Tags
Chelsea, Classic, Date Night, glamorous, Innovative, Luxury, showstopper, sloane square, SW3
Light Bite
The Five Fields is the best thing to happen to the Chelsea dining scene for a long time.
Tasting Menu
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Your décor is refined and understated. Your staff are attentive and charming. Your cooking is skilful and exciting. You are the Five Fields and I thank you for settling in my very own postcode.
Chelsea has really upped its gastronomic game since I moved here 4 years ago. From the weekly food markets at Duke of York Square to the excellent Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Rasoi and Tom Aikens. The Five Fields comprises a culinary A-team: including a chef from Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, front of house staff from The Ledbury and a gardener from Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. And the the quality shows. In fact it seeps from every pore of this place. I may be known as a hyperbole-loving raconteuse, but I have superlatives spewing out of me to describe this restaurant.
Like an extra-marital affair, it started innocently enough. Hubbit and I nibbled on petits Lucques olives and soaked up the quietly buzzy atmosphere of the elegant dining room as we perused the drinks list. It comprises an impressive selection of gin including the pale gold Old Raj, so coloured due to the touch of saffron added personally by the Company Chairman to each batch. Hubbit thinks of himself as something of a gin connoisseur and found this particular brand heady with spice and citrus, echoed by the orange garnish.
The “proprietary” cocktail list was also interesting and I enjoyed the delicious Rhubular – a baby pink blend of Tequila, rhubarb and apricot Brandy – which was as tasty as it was pretty.
I had read several reviews raving about the plentiful supply of excellent canapés so we plumped for three à la carte courses rather than the tasting menu. What fools we were. I later jealously gazed at the seemingly endless parade of delectables arriving for the couple next to us, and wondered whether they would mind if I joined their table.
Anyway, we were presented first of all with a light houmous and selection of home-grown crudités from the dedicated Five Fields kitchen garden in Sussex. Presented in a 1960s post-modern egg chair receptacle, they were good but would not set the world alight.
What really got my juices flowing was the seemingly innocuous cucumber morsel stuffed with a fabulous Thai green curry paste.
I was pleased enough with these offerings, but there were more canapés to come. Many more. A cheesy little gougère puff arrived with a tasty salt beef fritter and made me smile.
Yapping at their heels was the fresh and summery amuse bouche of green gazpacho with basil oil, hiding a pickled watermelon surprise within. Who thinks of pickling watermelon? That just shows you how clever Head Chef Marguerite Keogh is.
Hubbit selflessly raided the bread selection for your benefit, and I myself was bowled over by the buttery richness of the intensely flavoured black olive brioche. It was warm and divine, and when I remarked that the only venue to rival this doughy delight was Tom Aikens the waiter informed me that the Five Fields had swiped the self-same pastry chef from that very restaurant.
But now down to the main business of the evening, the courses we actually ordered. I opted for the much-lauded “rock pool”. A real showstopper of a dish, it arrived in several parts, each served in futuristic and theatrical glassware. First up were the hot components – roasted langoustine tails atop a delicate peach compote. Fantastically plump and juicy, these langoustines did not die in vain. They were accompanied by a soft grilled squid with chorizo powder and a very morish tangy green tomato salad.
Next came the cold elements of this stunning dish. A creamy but light version of the always delicious avocado/crab combo. I adore crab and always order it when I get the chance, but this was only one of two occasions when it was served to me without any shell at all. Not even a tiny fragment. The other occasion was at The Waterside Inn, but at their prices you bloody well expect the crab to be shell-free. Anyway, this crab was dressed with a charentais melon sauce which offered a very welcome sweet perfumed note. The final part of this tasty ensemble was a delightful savoury trifle of cucumber jelly with oyster tartar and Bloody Mary granité. Served with a ludicrously cute tiny sea cucumber, this was an explosion of tastes and textures.
Hubbit ordered quail with ponzu dressing and a fresh vegetable salad. The bird was the softest I have ever eaten, and the herbs expertly explained by the knowledgeable staff, but I only had eyes for my starter. It was epic. By any other standards though, the quail was excellent so here it is for you to have a look at.
My main course of turbot was supremely succulent and meaty, and in a way a pleasant surprise as I have been previously underwhelmed by the king of fish. This time he was surrounded by fresh green olive paste and a bevy of pine nuts, and was a good choice.
Not as good a choice as Hubbit’s lamb though, as it transpired. His ever-boring nut allergy meant the almond garnish was replaced with a well-balanced combination of fruity cherries, earthy beetroot and awesome smoked ricotta. The juicy and wonderfully rare loin of lamb and its braised shoulder anchored the dish beautifully.
I was almost scared to order pudding as I have been let down so often by a mediocre dessert following a brilliant main course, but I need not have worried, the Five Fields has it covered. To cleanse our palate and whet our appetites we were presented with a lovely little pre-dessert of floral Hibiscus gel and pineapple granité. Great, but nowhere near as great as my (potentially brave) choice of cep sponge with peaches. The earthy tone of my fungal friend counteracted the sweetness of smooth butterscotch ice cream and the peachy elements, which came variously presented as charred, jellified, and moussey. The liberal addition of sorrel added a well-judged zingy hit to the dish.
Hubbit opted for sweet crunchy basil ash meringue with Noilly Prat and white chocolate ice cream, perfectly balanced with cleansing cucumber balls.
I was exhausted by adoration at this point and thought I could not manage a morsel more, until the wondrous milk marshmallows descended upon me. They might sound weird, but they taste amazing. As did the passion fruit marshmallow, and their truffley counterparts: flavoured with lime, coconut and white chocolate or chocolate and vanilla. The crispy outer layer of the truffles added extra texture and the flavours were finely tuned.
My only regret about the Five Fields is that it has been open for two months and I have only just got around to eating there. What have I been wasting my time doing, I wonder? This restaurant is a blend of the best elements of many great restaurants: like the love child of the innovative forager Simon Rogan and the finessed perfectionist Marcus Wareing.
Cuisine: Modern British fine dining
Address: 8-9 Blacklands Terrace, Chelsea, SW3 2SP
Telephone: 020 7838 1082
Website: http://www.fivefieldsrestaurant.com
Price: £147 for dinner for 2 people including booze
Nearest station: Sloane Square
The girl who eats 