Situated in the luxurious St James Hotel and Club, Seven Park Place is a Michelin-starred venue with all the class you would expect. I joined a fun and varied group of women for a Burn’s Night Preview; a six-course meal with matching wine that finishes with a glass of Highland Park 18-year-old whiskey. This is what we had:
(Sorry about the pictures. They were taken on my Blackberry so I could be discreet)
Uig Lodge smoked haddock soup with whiskey
Seared hand-dived Scottish scallops with garlic puree and parsley oil
The wine we had with these courses: Solo Quinta, Cramele Recas, Romania, 2012
I have never had soup with whiskey before but what a clever idea. This soup is just stunning, with perfectly cooked smoked haddock. I love scallops and these seared scallops with garlic puree and parsley oil were perfect on every level.
Poached Scottish langoustine with buttered cabbage, foie gras sauce and truffle
Ravioli of haggis with confit of turnip, whiskey and thyme jus
The wine served with this course: Riesling Trocken Qba, Sybille Kuntz, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany 2010
The poached langoustine was just superb, one of my fellow diners called it a ‘posh prawn cocktail’. It just tastes like some sort of heaven. The ravioli of haggis is a stunning invention from William Drabble. It is such a smart idea and it tastes amazing, as does the sauce which sounds like a weird combination but really works.
Saddle of Scottish highland venison with beetroot
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon Royale, Koyle Estate, Colchagua Valley, Chile, 2009
The venison is perfectly cooked and the whole meal just works amazingly.
Selection of British cheese by Paxton & Whitfield
A wonderful selection of cheese. Very tasty.
Souffle of Scottish raspberries with dark chocolate sauce
Wine: Coteaux-Du-Layon Saint-Aubin, Domaine Des Barres, Loire Valley, France, 2012
This souffle is impressive not just because it tastes delicious, but also because it was huge and arrived from two floors down still beautifully risen. It is the best souffle I have ever had and the dark chocolate sauce is perfect. The texture of the souffle is great. A wonderful dessert. Seven Park Place is a Michelin-starred venue and even if you didn’t know this before you went, it would soon be obvious. The food will be some of the best you have ever tasted and the imagination of the chef is truly impressive.
Chocolate and Apple Truffles
These truffles were unbelievable. And the one in the middle was like a very posh apple fruit pastel. I could eat these everyday and not even care if I got fat. Wow and wow.
And to finish….
A glass of Highland Park 18-year-old Whiskey
What to say? Great whiskey: true luxury.After the meal we got to have a chat with William Drabble and I promptly made him an honoury Scot. I complimented William on his cooking and he swept away the compliment by saying it was the good, Scottish, ingredients. He is far too modest and also said that the food is simple as you have to realise that the other people in the kitchen cannot cook as well as you. William manages to make food heaven in a small kitchen, two-floors down, with a staff of only six. Both impressive and surprising. Williams mantra is,
“Make it simple, think about it and make it idiot-proof.” Sounds like the perfect system. In the kitchen they drink tea in the morning and water to clean their palette so they can taste the food properly.During the evening sommelier Marco Feraldi told us about each wine. Marco really knows his stuff and every single wine was amazing. I am very fussy about wine but I loved it all. Especially the
Solo Quinta, Cramele Recas, Romania, 2012. I had never tried Romanian wine before but I am now hooked.I had a wonderful evening, the food truly was stunning. The perfect place for the perfect Burns Night.
You can catch the Burn’s Night Menu at Seven Park Place between January 20-26.
Seven Park Place, St James Hotel and Club, 7-8 Park Place, SW1A 1LS.
£72 or £126 with paired wines. (£13 supplement for cheese selection) Phone:020 7316 1615
stjameshotelandclub.com
For today’s music profile we have a Scotland-based singer-songwriter of Romanian heritage, Lizabett Russo. Well-travelled, Lizabett has a beautiful voice and an original take on an eclectic range of music. From traditional acoustic ballads to up-tempo jazz – and just about everything else in between.
