Wild Honey, London

[Spike L]

Does anyone know if the 50% off food at Wild Honey runs for the whole of the week 2 July - 8 July or if it's just for the first night? I spoke to someone at Arbutus when eating there today and apparently the first week is the "soft opening" used as a dry run, then the full, proper opening being from the 9th. I'm more than happy to pay full price, but only when the kinks are all straightened out, but at 50% off I am more than happy to be a test subject!

[Matthew Grant]

I THINK that it is running all week, probably best to check with them first. Anybody else going this week?

[Andy Lynes]

I THINK that it is running all week, probably best to check with them first. Anybody else going this week?

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Planning to be there Thursday.

[Matthew Grant]

See you there!

[sem]

I THINK that it is running all week, probably best to check with them first. Anybody else going this week?

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We are going this Wednesday - can't wait!

[Andy Lynes]

Menu contains a few Arbutus "classics" including the pigs head and bouillabaisse and is very similar in style, as you might expect. Certainly reads very nicely.

[ravelda]

I'm there tonight - are you there all week Matthew?

[malcolmwilliamson]

Menu contains a few Arbutus "classics" including the pigs head and bouillabaisse and is very similar in style, as you might expect. Certainly reads very nicely.

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Is the menu accessible online?

+ anyone know the telephone number for booking (assuming they're doing lunches later this week)?

[ravelda]

Phone number is 020 7758 9160

[IanT]

Just tried to get a table for two this evening (the only night I could make it this week) but they are fully booked

[Andy Lynes]

Is the menu accessible online?

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Not at the moment, just a holding page www.wildhoneyrestaurant.co.uk.

Young tender leeks vinaigrette £7.50

Soupe au pistou, Baux de provence olive oil £5.95

Brisket corned beef with toast, green vegetables £6.50

Wild rabbit and foie gras boudin blanc, broad beans, peas and summer savory £9.95

Cornish Pollock with gnocchetti, tomato and anchovy £8.95

Braised pigs head, potato puree, caramelised onions £6.95

Fresh goats curd, watermelon, peas and pancetta £8.95

Mackerel tartare, beetroot and horseradish £8.50

* * * * *

Gurnard à la Provençal £14.50

Traditional bouillabaisse (Marseille style) £18.95

Shin of Limousin veal, gratin of cavolo nero, lemon and parsley £15.95

Organic Scottish salmon, braised gem, broad beans and radish £15.50

Blade of beef, roast bone marrow, crushed Lyonnaise potatoes £14.95

Elwy valley lamb, stuffed courgette greek style £14.95

Market fish of the day £15.50

Risotto of the day £13.50

* * * * *

Camembert, Colston Bassett stilton, Abondance, Selles sur cher, Ardrahan £2.95 each

(cheese supplied by La Fromagerie)

Fresh vanilla waffles, crushed warm strawberries £5.95

Seasonal fruit, vine peach sorbet, salted butter biscuit £5.95

Wild honey ice cream, crushed honeycomb £5.95

English raspberries, warm lemon cream £5.95

Crème caramel, warm orange flower madeleines (15 min) £5.95

Lunch

Plum tomato gazpacho or Steak tartare £4.00 each

*****

Fillet of pollock, cherry tomato, cuttlefish or Rabbit blanquette with peas, broad beans and summer savory £9.50 each

*****

Floating island with pink pralines, custard or Morbier £2.00 each

3 courses £15.50

[IanT]

Just got a call back and have two spaces at the bar for 8.30pm

[Matthew Grant]

Ian, sitting at the bar looked a very nice option! I thought the room was fantastic, Will and Anthony are justifiably proud of it and I've no doubt the Claude Bosi may be a little jealous at the wood panelling which would have been a perfect reminder of Hibiscus.

I'll leave detailed analysis of the food to others, it wasn't perfect but this was a first night, soft opening and the food was half price. My gripes were minor, the Creme Caramel was overcooked and subequently a little eggy, the rice with the lamb was a little salty. Aside from this food followed a similar style to Arbutus and certain dishes are lifted straight from that menu. A delightfully delicate Wild Rabbit and Foie Gras boudin blanc came served with broad beans, peas and summer savory. Cornish Pollock with Gnocchetti came with a tomato and anchovy sauce, the pollock cooked just so ensuring that it wasn't swamped by the sauce. Rump and Breast of Elwy Valley Lamb came with a courgette stuffed with the aforementioned rice. A large portion which could probably be cut down a little. Shin of veal hit the spot on this cold winters - blimey, I forgot, it's summer! Anyway it hit the spot though I may have been a little more hesitant in ordering it on a warmer summers evening.

This place looks to me like a sure fire hit, a more opulent feel than Arbutus that suits the area. I have a feeling I won't be the only one who is torn over whether to visit Arbutus or Wild Honey in the future.

Now I have it on good authority that one EG'er had Bouillabaisse for dessert......

