This week's Restaurant of the Week is the Criterion on London's Piccadilly.
First opened in 1874 as the Long Bar or Marble Hall, the Criterion is a Grade II-listed building that forms part of the 120,000 sq ft Criterion Theatre block, which is owned by the Crown Estate. Its spectacular interiors include marbled floors and mirrored walls set below a magnificent neo-Byzantine golden mosaic ceiling.
Marco Pierre White acquired the restaurant from Forte in 2001, when it was managed by My Kinda Town, successfully returning it to its former glory, but his love for the Criterion seemed to have waned over the years.
In February this year, the restaurant was given a new lease of life after it was taken over by Irakly Sopromadze of the Vox Restaurant company, a 21-year-old entrepreneur from the former USSR state of Georgia. He acquired the Criterion as the first of a number of planned investments in the capital, "gently restoring" its interiors and bringing in new head chef Matthew Foxon.
South African Foxon joined from acclaimed south London gastropub the Rosendale where he had been head chef for 18 months. He says he considers the opportunity to bring back the Criterion "like phoenix from the ashes" as a great honour.
A set menu, priced £18 for two-, and £23 for three course, is available at lunch time as well as pre- and post-theatre and offers a choice of around five starters, mains and desserts. The à la carte meanwhile is divided into sections: soups, crustaceans, starters, main courses, grills, pasta, egg dishes, and desserts as well as a sushi and sashimi section to cater for the restaurant's Russian clientele.
Foxon's menu bears a range of different influences: Russian touches include a first course of Imperial Baeri caviar at £120 for 50g, while Asian flavours can be seen in a starter of soya marinated yellowfin tuna served with a tofu purée and red pepper crisps.
Most notable, however, is Foxon's South African upbringing, which particularly shines through in a signature dish of dukkah spiced ostrich tender loin served with sweet potato purée, sautéed baby spinach and a mini beef bobotie (pronounced ba-boo-tea), a national dish of Cape Malay heritage consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping.
Other starters include a rich Kashmir saffron risotto served with a quenelle of Parmesan ice cream; and British beef tartar with cucumber, salty caramel and quail eggs.
A medley of Middle White pork features loin, belly, sausage roll and black pudding, which Foxon buys in to ensure quality, and comes with pea purée; while wild Cornish seabass is served with mussels and a langoustine in confit tomatoes.
Puddings include a dark and white chocolate tart that sees the two chocolate varieties balanced on top of each other and is accompanied by praline mousse. A dessert of Malva pudding is served with crème anglaise and Amarula ice cream.
The Criterion is a true stalwart of the London dining scene and now in the hands of a team who passionately care about its future. While it's still early days, it seems that this phoenix has indeed started to rise from the ashes.
Average spend £50 including drinks and service.
Criterion Restaurant, 224 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HP, Tel: 020 7930 0488
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Gosh, I had forgotten Criterion.
I went a number of times in early MPW years and always had good food there but stopped going several years ago when it the menu changed to become far more casual.