Launceston Place
our review
Just a short distance into its reopening and Launceston Place has already been visited by the big and small critics; the Jans, the Terrys, the Fays and the AA’s have all been in and their reviews have crossed the spectrum from the cheerfully encouraging to the frankly offensive. So it’s with some anticipation that we did lunch in this restaurant whose history has been one of entertaining the aristocracy with ever decreasing quality of food and service. Decreasing that is until DAND took it over and spruced it up no end with fresh moody paint, comfortable chairs and banquettes and a range of art on the wall. They also installed young chef Tristan Welch, recently head chef of renowned Petrus, into the kitchen that runs the length of the place under the floor.
From here Tristan is turning out food that blends seasonal British with classic French. An amuse of a clear spherical glass containing carrot puree under coriander foam is drunk like a cappuccino, so that the carrot picks up the coriander as it passes through. The real starter comes from the a la carte; a roasted chunk of duck foie gras awash in a small sea of rhubarb compote and elderberry ‘soup’. The foie gras is gloriously wobbly inside its caramelised shell and blends beautifully with the early forced English rhubarb and the aromatic elderberry. Another foie gras starter, from the set lunch menu this time, has the luscious liver chilled to virtual solidity and then chopped to matchsticks and scattered over a salad featuring baby carrots cooked in carrot juice and so thin they could be a supermodel’s legs.
Sea Bass with warm spring cabbage and green tomato salad is the best bass I’ve eaten this year and possibly last year too, It isn’t just that it is cooked perfectly with excellent crispy skin, it also looks wonderful shimmering with a range of golden hues. The spring cabbage, a real British seasonal treat, is al dente enough to contrast with the fish but also slippery with delicious juices. The green tomato adds extra crunch plus a wafting sour note that livens up each forkful. A bit of foam on the plate is the only thing I care less for, never having liked that effect on the plate whatever the claims made for the effect on the palate.
Crispy suckling pig with broccoli and wild celery does what it says on the menu. The pig isn’t so crispy that each knife cut sends shrapnel flying across the table, as happened to me last week at another place, but instead gives a forkful with a range of great textures and taste. Small jersey royals lurk inside the broccoli adding more seasonal pleasure and what appears to green pea puree decorates the plate with cute comet trails.
A pre dessert of hollowed out eggshells packed with the crème from a crème brulee and topped with chopped hazelnut, is fun and served in antique silver eggcups. Then comes a selection from the small but perfectly formed British/Irish cheese board, including a very good affine goats cheese. Finally a good old rhubarb crumble and custard, that features a bit too much ginger, and warm potted Valrhona chocolate, oat porridge, bay leaf ice cream that sounds more interesting that it actually was. Throughout wines by the glass were well-chosen and interesting and overall, despite the slightly dissonant effect of fine dining in a building that still, under its makeup and elegant and refined service, cries out ‘I’m a pub!’ this was a very good meal indeed. Recommended.
Nick Harman - April 2008
what the critics say
Jay Rayner
your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne
Went for lunch and had the fixed price menu.There is a nice choice of 3 dishes for each of the 3 courses,so we had no trouble choosing.Starters included a rice with crab dish and a terrine of pressed chicken.The terrine was very flavourful indeed.The rice ,though tasty,was barely warm.For mains we had the venison,which turned out to be a shank of venison.Again,while tasty,it was barely warm.Best dish was the apple tarte for 2,which was freshly made and hot.The cinnamon ice cream with it had no discernible taste of cinnamon.There were a few amuse bouches too.The potato crisps with cheddar dip,suffered from the crisps being very greasy-honestly don't think a restaurant with these aspirations should serve something like this,which is redolent of cheap cocktail parties.The celeriac soup in a tiny cup was also tatsy but as with every dish except for the apple tarte, was barely tepid.this should be hot especially on a cold winter's day.
Service was very good,and the wine steward knowledgeable.Wine list was very expensive with hefty markups in the 4-5 times retail range.
The biggest let-down for us was the fact that the food is consistently served at "baby" temperatures-barely tepid at best.Don't know if this is because the food is pre-cooked and re-heated,but coincidentally the only dish served comme il faut was the apple tarte that was made to order.
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R.Moss
Overall rating 
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Friday, November 28, 2008
The food and service were excellent. I highly recommend this restaurant.
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Brian Clivaz
Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Rather disappointed with the service here. I had booked a table for 2, but we ran into another friend on the way and asked if they could fit in 3 of us. Yes, of course, no problem, they said -- and then kept us waiting in their reception area for almost 2 hours while waiting for a table! Sorry, but that's just not on. If they'd told us it would have been a long wait, we could have had the choice to sit and have a drink while we waited, go somewhere else, or send the third member of our party on her way, but I am so disappointed that they didn't have the basic courtesy to be honest with us.
Once we finally got to our table, the service continued to be rather erratic. Although the waiters were certainly polite and very professional in their attitude, there were a few basic errors like bringing our food before they brought any wine. That really shouldn't happen in a restaurant of the supposed quality of this one.
The food was actually pretty good, although not quite in the category of excellent. Nothing wrong with it at all, and certainly an extremely enjoyable meal, but at those prices I'm sure there are plenty of places where you could do better.
