Right in the heart of Soho lies Kettners – one of London’s oldest restaurants. It was opened in 1876 and therefore has a rich history. As they say on their website: Kettner’s has lived, surviving four kings and a queen, the blitz, several booms and more than a few busts. And after one more bust, Kettner’s has had a revamp, so The Best Friend and I decided to check it out.
Kettner’s was originally four Georgian townhouses, so on arrival we were already impressed with the Grade II listed building. Once welcomed inside, the interior is soft; the walls are a muted eggshell blue with velvet banquettes and white tables. Vintage mirrors, antique rugs and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling make the whole place feel fantastically glamorous.
The venue hosts a Champagne Bar, Brasserie and eight private dining rooms that are available for hire. We eased ourselves in with a couple of champagne cocktails at the bar. And with one of the longest champagne lists in London it would be rude not to!
I went for a good-old French 75 (Beefeater Gin, lemon juice, sugar and champagne), while The Best Friend went for a Marilyn Monroe (calvados, grenadine and champagne). There’s nothing better than a well-made champagne cocktail on a warm summer’s evening, and these two were perfect – both refreshing and generous enough with the booze that they whetted our appetite for more.
Moving in to the Brasserie, we were seated by a friendly waiter, who recommended we went for the champagne of the month; Laurent Lequart Cuvee Carte d’or, and quickly brought us a bottle over once we had agreed to it. With so many varities to choose from, we would have never been able to settle on one, so his choice was welcome, and not to mention delicious; smooth, not too sweet and paired perfectly with all our dishes.
To start with, I had Dorset Crab on toast with lemon mayonnaise; the crab was fresh, tasty, and really light - A great starter that wasn’t too filling. The Best Friend went for Baked Goat’s Cheese with Beetroot Carpaccio and a walnut dressing – it was as delicious as it sounds; the beetroot was a perfect accompany to the rich creaminess of the goat’s cheese – again, not too filling.
To follow The Best Friend went for a light option – roast sea bass fillet with cucumber and mussel tarragon salad, drizzled in a beautifully seasoned Cabernet Sauvignon dressing. Where as I decided to go all out and wolf down Kettner’s lobster mac’n’cheese because I just can not say no to any mac’n’cheese offering. The lobster chunks throughout the dish helped the richness of the cheese, meaning I could have eaten vats of the stuff (but maybe that’s got more to do with my obsession for mac’n’cheese than the lobster?).
Now, everyone knows that you have a separate stomach for dessert, so while we were both happily full, we of course had to take a look at (and order from) Kettner’s pudding menu. She went for the vanilla panna cotta with poached strawberries and champagne (do you see a theme here?), while I opted for the only dessert I like: crème brulee. Both were beautiful – and both were big. The kind of desserts I can get behind.
Kettner’s isn’t an everyday hangout, more of a fancy-let’s-celebrate-or-simply-spend-our-pay-cheque-kind-of-deal, though saying that, it’s not extortionate. You could easily have a cheapish meal here of an evening, though that would involve skipping on the champagne, and why would you do that?!
Kettners, 29 Romilly Street, Soho, London W1D 5HP
T: 020 7734 6112