by the earthy taste of the cauliflower and truffle sauce. Tiny flakes of truffle on top of the dish are almost sinfully delicious and well worth savouring.
For the mains, fillet of turbot with crab ravioli, grapefruit and coriander is an unusual combination that works well as the grapefruit lightens the flavour of the fish without overwhelming it. Saddle of Barbon Fell venison looks beautiful, bright and colourful, with pink venison served on green cabbage and accompanied by glazed orange carrots. The meat, served rare, is tender and soft, and edged in herbs that add texture and a fresh flavour. The juniper sauce is tart and slightly fruity, perfect with the venison.
If you’re not too full after the previous courses, the assiette of chocolate is a brilliant example of what the kitchen can do. Chocolate is served in three ways, a white chocolate cream, a milk chocolate mousse on a biscuit and a dark chocolate tart wrapped in a thin dark chocolate shell. The latter is the best of the three, with an interesting, crumbly texture to the chocolate filling. Iced lemon chiboust is like a creamy lemon sorbet topped with a thin disc of meringue. Positioned around the plate is a ring of yellow jelly squares and small slices of rhubarb, and whilst the rhubarb and lemon work well together the addition of a sauce made with passionfruit seeds is a bit too much for the delicate lemon flavour.
The Drink
The wine list has a good range of prices, with plenty of options under £30 and even a few over £1,000 if your bank account can handle a splurge. What’s also nice is the variety of countries – besides all the usual old and new world options, Hungary, Greece and Lebanon also make an appearance. Wines by the glass range from £6.50 to £12.50 and there are over 30 types of Champagne and sparkling wine to choose from, including a bottle of English sparkling wine, a Balfour from Hush Heath Estate for £85 a bottle.
Staff are more than happy to pair wines to your different courses and their choices are spot on. Standouts include a sweet but light Riesling from Oregon (£12.50 a glass, £53 a bottle) and a French Minervois, La Guarrigue, Chateau Cabezac (£7.50 a glass, £33 a bottle) that’s slightly spicy, with an almost cinnamon-like flavour. The Italian Pinot Grigio, Lis Neris, Pecorari (£10.50 a glass, £37 a bottle) works well with the turbot and grapefruit dish, as it’s sweet but not too sugary. The cherry flavours in a glass of Taylor’s ten-year-old Tawny from Portugal (£9.00) is a perfect pairing to the chocolate dessert whilst the French Muscat De Frontignan (£6.50), which tastes of honey and is almost too easy to drink, is also highly recommended.
The Last Word
Seven Park Place’s decor may be a bit too much but, if you're looking to treat yourself, the food is just right.
Seven Park Place has been reviewed by 2 users