The Capital

[howardlong]

service was flawless, good wine recommendations, and I would suggest trying a champagne other than the house as this was not particularly good and there are some others offered by the glass. overall a great lunch and standards still seeming very high.

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After a shaky start here about six years ago, the Capital has become without doubt one of my favourite restaurants. It currently has my two favourite dishes in London on the Dinner menu, namely the Assiette Landaise starter and the Saddle of Rabbit main.

If you are a foie gras lover, then the Assiette Landaise is to die for with both pan fried and terrine as well as a number of different duck cuts. The only drawback I find is wine matching, so I usually order an Alsace Gervurtz by the glass for the foie and a big chard or a Sonoma pinot noir for the rest.

The Saddle of Rabbit is a selection of rabbit done in different ways with a side of beans with lardons, rice wrapped in bacon and grilled calamari. Works well with the rest of that Sonoma pinot noir you ordered for the Assiette Landaise.

Becaause the Assiette Landaise is a big starter, sadly I rarely have much room for much else.

Personally I find the lamb main dish the only disappointment on the menu, and being a lamb lover I think that's the reason why I had a shaky start there all those years ago. They always insist on serving it with cous cous, my pet hate food.

Service has always been excellent, but with only 35 or so covers, you'd be hard pressed to be overlooked.

Maitre d' is Christophe Thuilot, who has recently returned to the Capital after working at Soho House's Chiswick outlet, High Road House, for a couple of years. Previous to that he was Maitre d' at Aubergine.

Cheers, Howard

[boomurphy]

I think the capital is a fantastic restaurant: intimate, authentic. The staff care & the kitchen delivers. All with a nice twist of old fashioned glamour.

psst keep it to yourself though... best thing about it is the lack of nobby media types like me.

[howardlong]

psst keep it to yourself though...  best thing about it is the lack of nobby media types like me.

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LOL! I totally agree it's a keep it to yourself kinda place. Oops.

Seriously, it's the kind of place that grows on you. Its understatedness is part of its attraction.

After my last post, I got the pang for the Assiette Landaise and Saddle of Rabbit so badly I went there that evening to do it again. While the food was perfect, the only mistakes made were mine in the wine department. No gewurtz by the glass on that day, so had a Sauternes which was OK but not quite as good as the old favourite. I also went off course and chose an easy drinking German pinot noir, against Fabien the sommelier and my own advice above (the Littorai Hirsch Sonoma is really the one to go for). Still, as I peddled back home on my push bike I was satisfied in the knowledge that life doesn't get much better than this.

Only one weird thing that keeps happening at the end of service. The wonderful chocolates they do at coffee are all too often forgotten, despite the crockery being placed on the table in anticipation.

Am I strange in this regard, or does anyone else return to a restaurant repeatedly and have exactly the same thing on most occasions?

Howard

Edited January 9, 2008 by howardlong (log)

[Paul Reynard]

Was thinking of going to either the square or the capital in a couple of week - I take it you think the capital is the better of the two? My only concern with that was that I heard in an article once that the atmosphere on an evening can be a bit quiet even by Michelin standards.

[ravelda]

I have to say, whilst I love the Captal, if I had to choose between the Square and Capital I would take the square for dinner every time (well almost!)

[adt]

I prefer the room and atmosphere at the square and the food is a very safe bet (though the service, albeit good, may not be quite so friendly), so for dinner I'd also incline towards the square... if that's not mixing a geometrical metaphor

[Matthew Grant]

I have to say, whilst I love the Captal, if I had to choose between the Square and Capital I would take the square for dinner every time (well almost!)

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Agree

[chrisp]

Am I strange in this regard, or does anyone else return to a restaurant repeatedly and have exactly the same thing on most occasions?

Howard

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Well, while I can't pretend to be controlling the kind of budget that would allow me to return to somewhere like the Capital "repeatedly", I am known to generally order very little other than the duck breast dish at the Fox and Hounds. That's except when it's off, when I usually go for the fish of the day.

Anywhere else I do my best to order something unusual or challenging I've not tried before (the foodie curse!) with often disastrous results.

