Chef’s Bar at GBR London

What a fantastic name for a restaurant in London: the Great British Restaurant! It’s also known as GBR and is located in the heart of Mayfair and St James as a part of Dukes London, the historic five-star hotel. Inside, a genuinely British approach to food can be tasted in sumptious surroundings and grand style.

Norfolk-born Executive Head Chef Nigel Mendham commands the kitchen with innovative and modern twists in all of his dishes.
The GBR is offering a chef’s bar menu similar to a chef’s table but served at the GBR’s gorgeous bar which seats seven people. It’s quite a party!

The chef’s bar menu is paired with British sparkling wines. It’s a real British fare celebration.

Experiencing Chef’s Bar at GBR

The evening I attended the chef’s bar, we started with the GBR cocktail made of Hendricks, elderflower, lime juice, sugar and topped with grapefruit – it was original and uplifting!

The first dish was a vibrant, silky green broccoli soup topped with goats curd and crunchy pine nuts. It felt very light and full of goodness! It was a crowd pleaser.

Next of the Pressed Rabbit Leg terrine, cooked a sous-vide way for twelve hours, Dublin Bay prawns from the West coast of Scotland, langoustine shells were crushed to dress the plate. A sweet corn puree with tarragon and mustard, that gave sharpness to cut through the dish. It was a delicious dish.

The English sparkling wine Jenkyn Place BDN 2010, made in the traditional Champagne method, is a 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Pinot Meunier wine. It is a remarkably fine vintage Blanc de Noirs from one of the younger English wine estates, situated in Hampshire. This wine is fresh and nutty on the nose, with a citrus note; on the palate, there is a baked apple and yeast like bread and toast. Its excellent acidity structure gives it a long length and freshness. Not my favourite of the night but it was quite good and paired well with the rabbit.

Blown torched South Coast Plaice, brown shrimp from Morecambe, Beurre noisette (burnt butter), fresh seaweed, and braised leek to finish. A recipe full of textures and great mouthfeel.

Nyetimber Classic Cuvee NV, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, based in West Sussex, Nyetimber have established themselves as England’s premier sparkling wine house. Good enough to rival some real big Champagne houses. It’s a gently sparkling wine, elegant with fine and persistent bubbles. It’s a delicate, honey, apple, strawberry and almonds notes. This English Sparkling wine is one of my favourites but again to my surprise it wasn’t the winner of the night.

The next dish was a delight, full of flavours, body and expertly matched with Gusbourne Rose 2014, 100%  Pinot Noir and full-bodied wine with notes of spices and strawberries.

Ox cheek is marinated with red wine, vegetables and star anise for 24 hours, and then, the ox cheeks are braised for a minimum of 12 hours until tender-that’s a real labour of love! There is also roasted endive in orange zest, honey, thyme and garlic, and carrots are cooked in beef dripping. The sparkling rose matched so well; it stood up to the ox cheek strong taste and spices. It was my favourite dish and wine pairing of the evening, as I enjoy meat and strong, distinctive flavours.

To finish this meal, I enjoyed a sweet and light lemon meringue pies topped with lemon ice cream and paired with Nytimber Demi-Sec NV, 100 percent Chardonnay; its sweetness pairs well with desserts, and it’s well balanced and crisp.

I enjoyed this meal immensely; the wine matching was incredibly accurate. It was quite a tour de force, considering this meal is served at the bar. They also cater for all types of dietary requirements.

The Chef’s Bar is priced at £110 per person.

There is a scrumptious Sunday brunch at GBR, with free-flowing bubbles on offer.

Head to their site to see menus and book your place: GBR

Highly recommended.

 

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Disclosure: I was a guest at  GBR Chef’s Bar for review purposes.  All views are my own.