[Andy Lynes]

Now I have it on good authority that one EG'er had Bouillabaisse for dessert......

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That wouldn't be the same person who ordered beef for pudding at Foliage by any chance would it?

[bishwells]

I was sat on the table next to him. He also had 2 starters...most impressive.

My girlfriend usually moans at me for ordering an extra cheese course. I can now use the "but that bloke in wild honey had 2 starters and 2 mains, I'm not that bad"

[ravelda]

Caught in the act - Andy, you are spot on, it was said person who, incidentally, had just polished off a bento box from Nobu (what can I say, I like my food!).

I have to say, I was overall very impressed with Wild Honey, much more so in fact than Arbutus! For an opening night they did a really did well - the service was a tad panicked, but our waiter Anthony was friendly, polite and quite knowledgeable about wines (his 2 year stint as bar manager at Fifteen has clearly done him well!).

The room itself is, as Matthew says, much more opulent than Arbutus, with plenty of character and a real sense of warmth. Again, as at Arbutus, the bar is used to good effect, allowing for more covers to be accommodated than the restaurant would otherwise allow.

On to the food... as commented on above a number of the dishes have been transposed directly from the Arbutus menu, with a few new additions in a similar style being added to the menu. Will said that this is largely how the menu will remain as the concept of WH is clearly meant to be in the same spirit. I started with both the braised pigs head which, accompanied by a wonderful pomme puree and caramelised onions - as perfect as it always is at Arbutus, and then a very delicate rabbit and foie gras boudin blanc with broad beans, peas and a light jus. The boudin was very good, although the foie added more to the texture than the flavour, and the accompanying greens were perhaps a little under-cooked. Overall a very impressive start for a first night.

My wife started with the brisket of corned beef with toast and green vegetables (a light salsa of cucumber and tarragon from memory - and yes, I did get a few nibbles of this dish too!). Overall, this was also a very accomplished dish, with lovely moist beef and the light, fresh greens just adding that little burst of freshness with a slight aniseed undertone.

For mains, my wife had the fish of the day, which was a lovely piece of plaice accompanied by the excellent pomme puree and crispy cabbage (which to be honest was not really crispy but lovely none the less) and a brown butter, anchovy, brown shrimp and caper sauce. The fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned and the sauce really lifted the overall dish, cutting through the rich pomme puree and adding the edge that the plaice needed.

I had the blade of beef with roast bone marrow which was served with shredded green beans and a bordelaise sauce. An accompanying cocotte with a well seasoned Lyonnaise potatoes accompanied the dish. This was a really satisfying dish, if perhaps a tad better suited to the winter. The beef had a good meaty taste and in the main a good texture, however there were parts which were a little over-chewy.

To follow, Nat had the crème caramel which was a little over-cooked and as Matthew noted above, a little too eggy. Overall not a bad dish, but it really did not compare to the deserts that I have had at arbutus. I had the bouillabaisse for desert (well, why not!) which was as good if not better than any versions that I have had at Arbutus, or indeed any other restaurant in London. The dish was served in the traditional Marseille style with the rouille and aioli on the side, the broth served in a lovely mauviel pan and a very generous portion of fish served in a separate pan. There were (from memory) six different types of fish including plaice and red mullet, and the addition of a wedge of braised fennel and braised leek. The flavours of the dish really were excellent, with the rouille having just the right hint of heat and the aioli being fantastically garlicky without overpowering the overall dish. Croutons were replaced by little crisp breads on the side.

As at Arbutus, there is a well thought out wine list, with most wines available by the carafe.

Overall a very enjoyable meal - being so close to work I can definitely see me visiting fairly regularly!

[IanT]

Well the menu may be much the same but the room is definitely an improvement. Very clubby, wood pannelled space with a few modern touches. Lovely marble topped bar at the front. Much more comfortable than Arbutus, they've done a very nice job.

Things seemed to run fairly smoothly for a first night. I saw Demetre pop his head up from the kitchen at one stage lookingly exceptionally hot and bothered but it didn't show in the food. Front of house was ok, quite hard to get attention at times and I was never sure who our waiter was but between them they just about pulled it off.

From the menu above we had:

Soupe au pistou, Baux de provence olive oil: Good zingy flavours.

Braised pigs head, potato puree, caramelised onions: Very good, one of Arbutus' best dishes successfully transplanted to Mayfair.

Mackerel tartare, beetroot and horseradish: Mackerel with horseradish seems to be on every menu in London at the moment - not that I'm complaining. A very elegant plate of food with artfully cooked and cut beetroot, a beetroot puree, subtle horseradish cream and the fish (which was a little too subtle for me).

Elwy valley lamb, stuffed courgette greek style : Lamb done three ways. Difficult to judge the meat as my companion ordered it medium to well... I didn't like the courgette stuffed with rice, seemed a bit 1980s wedding stylee. Much preferred the Elwy lamb with sweetbreads in Arbutus.

