After a hectic past few weeks, I’m finally away for the holidays. Yay! A foot of snow has just dumped down on the northeast US, and now that I’m no longer traveling, it’s lovely to see the blanket of white outside.
Just before I left London, I tried the £25 lunch menu at Angela Hartnett’s Murano, and it ticked all the boxes: great service, lovely linens/china, and flashes of creativity on the understandably-limited menu – all at a fantabulous price.
The restaurant is still offering a decadent white truffle tasting menu (a £65 supplement for every white truffle course you add to your meal), and our waiter carried over a box of the precious fungus so we could have a peek and sniff (those are free). It’s heady stuff, that white truffle. We got our little taste of the good life in the fresh-out-of-the fryer white truffle arancini that arrived while we browsed the menu options.
And as if the creamy-crispy arancini weren’t pre-starter enough, after we placed our order, a generous pile of salumi arrived. I’d love to know who Murano’s supplier is, because I could have eaten that prosciutto all day. For vegetarians, there was a smoked aubergine puree dip that was creamy, sweet and nutty – a delish topping for the fresh, varied breads in our bread basket, but no match for the beauties of cured meat.
My starter of grilled mackerel tart was meaty and moist without any of the stinky fishiness that ruins mackerel’s popularity. And the sharp sweetness of the tomato-red “tart crust” added flavor and taste contrast. I enjoyed my starter immensely.
Roasted guinea fowl was juicy, but nothing too memorable, especially compared to the guinea fowl I had at Petershan Nurseries. On the other hand, the cost of the guinea fowl alone at Petersham approximated that of our entire lunch menu at Murano . . . .
The stonebass was beautifully pan fried so that its skin turned into crackling while the white, flaky meat stayed moist, but the treats hidden in the sauce basquaise were the highlight. Chorizo makes everything good. Murano knows how to source, no question.
The palate-cleansers were so fun – we couldn’t help smiling at the colors and flavors. Rich and creamy banana; refreshing and light basil; tart black currant were my faves, but polishing off all of the sorbets was no problem.
Dessert options were pretty unimaginative. Then again, it may be no more than a dressed-up brownie, but it was still worth the calories.
I loved the petit fours – chocolate truffles, fruit tuiles and fresh, warm hunks of panettone. I’m still thinking of that panettone – its eggy texture and sweet tartness of candied citrus, balanced with plump sweet raisins. Nothing like those monsters that come in pretty boxes at this time of year.
What a steal for £25. Considering how much I loved all the goodies that came in between our courses, I’m guessing I’d love a full-on meal at Murano. To do in 2009, then.
Murano, 20 Queen Street, W1J 5PR, 0207 592 1222; closest tube station: Green Park
Hurray, I love reading positive reviews of places I’d like to visit! A lot of the restaurants on my list are also cheaper at lunchtime too…
Have a great time in the States!
Sounds fantastic – but it is disappointing that Murano only does its lunch special on weekdays – makes it very hard to get there.
Have a great Christmas.
They tried to sell me the truffle at Royal Hospital Road too – great big ugly jewel of the kitchen it was… The bill would have swollen past the price of a holiday if I had succumbed. Great review, A.i.L.
What a steal indeed! It sounds great. I’m always nervous about ordering mackerel, as the only time I’ve had it really, really fresh was at Rick Stein’s restaurant and at Launceston Place; other times have been disappointing.
Helen, I agree – I’m becoming a convert to the lunch menu as a way to try out a restaurant. There do seem to be great deals out there.
Gourmet Chick – I didn’t realize Murano’s lunch menu is weekdays only. Merry Christmas to you, too!
Douglas – Yes, I remember your review of Hospital Road, and the white truffle shown to you was def a pricey monster.
Lizzie – I’ve never eaten at Launceston Place, but Tamarind & Thyme had a very good lunch there recently (and for 18 quid!), so between your rec and hers, I’ll have to try it out soon.
Glad you enjoyed your lunch! what a bargain. a friend took me there for my birthday dinner. everything was delicious! they even let us make 2 substitutions on the tasting menu, very accomodating. i loved the sorbets, refreshing and great flavors!
[…] Last December, I tried Murano’s £25 lunch menu, which was outstanding value. I knew I’d be back, but as a testament to how slow I am to put words into action, I didn’t return until just last week. In the meantime, Murano picked up a Michelin star in January this year, and I can see why. Dinner at Murano was delicious and high quality (a bit like eating at the Ledbury, but with more formal service). […]
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