The Chancery was opened by restaurateur Zak Jones back in 2004, and is located just off Holborn/Chancery Lane in central London.
Graham Long joined The Chancery as Head Chef in late 2014 – in time to celebrate its tenth anniversary and the pressures of the Christmas period. Alerted by rumours of the quality of his modern European, seasonal menus and the skills he has acquired working with such chefs as Shane Osborn (at Pied a Terre and St Betty in Hong Kong), as well as Mark Sargeant and Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, H&C News seized the opportunity to find out more…
Interior
The ground floor restaurant seats 55 and features dark leather banquette and chairs, wooden flooring, contemporary lighting, and an art collection including works by Tess Jaray, Kenneth Martin and Michael Landy. A discreet but quality ambience no doubt enjoyed by the legal profession that occupies much of the neighbourhood.
There is also a private dining room downstairs, as well as a further private dining room with a separate entrance.
The menu
Is not extensive, but nonetheless has plenty of choice – of the highest quality, as we discovered.
It’s always an encouraging sign when, hungry to make a start, the bread arrives and is quite simply delicious – to the point that more had to be supplied!
And, from the arrival of the starters, it was apparent that great attention is paid to the presentation of dishes: would they taste as supremely good as they looked, we wondered? The answer was provided by the cleared plates for every course.
And the cost for the A La Carte Menu: a very reasonable £39.50 for two courses, £46.50 for three.
Starters
Tempted though we were by the Pan seared foie gras, blood orange and sherry jelly, our first decision was in favour of Tartare of Holstein beef, English wasabi, smoked yoghurt, crisp rye crackers, capers and cured egg yolk (above). A playful dish this one, with lots going on with the tartare providing a solid and delicious core whilst the other elements added interesting flavours and textures.
The marinated raw hand dived scallops, cucumber jelly, avocado cream, sesame filo and shiso dressing, on the other hand, was light and mildly spiced, with the textures and flavours combining to delicious effect.
Main courses
Though attracted by the Roast squab pigeon, and the Crisp suckling pig belly, here the initial choice fell on Torchon of wild halibut, laverbread crust, nasturtium, spiced cockles and roasted cauliflower (pictured above). The halibut simply melted in the mouth, with the laverbread providing a crisp contrast, the nasturtium delivering a hint of pepper, and then the cauliflower adding its own distinctive but enhancing flavour.
The ash crusted loin of venison (pictured top) quite simply restored faith in venison – lowered by a tough encounter a few weeks previously. Not only did it look mouth-wateringly good, it tasted even better: perfect texture, great flavour, the beetroot complementing and not overwhelming with its earthiness, the goats cheese adding an interesting touch that, again, worked well. So good that I can taste it now…
Desserts
Here again, the presentation of the desserts gave rise to the highest expectations, which were not disappointed.
The white chocolate sponge cake, fresh passion fruit sorbet and toasted meringue was a delight, with the passion fruit sorbet a particular triumph: the taste exploding in the mouth against the soft sponge and the crunch of meringue.
The Poached Yorkshire rhubarb, fromage blanc mousse, cranberries and gingerbread (above) was another taste sensation: the slight tartness of the rhubarb complemented with the classic ginger, supplemented by cranberries, and with the smoothness and lightness of the fromage blanc mousse underpinning it.
In conclusion
If you work in the area and haven’t yet tried The Chancery, then you should. It’s difficult to imagine a better location for a business lunch!
For a private occasion with friends, family or even colleagues, you will not be disappointed – though we suspect growing demand for Graham Long’s dishes will make it increasingly necessary to book in advance.
Central London provides many fine dining experiences these days, but it’s well worth paying a visit to The Chancery in Holborn – and your taste buds will celebrate!
The Chancery, 9 Cursitor Street, London, EC4A 1LL
For more information click here
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