I have visited the Square and the Capital once each and had excellent meals at both, so find choosing between them difficult. I think the Square is just ahead however, largely thanks to a startling Cauliflower mousse amouse and their famous crab "lasagna".

Edited January 9, 2008 by chrisp (log)

[Andy Lynes]

Am I strange in this regard, or does anyone else return to a restaurant repeatedly and have exactly the same thing on most occasions?

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I think you're a bit strange! There are one or two places I got back to reasonably regularly and I always think I've failed if I order the same thing twice. That said, I really like the idea of the speciality of the house and that being the reason you go to a place, I just haven't followed through in practice. I don't think I could go to Cafe Anglais without ordering the pike though.

[howardlong]

I have to say, whilst I love the Captal, if I had to choose between the Square and Capital I would take the square for dinner every time (well almost!)

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I disagree! Maybe it's changed, but everything at the Square is in a foamed sauce, so it's probably been sitting on the pass for ages before you get it (foamed sauce = no skin). Staff including Maitre d' don't know the cheeses, and on one occasion the Maitre d' was full-on rude when we snubbed the cheeses after even he couldn't describe them. I remember my fellow diners and I looking at each other stunned with open mouths when he said "hard, soft, goats, blue, now what do you want?".

My two disappointing trips to the Square were enough for me to give up. And that's one reason I'd always go for the Capital.

Another reason is that unlike The Square, you tend not to get wide boy city loudmouths in the Capital. In fact at one point I believe I referred to The Square as "the Quaglino's of the noughties", referring to the heavy Essex contingent in residence (sorry Essex!).

For the record, I certainly don't have a problem with the Nigel Platts-Martin chain at all: I love La Trompette, The Glasshouse and The Ledbury.

Cheers, Howard

[howardlong]

Was thinking of going to either the square or the capital in a couple of week - I take it you think the capital is the better of the two? My only concern with that was that I heard in an article once that the atmosphere on an evening can be a bit quiet even by Michelin standards.

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I agree that the Capital is not the sort of place you'd have a raucus dinner, although the atmosphere is rather what you make of it. Certainly it's excellent for a romantic tete-a-tete. When there's a party of folks in there on a table of eight, say, the volume level increases.

If you mean 'quiet' from the perspective of being empty, then yes, on occasion it can be fairly empty depending on the time of year and time of week. Sunday dinner can sometimes be quiet. Equally, I've been turned away many times on an opportunistic punt.

One further good thing is that I've never encountered table turning at the Capital. Maybe I've been lucky in this respect though.

Howard

[howardlong]

Am I strange

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I think you're a bit strange!

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Thank you for confirming my suspicions!

Cheers, H

[Matthew Grant]

The clientele at the Square is now mainly Oligarchs and other Uber Rich businessmen rather than an Essex based clientele. Foamed Sauce = no skin may be true but it also sinks if it sits on the pass too long under heat lights

For me the Capital has a bloody awful room and warrants a single star at best.

[Scottf]

I've had one ordinary and one shockingly bad meal at The Capital over the last year. I used to be a big fan especially for the lunch (probably waxing lyrical on the early days of The Capital thread if you can find it) but after my last visit I've decided there's no need for me to return. I found the majority of dishes poorly conceived and executed and the whole experience lacked any satisfaction. This is low level 1* cooking as far as I'm concerned.

I've only been to The Square once in the last year but had an altogether better experience. Ingredients appeared of a higher quality, execution was reasonably good and the dishes better conceived. I'd consider it the best meal I've had in London for a while from a British/French michelin restaurant perspective.

Also at The Capital the wine list is outrageously priced. For that reason alone I'd go to The Square over The Capital.

[howardlong]

I've had one ordinary and one shockingly bad meal at The Capital over the last year.

...

Also at The Capital the wine list is outrageously priced. For that reason alone I'd go to The Square over The Capital.

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Interestingly I had one disappointing one on my birthday back in March (the 20th, keep it in your diaries). I had a really bland fish main dish there. Really uninspiring.

Maybe that's why I keep to the same thing most of the times I go!