Plaice with potato puree, brown butter, capers and brown shrimp sauce and hispi cabbage: Perfectly cooked piece of fish on top of that fantastic rich, yellow puree perfectly set off by a sharp sauce with gorgeous little shrimp. Lovely side dish of cabbage.

Wild honey ice cream, crushed honeycomb: Very good. I'd never have ordered this but both the flavour and texture of the ice cream were superb.

Scottish raspberries, warm lemon cream: Not so good, decent raspberries but the lemon cream lacked bite or interest.

A Wild Honey cocktail (not good, prosecco with some quite nasty "vine peach" puree), a glass of Amontillado, a carafe of Riesling, three starters, two mains and two desserts plus service came to £63. Can't argue with that value and, even at full price, it would have come in under £100 which ain't bad.

Not exactly exciting then (given that we've seen it all before at Arbtus) but another good mid priced restaurant in London is always welcome and there can be little doubt that it will do very well.

Edited July 3, 2007 by IanT (log)

[ravelda]

"Not exactly exciting then (given that we've seen it all before at Arbtus) but another good mid priced restaurant in London is always welcome and there can be little doubt that it will do very well."

I tend to aggreee - it will be interesting to see what reviews get published, as there is not the novelty factor that we had when Arbutus opened and many of the dishes have already been well written about.

[naebody]

Not exactly exciting then (given that we've seen it all before at Arbtus)

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So the second branch of a mid-priced restaurant we all love opens in Zone 1 and there's a collective wetting of pants. Meanwhile, the second branch of a mid-priced restaurant we all love opens in Zone 1 , to universal ambivalence.

Is it just my imagination, or is this board getting a bit weird?

[IanT]

Not exactly exciting then (given that we've seen it all before at Arbtus)

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So the second branch of a mid-priced restaurant we all love opens in Zone 1 and there's a collective wetting of pants. Meanwhile, the second branch of a mid-priced restaurant we all love opens in Zone 1 , to universal ambivalence.

Is it just my imagination, or is this board getting a bit weird?

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Fair point. GQS is a much more exciting opening IMO. I've already been three times and have posted plenty about it. Just not here...

[nikkib]

I was also there last night with a friend who hadn't realised it was their first night until we paid the bill and left which is always a good sign. We started with the wild honey tails - (bellinis) which were delicious and set about the serious decision of what to order. I had seen the red wine, raddichio and tallegio risotto on the menu at Arbutus and asked if i could try that as a starter which they obligingly did for me. I thought it was delicious, perfectly cooked and the bitterness of the raddichio still found its way onto the palate alongside the tallegio, dotted over the top. My friend had the pigs head which was also fantastic and not as heavy as i was expecting. For mains i had the market fish - "Plaice cooked in a water bath at 45 degrees with mash potato and a caper and brown shrimp, brown butter sauce" as it was described to me another success. I'm a sucker for brown shrimps and was happy they hadn't skimped on them, the plaice was perfect and portions were spot on. My friend had the Organic Scottish salmon, braised gem, broad beans and radish which she proclaimed similarly good and beautoifully presented as always. Desserts i thought were a bit of a let down. We had the wild honey ice cream and honey comb which was fine but nothing special and my friend had the scottish raspberries and warm lemon cream which lacked any real "oomph" THe lemon tart i had last time at arbutus was 1000 times better. Again nothing was wrong just not up to the high standards of the first two courses. We drank a £29 bottle of Auntsfield Sav Blanc from Marlborough which i have been to buy a couple of bottles of today after seeing it in Harvey Nic's and a 250 ml carafe of Tokjai for about £25 i think. Total bill including the discount ( and a bottle of water) was £166 for two, very reasonable indeed. My only gripes were that the drinks service was a bit slow, the desserts weren't quite up to par and my double espresso was more like a filter coffee all very minor and ones i'm sure will be ironed out quickly - for a first night it was a resounding success. I found the staff friendly and helpful, they certainly seemed calm and the kitchen did a fantastic job, they should be very proud of a job well done. I can imagine it will be packed out at lunch with business men and will settle in nicely. I will definitely be back!

[Andy Lynes]

Total bill including the discount ( and a bottle of water) was £166 for two, very reasonable indeed.

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Sounds bloody expensive to me- do you mean £66?

[Matthew Grant]

Nikki, are you sure about the bill, it'd be hard to spend £166 even at full prices!

[Scott]

with a £29 bottle of wine & a 250ml of tokjai for £25 it couldn't be £66.

one question for me though: the menu looks just like arbutus to me. is this just to carry the spillover of clientele or is wild honey meant to be a different restaurant with its own personality?

[nikkib]

Nikki, are you sure about the bill, it'd be hard to spend £166 even at full prices!  

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Oops! double chkd and it was £122! That sounds more like it doesn't it!

Edited July 4, 2007 by nikkib (log)