The very very very first thing we acquired to eat at 64 Goodge Freeway was a bit plate of truffle-cream gougères topped with shaved Comté. These turned out to be essential for 2 causes – firstly, they weren’t on the menu and as unannounced bonus additional dishes go you can hardly do extra to faucet appropriate into my private pleasure components. Secondly, they have been totally, terribly good.
And these things are essential on account of the best method you react to this (spoiler alert) hopelessly fawning think about fairly relies upon upon whether or not or not or not you assume my mandatory faculties have been impaired by a gaggle of terribly gifted restaurateurs understanding their viewers inside-out, or whether or not or not or not you assume that regardless of the near-impossibility of my not having pleasant with a mannequin new enterprise from the Top of the range Chop Residence guys, 64 Goodge Freeway actually is, objectively, as blindingly good as I say. And I very a lot hope to steer you of the latter.
So optimistic, these gougères. Heat and silky easy inside, with a supremely delicate crust, they packed a heady truffle punch and virtually dissolved all through the mouth they have been so delicately put collectively. I can profit from even barely cackhandedly constructed gougères – I point out, what’s to not like about truffle, cheese and pastry – nonetheless as quickly as they’re made with care they’re good, and as quickly as they’re this good one issue very particular undoubtedly is occurring.
Crudités – child carrots, radishes, chicory – acquired proper right here with an opulent Roquefort dip topped with caramelised walnuts. In all equity, there’s solely so mind-blowing a plate of uncooked salad could very properly be, nonetheless the Roquefort dip was beautiful, and all of it appeared very fairly and summery.
From correct proper right here on, virtually every issue that acquired proper right here out of the kitchen at 64 Goodge Freeway was not merely good nonetheless close-your-eyes-and-can’t-believe-it’s-so good. Hen liver parfait, virtually almost pretty much as good as rooster liver parfait has ever been on this nation or one different, acquired proper right here squiggled (neatly) onto the perfect of dainty brioche fingers, with some slices of cherry (little question handled to some terribly intelligent cheffy methodology) offering sharpness and color.
Kintyre smoked salmon – which I assume is from Kintyre smokehouse up in Campbeltown nonetheless totally glad to be corrected if I am fallacious – was excellent each by itself and draped over heat blinis and topped with crème fraîche and roe. 64 Goodge Freeway can do fireworks and fancy methods, nonetheless are furthermore in another case assured ample of their very private pores and pores and pores and skin to usually sit as soon as extra and let the weather do the speaking.
The exact actuality we did not order these smoked cod’s roe tartines they usually appeared as a bit blogger bonus additional makes me eternally grateful that I used to be capable of have my horrible ordering blunder so merely rectified, nonetheless was left severely questioning my expertise in studying a menu. Of course a smoked cod’s roe dish from the crew behind Top of the range Chop Residence could also be good – how on earth did I not spot that? – and these have been world class little nibbles, a layer of tarama on a fragile stick of pastry, topped with pickled radish and onion.
Snail, bacon and garlic shouldn’t be going to be one factor lower than a worthwhile mixture, and handled to the 64 Goodge Freeway’s potential with a deep-fat fryer they grew to grow to be little crisp “bonbons” that exploded with meaty, buttery goodness.
Oh, and thus far these have been merely the “snacks”. The menu acceptable – at the very least my very private – started with this beautiful little fillet of sea bass with wild fennel and pastis. The fish itself was – evidently – fantastically cooked with a fragile crisp pores and pores and pores and skin, and the sauce, creamy and light-weight and heady with aniseed, was an ideal match. Nonetheless dotted all through the place have been these little components of – efficiently I am unsure, they have been sharp and pickled and citrussy, presumably gooseberry or one different seasonal fruit, and actually lifted the dish to 1 issue else.
On the choice starters, duck sausage and crab with asparagus, I am unable to report firsthand as they disappeared prior to I’d beg for a mode, nonetheless the traditional consensus from my fellow diners seems to be that they have been delicate, beneficiant of flavour and intensely good. And given every issue else now we have now been served, I am fairly totally glad to take them at their phrase.
My principal was a porc – sorry, pork – chop, portioned into even, chunky slices every containing a morsel of tender meat and melty fats. It was all coated in a charcutière sauce, a shiny, meaty affair studded with cute little buttery girolles, spinach and herbs. Totally seasoned, masterfully cooked and with a type of fancy French sauces that nearly undoubtedly take a lifetime to good, it was every issue you (or, extra importantly, I) would ever want from a pork dish.
I obtained to strive just a bit little little bit of the turbot, which though totally respectable presumably lacked a bit little little little bit of the flexibility and dazzle of the pork. This may merely be a private mannequin situation although, or possibly a sufferer of contrasts – presumably I ought to have tried the fish prior to the pork.
And I did not get to strive the hogget in the slightest degree, nonetheless I heard nothing nonetheless happy noises coming from individuals who did. Seems good too, would not it?
All of the desserts have been at the very least value ordering, nonetheless I obtained the impression the Paris-Brest (commonplace, in an ordinary methodology – none of your bizarre fruit flavours added to this, thank-you-very-much) and the strawberry tart (implausible steadiness of pastry and fruit in a surprising pink gelée) have been very barely extra achieved than my very private apricot tarte tatin which wished reasonably extra sugar to counteract the fairly bitter fruit situation. Nonetheless that acknowledged, I nonetheless cherished it, and the almond ice cream was excellent.
Complete although, we had a blast at 64 Goodge Freeway, and left all agreeing it was top-of-the-line meals any of us had had all yr. Which is simply as efficiently, on account of the invoice, with 2 bottles of wine between 5, acquired proper right here to £137pp – undoubtedly on the elevated finish of what you can anticipate to pay for contemporary French meals in London, even meals as delicate and intelligently constructed as this.
Nonetheless it nonetheless felt like worth, and I would pay it as quickly as further on any given future enormous day, on account of all acknowledged and achieved, when French meals is achieved this efficiently, there’s little or no that may beat it. Actually you will pay reasonably extra for heaps quite a bit a lot much less – considerably (whisper it) in France. 64 Goodge Freeway, like Top of the range Chop Residence prior to it, is a spot so good that it makes you that bit extra totally glad (and, let’s face it, smug) to dwell in London. And there is not any elevated reward than that.
9/10