Hidden Oasis and Alfresco Dining: Heddon Street Kitchen
Whether you’re caught in the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, looking to take time out near tranquil Regent’s Park, longing to lounge around Limehouse or seeking some rays south of the river, stop by one of Gordon Ramsay Group’s restaurants for exceptional al fresco dining.
We decided to head down to the amazing Heddon Street Kitchen, hidden on Heddon Street near Oxford Street, it was the perfect hangout for our tired feet during a shopping trip. Nestled within the Regent Street Food Quarter in the heart of central London, Heddon Street Kitchen offers the ideal piazza for grabbing a quick al fresco bite washed down with one of the signature, exciting cocktails from the bar. You can feast on Head Chef Maria Tampakis’ delicious European menu with an American twist, offering the perfect summertime dishes, including soya and saké cured Loch Duart salmon, yuzu avocado purée and lotus root; Tamarind spiced chicken wings, spring onions, coriander; and warm Bang Bang chicken, watercress, mouli, chilli, beansprouts, radish, ginger, peanuts.
Being a lover of sea food the first thing I opted for to start with was the baked scallops, carrot puree, treacle cured bacon, celery and apple. The scallops were divine and the softness of the perfectly seared scallops complimented the carrot puree, with the occasional saltiness of the bacon this was an “I want more starter”. I could have eaten a million plates and still wanted more.
For my main I opted for steamed sea bream, jersey royal potatoes, tomatoes, and wye valley asparagus. I am a lover of fish and can be very critical of how my fish is cooked. But I had not one complaint here, the fish was tender and melted in the mouth and accompanied by the potatoes and asparagus, it was a hearty meal without the heaviness of what a traditional roast would create. My friend had the Poussion with chimichurri sauce, most of her fears about the poussion were washed away when it arrived. Being a lover of heavily seasoned and spicy food she was concerned that the bird would not contain the right amount of seasoning, but she ate her words and found that the chimicurri sauce made the bird moist and offered a powerful pack of flavours that made her meal exquisite.
I am a dessert girl at heart and seeing that on the menu was an Eton Mess, you can imagine how excited I was. The Eton mess was sprinkled with mint leaves, although quite unusual to have that much mint in an Eton mess, it was divine. I also opted for some English breakfast tea, as it always seems rude not to have some with an Eton mess. The china tea pot made me smile and reminded me of afternoon tea in some of the best hotels in London it made our visit even quainter and was the perfect end to a meal full of great food and wine.
The upstairs of the restaurant offers an ice cream bar, with amazing flavours perfect for the whole family. We had to give Heddon Street extra brownie points for this, as it is a place you can take the children and whilst they choose their perfect ice cream toppings you can sink in your seat with a lovely glass of wine.
Make sure you head down and check it out yourself, we promise it will be your new hangout whenever your venture to Oxford Street.
Heddon Street Kitchen,
Regent Street Food Quarter,
3 – 9 Heddon Street,
London W1B 4BD
020 7592 1212
