Embassy London (W1S)
Embassy
29 Old Burlington Street
London W1S 3AN
020 7851 0956
29 Old Burlington Street
London W1S 3AN
020 7851 0956
Ambience
Cuisine
Cuisine
Service
Value for Money
Value for Money
Book your table at Embassy London (W1S) using the online booking form to the right.
Your restaurant reservation will be confirmed immediately and placed directly into the restaurant's reservation system.
You will then be sent an instant email confirmation giving you peace of mind that your table is booked.
Embassy Exterior
Embassy Interior 01
Embassy Interior 02
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Back in the 1980's, at a time when you could still park your car in Old Burlington Street without it being hauled away by an unsympathetic tow-truck driver dressed in lurid green overalls, the place to be seen was the Embassy Club.
Considering its close proximity to Saville Row police station, a station known for enthusiastic Vice Squad detectives looking for promotion, the clientele at the Embassy could best be described as 'interesting' or 'brave'.
Politicians, show biz folk, sportsmen, the odd gangster or two and 'starlets' all mingled happily together at a time when Britain was on the up and up and Tony Blair was still dreaming of becoming a pop star. But times changed, the Embassy had become famous for all the wrong reasons, ('infamous' or 'notorious' were the words most used by newspaper hacks when describing the club) and clients that had not been locked up drifted away to other venues.
Fast-forward to 2001. Re-opened as the Embassy London to much acclaim as the first joint-venture between the respected restaurateur Mark Fuller and celebrated chef Garry Hollihead, the Embassy has gone from strength to strength since its glamorous opening.
It was my mum who told me that first impressions count and the first impression at the Embassy is 'wow'- and it's easy to see why it has become a favourite with the fashion and celebrity crowd. A warm and relaxing welcome is always a good start and being shown to our table by a stylishly dressed receptionist to an equally stylish table bode well for the evening.
The main dining room is gloriously intimate while retaining good spacing between the tables, all of which were dressed in very classy tablewear. It's the kind of detail that sets apart the ordinary from the excellent.
The Finn and I had chosen to eat earlier than most so the restaurant was still quite quiet at around eight. That works for me as the chef can ensure that everything that comes out of the kitchen has his close and personal attention. Head Chef, Mladen Vidakovic, has produced an interesting menu so the Finn started off with Serrano Ham and roast Sea Scallops with a pickled fennel salad while I went for a simple (and delicious) celeriac soup with a fricassee of chanterelles (it was a cold night). The scallops were excellent - plump and full of flavour while the ham and the salad set off the dish beautifully.
For mains she chose sautéed Sea Bass, sauerkraut, cepes and button onions with jus gras. Sea Bass is a wonderfully flavoursome fish and for my taste the sauerkraut was an unnecessary accompaniment - if you order this dish leave the sauerkraut to one side.
I chose Cornish Crab and Salmon fishcakes with buttered baby spinach and poached egg. The fish inside the cake was delicious but the cake coating was a little too heavy for my palate. It was beautifully plated and is, understandably, a firm favourite.
We shared one of the best deserts I've eaten in a long time - a mouth-watering Carpaccio of Pineapple, Panacotta and Coconut sorbet.
But Embassy is more than just a restaurant. Downstairs is the private members bar for late night drinking and dancing. For those who require a little more privacy there's a VIP lounge cleverly elevated above the dance floor allowing the atmosphere to filter through.
Given the quality of the food, the beautiful dining room and the fact that guests can dance the night away, Embassy is excellent value. Allow around £120 for two for dinner.
Politicians, show biz folk, sportsmen, the odd gangster or two and 'starlets' all mingled happily together at a time when Britain was on the up and up and Tony Blair was still dreaming of becoming a pop star. But times changed, the Embassy had become famous for all the wrong reasons, ('infamous' or 'notorious' were the words most used by newspaper hacks when describing the club) and clients that had not been locked up drifted away to other venues.
Fast-forward to 2001. Re-opened as the Embassy London to much acclaim as the first joint-venture between the respected restaurateur Mark Fuller and celebrated chef Garry Hollihead, the Embassy has gone from strength to strength since its glamorous opening.
It was my mum who told me that first impressions count and the first impression at the Embassy is 'wow'- and it's easy to see why it has become a favourite with the fashion and celebrity crowd. A warm and relaxing welcome is always a good start and being shown to our table by a stylishly dressed receptionist to an equally stylish table bode well for the evening.
The main dining room is gloriously intimate while retaining good spacing between the tables, all of which were dressed in very classy tablewear. It's the kind of detail that sets apart the ordinary from the excellent.
The Finn and I had chosen to eat earlier than most so the restaurant was still quite quiet at around eight. That works for me as the chef can ensure that everything that comes out of the kitchen has his close and personal attention. Head Chef, Mladen Vidakovic, has produced an interesting menu so the Finn started off with Serrano Ham and roast Sea Scallops with a pickled fennel salad while I went for a simple (and delicious) celeriac soup with a fricassee of chanterelles (it was a cold night). The scallops were excellent - plump and full of flavour while the ham and the salad set off the dish beautifully.
For mains she chose sautéed Sea Bass, sauerkraut, cepes and button onions with jus gras. Sea Bass is a wonderfully flavoursome fish and for my taste the sauerkraut was an unnecessary accompaniment - if you order this dish leave the sauerkraut to one side.
I chose Cornish Crab and Salmon fishcakes with buttered baby spinach and poached egg. The fish inside the cake was delicious but the cake coating was a little too heavy for my palate. It was beautifully plated and is, understandably, a firm favourite.
We shared one of the best deserts I've eaten in a long time - a mouth-watering Carpaccio of Pineapple, Panacotta and Coconut sorbet.
But Embassy is more than just a restaurant. Downstairs is the private members bar for late night drinking and dancing. For those who require a little more privacy there's a VIP lounge cleverly elevated above the dance floor allowing the atmosphere to filter through.
Given the quality of the food, the beautiful dining room and the fact that guests can dance the night away, Embassy is excellent value. Allow around £120 for two for dinner.