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Nautius Maximus
Overall rating 
Food 8 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Thursday, November 20, 2008
This place is a real gem. Service is wonderful, impeccable and discreet. The food is superb - it has become our favourite restaurant. We knew the old Launceston Place and had many memorable dinners there. But the new Launceston Place is truly the winner here. Everything is just so lovely. Great service, great chef, great ambience.
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Daniela
Overall rating 
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Launceston Place is the new hot spot to spot celebs, we saw Gordon Ramsay the man himself!!! we had a great evening the food was a bit interesting i had the lobster soup with cobnuts, it was ok. my friend had the quail and it was great entertainment as it was cooked in front of us at the table. my main course was superb i had the duck with turnip puree, and my friend had the lamb, the wine was great and very well priced, the service i must say was fantastic they really do know how to make you feel at home, i also saw that they have a private room downstairs the party downstairs seemed they were having lots of fun. i gotta say that i really think this is a great place to go out to and celebrate.
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JAKIE HAKISSON
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, September 12, 2008
The service here is very good, possibly amongst the top 5 in London. The restaurant itself, deserves a better premises than these awkward, poorly ventilated rooms. The kitchen is talented, but.....the menu is not very interesting, and very expensive. There is a smallish choice on the menu, nothing wrong with that, but none of the dishes really grabs you. There isn't anything that leaps off the page or anything that makes you say - I must try that! The £45 3 course dinner menu, includes as starters smoked salmon(boring even if "house smoked" it does not indicate anything about the chef's ability to COOK); foie gras(same comment as for smoked salmon); scallop roasted with some samphire (I can do that)...and so on through the main courses, and desserts. See what I mean? There is nothing that is inspirational, or really challenging to execute, where you would wonder "how did they do that?" or "I could never have done that myself" or "you won't find this in many restaurants in London"! Too many dishes are what you can find in any French style restaurant or even gastropub today. If this Restaurant is aiming for Michelin stardom, as many critics imply then it's got to get some WOW dishes onto its menu. Otherwise,why are we paying £45 for 3 courses (if you stay away from the dishes with hefty supplements).
It was all very "nice" but nothing outstanding and nothing unique, nothing "qui vaut le detour" as Michelin would say. You can get similar cuisine up the road at Kensington Place or at Hereford Road for a lot less money.
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C.Elder
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Amazing decor, the beautiful fibre optic light chandelier in the entance was just out of this universe we were offered a drink in the bar, champagne was recomended how could i say no, Pol Roger 99, great vintage. My partner had a Manhattan, the canapes were great potato crisps flavoured with onion and a cheesy dip! (cheese n onion) menus were offered in the bar and we opt for the tasting menu and also some great matching wines, they also had a great new world and old world wine flights it bit pricy but great vintages and very fine selection. we were taken through and we passed by one of the waiters doing a flambee great theatre. we started straight away the amuse was just amazing tomato mousse with a basil oil and goat cheese, there after the whole 6courses were so different and every dish had it own special touch, from smoking at the table to eating a truffle duck egg risotto in an egg shell. the wine pairings were very good especially the sherry with the cobnut soup. service was so attentive and you can actually talk to the staff they are so proud to be there by the loks of it, our waiter was so charming and gave us a run down on where the chef came from the restaurant manager, both from PETRUS, ahh i said now i see why, great food and quality service at a bargain price. Dinner for 2 at £250. if i were at Petrus id probably need to times that by 2 or 3. if i were you id go now before they raise those prices. One down side i must admit is it id difficult to find as its tucked away, just of glouscter road we were late 20min for our booking and even though we were offered a drink in the bar. All in all i am pleased to write about the restaurant and you will see me there again, i ought to try lunch, only £18!!!!
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heather
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Just arrived home from eating at Launceston Place. What a delightful & exquisite experience. The starters were beautifully displayed and equally as delicious on the palette. I had the smoked salmon and my better half had the truffle risotto. For main course we had lamb and although well done it melted in the mouth, and beetroot parcels with quails eggs - simply delicious. Dessert was puff pastry with raspberries & pistachio, and the other a champagne strawberry cocktail with clotted cream.
The service was excellent and the sommelier very helpful, he reminded me of Damien Lewis! The decor was chic and relaxed, likewise the ambience. Two small gripes were the inexplicable wait between courses and that the portions were small.
Overall highly recommended and definitely worth a visit.
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marti - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Great food! Great service! This could be the next Petrus!
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Robert
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
We had dinner at Launceston Place last week; even though we were a little concerned about the prices in a place whose reputation has grown and grown in the past few months, we decided that after hearing so much we had to visit.
From the moment of booking, to the goodbye and the gift of chocolates on our way out, I have to say that I have never experienced such fantastic food, service, atmosphere or the impression of being somewhere so exclusive but feeling right at home. There are many reviews about the food being served here, and this was outstanding, the fois gras particularly so with the matching of flavours and textures being amazing... and tiny creme brulees in delicate eggshells as a surprise course being the highlights of the meal.
But I have to say that the service was impeccable. The staff were friendly and attentive, nothing was overlooked, and each step of the meal was served perfectly. I am sure to run a place like this must take a lot of stress and hard work but none of this showed in the staff or the managers - their interaction with us was chatty and friendly, however with the table next to us, having a business dinner, they were quiet and efficient. This kind of tailoring of service to each individual table impressed two very experienced diners and I will be recommending Launceston Place to everyone I speak to! Thanks!
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Sarah
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
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