I had very high expectations when walking through the doors of 110 de Taillevent in Marylebone. A French restaurant, a stoneโs throw from Oxfordโs Circusโ John Lewis has a lot of pressure to excel, itโs location alone encouraging an already strong reputation. Sitting in the quiet Cavendish Square so close to the heartbeat of London, the restaurant is owned by the family behind Le Taillevent in Paris, which itself is the owner of two Michelin stars. Big shoes to fill, big footsteps to follow, and 110 de Taillevent delivers.
For the first time while reviewing a restaurant, I didnโt walk out of the pouring rain but that doesnโt mean the welcome wasnโt as warm as ever. The venue is very clearly a premium location. Whether booking out the private dining room for a larger party or just reserving a table for two to six guests, 110 de Taillevent offers a graceful and deliberate experience where everything gives off an atmosphere of class. Be it a gathering, a meeting or a more intimate event, this is a place built to impress your guest.
You may be wondering where the titular 110 comes in, and thatโs its most interesting feature; the restaurant offers 110 wines by the glass, changed seasonally to compliment the meals on offer. Opening the menu, each starter, main, dessert and even cheese has four different recommended wines by the glass, two on the cheaper end and two on the more expensive end, and the wines feel tailor-made to the meals on offer.
With the chance to order either a taster menu or choose from a number of delicate and flavoursome dishes that include anything from the exotic to the elegant. Warm, rich foods cooked to perfection are set to surprise guests. Neither me nor my guestโs first choice for cooked meats is rare or red, normally preferring a more medium-to-well done dish but when it came to the French experts at 110, we wouldnโt have had it any other way, your eveningโs experience is very much in safe hands.
The expertise was on full display when it came to the dessert. Ordering a โChocolate Ballโ, I was presented with what looked like exactly that; a solid ball of rich chocolate, which was then covered in hot chocolate sauce that caused the thin ball to fall in on itself and reveal the thick cocao sorbet beneath. As delicious as it was to eat, it was just as impressive to look at, and was as much a display as it was a perfect end to such a magnificent meal.
You donโt need to order the recommended wines while dining in, and they do still offer a selection of wine and champagne by the bottle, but if youโre committing to such a high-class venue, you should be committing to the experience on offer. Leaving the restaurant full and merry and back onto the winter streets, we brought the warmth of 110 de Taillevent with us back onto the tube. When looking for an intimate, premium and warm experience that remains central to London while still staying tucked away from the hordes of Oxford Circus, I would deeply recommend what 110 de Taillevent have to offer.
What we ate
Spelt Lobster Risotto
Sea Urchin
Welsh Beef Wellington
Scottish Saddle of Venison
Comte and Morbier cheese selections
Chocolate Ball
110 de Taillevent: 16 CAVENDISH SQUARE LONDON W1G 9DD; 020 314 16016; les110.london@taillevent.com; http://www.les-110-taillevent-london.com/
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