POLLEN STREET SOCIAL
As a conclusion to our delicious meal we ordered the PBJ: A Peanut Parfait with a cherry yuzu sorbet and nitro peanut (liquid nitrogen frozen peanut butter ice cream). It was nothing short of heavenly. We also ordered the chocolate ganache with banana ice cream, which was not as good as the PBJ but was nevertheless yummy. Pollen Street Social is definitely a destination for any true foodie. My visit left me very happy and satisfied and it comes as no surprise that it’s one of the most sought after dining destinations in London.
8 - 10 Pollen Street, London W1S 1NQ
With one Michelin Star, Pollen Street
Social is the brainchild of Jason Atherton, a Gordon Ramsay veteran and quite
interestingly the first Brit to cook at the former El Buli. Since its inception
in 2011, Pollen Street Social has steadily been one of the hottest and
trendiest spots in London, if not Europe, attracting food connoisseurs through
its glass doors located off the cosy and charming Pollen Street in the heart of
Mayfair. I visited Pollen Street Social on a Thursday evening, and when I
stepped into the restaurant I was instantly greeted by the very friendly
maître-d who quickly showed me to the bar as I waited for the rest of my party
to arrive. The drinks menu is extensive, varied and mouthwatering; the Fizzy
Pink Lemonade is what caught my attention. Presented on the menu as a
non-alcoholic cocktail, the waiter jazzed it up with three types of rum. The
drink was delicious although a bit too heavy on the rum that disguised the pink
grapefruit, and grape flavours of the lemonade. Once my party arrived, we were
promptly escorted to our table in the adjacent dining room. The layout and
interior of the restaurant is in fact quite simple, where the restaurant is
split into two separate rooms. The main dining room features the iconic dessert
bar, which allows diners to watch the pastry chefs prepare the desserts; it’s
quite the spectacle! Once seated, we rushed to look at the menu, as we were very
hangry. To start with, I ordered the Orkney Sea Scallop Carpaccio served with
frozen pink grapefruit, lemon skin puree and black olives. My friends ordered
the Irish deer tartare which comes served smoked beetroot. Both options were
delicious; the sea scallop carpaccio was sheer perfection with a unique flavour
and texture, and the deer tartare was rich and decadent.
For my main I ordered the rack of lamb
with a tomato chutney and artichokes. My friend ordered the sea bass with
parsley mousseline (essentially a foamed texture of parsley) that is served
with cockles and winkles; which sound disgusting but they are actually really
delicious little clams and snails. The lamb was delectable. It was perfectly
cooked to medium and it melted in my mouth. My only complaint would be that
there was not enough of it, in fact for the price tag of £40 a plate, the portion was
extremely small and left me quite disappointed; unnecessarily pretentious if
you ask me. The sea bass on the other hand was generously portioned and was
divine, the parsley mousseline in particular was nothing like what I’ve tasted
before, the texture and the taste ignited fireworks in my mouth; this is
gastronomy at its finest.
As a conclusion to our delicious meal we ordered the PBJ: A Peanut Parfait with a cherry yuzu sorbet and nitro peanut (liquid nitrogen frozen peanut butter ice cream). It was nothing short of heavenly. We also ordered the chocolate ganache with banana ice cream, which was not as good as the PBJ but was nevertheless yummy. Pollen Street Social is definitely a destination for any true foodie. My visit left me very happy and satisfied and it comes as no surprise that it’s one of the most sought after dining destinations in London.
8 - 10 Pollen Street, London W1S 1NQ
