Simon Wittenberg kicks off 2020 with a visit to one of West London’s newest gastronomic destinations.
Launched on 30th November 2019, SW7 Brasserie & Bar sits within the four-star boutique Meliá London Kensington hotel, which can be found on the Gloucester Road. This new eatery treats diners to dishes where fresh Mediterranean flavours have been cleverly fused with classic British recipes.
The 74-cover restaurant and cocktail bar, which is open from breakfast through to dinner for hotel guests and non-residents alike, has been tastefully furnished to create a sophisticated and relaxed environment.
The décor takes its inspiration from the wallpaper designs by William Morris, one of the most famous names featured in the nearby Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, and the result is the use of several pastel shades and floral motifs.
Visitors sit at wooden and marble effect tables on wooden chairs and green banquettes or on one of the red and gold stools propped up against the central bar.
Leading the kitchen is Head Chef Javier Rodrigo Alviz, who started his career in Madrid before coming to London in 2014 to add the likes of the Waldorf Hilton and Claridge’s to his impressive portfolio. A desire to learn the latest culinary techniques and experimental British recipes later led Javier to join Adam Handling’s team at Frog restaurant in Covent Garden.
From here, he took up the reins at Meliá White House (next to London’s Regent’s Park) in 2018, prior to his arrival at SW7 Brasserie & Bar last year. Working alongside him is Sous Chef Cristián Álvarez, whom we had the pleasure of meeting during our visit.
We went to SW7 Brasserie & Bar on a Tuesday evening, and we were pretty much the only people in the restaurant. Our Spanish hosts explained that the busiest periods for them are Friday and Saturday nights when catering for the leisure market, plus there’s also live music for guests to enjoy.
The à la carte is pretty extensive and reasonably priced and leads with “Appetizers” to get the taste buds going, with options such as calamari, sourdough bread and antipasti.
However, to save room in our stomachs, my wife and I headed straight for the starters, where you can find the likes of langoustine with Kalamata olives and spring onion, chicken liver parfait and rainbow beetroot carpaccio.
I decided on a portion of soft Burrata (£14) topped with pomegranate seeds, decorative foam and pine nuts. It was complemented by grilled Marzanino tomatoes halves, a sprinkling of finely chopped black Kalamata olives, avocado drops and pine nuts. It was deliciously creamy, and coupled with the tangy flavours of the tomato, the combination worked perfectly together.
My other half went for the avocado salad (£7.50), which featured a sliced avocado summit, sitting on a bed of quinoa, sweet potatoes, pomegranate, grapes and salad leaves, bound together with a coconut-based dressing. Both starters were excellent, and SW7 Brasserie & Bar had certainly made an excellent first impression.
The 10 mains listed on the menu are predominantly meat and marine-based. Options include Grilled Chicken Paillard with aged parmesan, seafood risotto, and an Italian Blues burger with gorgonzola and figs.
I settled on the small fillets of pan-fried wild sea bass (£18), which were carefully balanced on a bed of mashed potato and were accompanied by delicious roasted pieces of onion, baby carrots and chopped courgettes.
The flavoursome miso glaze finished it beautifully, and there was another generous helping of the sauce lying next to the fish to dip into.
My other half, meanwhile, tucked into two equally enjoyable pieces of herb and pine nut-crusted lamb rack, which arrived with spinach, baby carrots and a tasty Port reduction (£21). Sides are priced at £5 each, and we shared some roast potatoes, as well as burnt cauliflower mash, which is definitely worth a try if you don’t mind a thick and rich purée-like composition.
The portions aren’t huge at SW7 Brasserie & Bar to recuce the risk of over-indulging. This means that dessert is the perfect answer if you want to go home feeling nicely full.
There are nine different pan-European sweets to choose from, with crème brûlée, pistachio macaron delight and coconut pannacotta showcased alongside British favourites, such as banoffee pie and deconstructed Eton mess.
Whilst my wife went for the more healthy option of an exotic fruit platter (£9), which counted the likes of finely chopped pieces of mango, watermelon, strawberry and pineapple on a black slate, I went down the savoury route in the form of a ‘Cheese Experience’ (£12).
Accompanied by some water biscuits and presented on a wooden cheese board with a glass dome that was enthusiastically swirled around by the waiter to let some pre-prepared smokey aromas escape for a spot of added theatre, I made my way around the three Spanish varieties of cheese.
Advised to tackle them in a clockwise order to have the very best experience in terms of flavour, I proceeded to try the filling but pleasant Manchego, Idiazabal and Mahon. A small jar of marmalade and some grapes were also on the board to give this final chapter of my meal a sweet edge.
The drinks menu at this eatery has an ample selection of both alcoholic beverages, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks, and we chose a couple of Passion Mojito mocktails (£8 each), made with soda water, fresh mint and passion fruit seeds, amongst other ingredients.
Summary
Whether it’s for brunch, lunch, an evening meal, a catch-up, or a celebration, SW7 Brasserie & Bar caters for all occasions, and with reasonable prices, it won’t cost the earth by the time you get the bill.
Both the service and presentation of dishes were excellent throughout, so if you find yourself in the Gloucester Road area looking to banish any degree of hunger, SW7 Brasserie & Bar at the Meliá London Kensington Hotel certainly won’t disappoint.
SW7 Brasserie & Bar – Where and How?
SW7 Brasserie & Bar at the Meliá London Kensington Hotel is located at 61 Gloucester Road, South Kensington, London SW7 4PE, United Kingdom. For more information or to make a reservation, click here.
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