The wine list varies. Up until a a couple of years ago they had 1/2 bottles of 1990 Yquem at £130, little more than you'd pay at an offy. A good excuse for a pan fried foie and half a pound of Roquefort if ever I heard it on a special occasion.

More recently I agree the list has become rather more frightening, but happily nowhere near the extremes of Ducasse, and there is at least some selection down at the under £40 mark, although not much I admit.

The gouge can be shocking - £75 for a Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (~£17 in an offy). Ouch.

Cheers, Howard

[Scottf]

The gouge can be shocking - £75 for a Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (~£17 in an offy). Ouch.

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That's the one that sticks clearly in the memory . Not that I'd order it myself mind; if I want sauvignon give me a Cotat Sancerre any day of the week.

[chrisp]

The gouge can be shocking - £75 for a Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (~£17 in an offy). Ouch.

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That's the one that sticks clearly in the memory . Not that I'd order it myself mind; if I want sauvignon give me a Cotat Sancerre any day of the week.

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Cloudy Bay's about £30 from my local offy I think. Might be a different grape though.

[ravelda]

I've had good meals at both, however I have to say my last meal at the capital was during the summer, the day after having had an amazing meal at LCS and it just paled in comparison. There was nothing altogether wrong with the meal it was just uninspired and not particularly tasty. Still, will no doubt go back at some point over the next couple of months for the good value lunch!

[howardlong]

Cloudy Bay's about £30 from my local offy I think. Might be a different grape though.

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I'd change offy! Even the oaked Te Koko Sauv Bl comes in at barely over twenty quid when I can get hold of it. I guess calling it a Bordeaux style white is a fair desciption - well worth a go if you like oaky whites.

Perhaps a little more down to Earth in the gouge department is the Littorai Hirsch Pinot Noir I mentioned before, at about £40 off licence price, £85 on the menu.

Cheers, Howard

Editted due to typo

Edited January 10, 2008 by howardlong (log)

[Bapi]

Cloudy Bay's about £30 from my local offy I think. Might be a different grape though.

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I'd change offy!

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Blimey - I'm with Howard. Even my local dining pub knocks the 2004 out at £34.

[chrisp]

Cloudy Bay's about £30 from my local offy I think. Might be a different grape though.

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I'd change offy!

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Blimey - I'm with Howard. Even my local dining pub knocks the 2004 out at £34.

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I'll name and shame - it's Eagle's Wines on Lavender Hill (Battersea). Thanks for the feedback, I'll try and be a bit more discerning next time.

[RDB]

Am I strange in this regard, or does anyone else return to a restaurant repeatedly and have exactly the same thing on most occasions?

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I think you're a bit strange! There are one or two places I got back to reasonably regularly and I always think I've failed if I order the same thing twice. That said, I really like the idea of the speciality of the house and that being the reason you go to a place, I just haven't followed through in practice. I don't think I could go to Cafe Anglais without ordering the pike though.

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God I could never order the same thing twice! In fact when I dine with other people everyone has to have different dishes, and nobody, but nobody must order the same thing. I guess I am not alone on this

[Andy Fenn]

You are not alone.

And of course, there's always the possibility of ordering an additional starter for the middle of the table if it is simply impossible to choose...

Upsets the "flow" of the dinner, blah blah blah... But I can't help it.

[Scott]

The gouge can be shocking - £75 for a Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (~£17 in an offy). Ouch.

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That's the one that sticks clearly in the memory . Not that I'd order it myself mind; if I want sauvignon give me a Cotat Sancerre any day of the week.

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cotat is from chavignol

but I agree with you, I had an unbelievably poor meal at the capital in july, which came 3 days after the best meal yet at the square... so it's hard to drum up much enthusiasm for the capital these days.

[Scott]

Cloudy Bay's about £30 from my local offy I think. Might be a different grape though.

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I'd change offy!

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Blimey - I'm with Howard. Even my local dining pub knocks the 2004 out at £34.

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I'll name and shame - it's Eagle's Wines on Lavender Hill (Battersea). Thanks for the feedback, I'll try and be a bit more discerning next time.

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pardon my language, but that's freaking unbelievable!!!

is harry enfield behind the counter? did he see you coming?