You know that golden moment when you taste a dish, and your palette practically sizzles with joy? It’s a momentary, otherworldly sensation which – regrettably often – you doubt even exists when you try something good, very good even, but not exceptional. The best compliment I can give Ekstead at The Yard is that you are served that sensation, not once or twice, but after each of the 6 courses. This is exceptional food, and well worth the cost.
The Verdict The Verdict: 9/10 AMBIENCE: ★★★★★ PRICE: ££££ QUALITY: ★★★★★ BOTTOM LINE: With a Nordic-inspired interior (including a giant open-fire oven and pine branches wrapped around the entrance), and an ethos of cooking all the food with natural heat to an exceptionally high standard, Ekstedt at The Yard is a masterclass in the fine-dining experience. Minus the steep price, it is practically faultless. The Vibe Honouring the restaurant concept superbly, upon entering through the Great Scotland Yard Hotel you are immediately transported to a Nordic pine woodland, complete with a huge open fire oven.
To call Ekstedt at The Yard atmospheric would be an understatement, as the flashes of flames erupting from the kitchen cause the lighting around your table to constantly flicker. The ethos here – carried on from Michelin-starred Chef Niklas Ekstedt and his restaurant Ekstedt in Stockholm – is that everything is cooked with natural heat – with fire, soot, ash and smoke. Seeing the chefs at work with the open flame with a mix of primal instinct and expertise, feels, honestly, like a privilege.
Before you leave, ask the staff to show you how the soufflés (more on them later) are cooked in the open oven. Seeing them rise slowly, silhouetted by a raging flame, is an experience in itself. Welcome to the Slice The Slice is your weekly guide to what’s happening in London , so if you’re looking for restaurant reviews, drinks deals or just a great new exhibition to visit on a rainy Saturday in the capital, we’ve got you covered.
Click here for this week’s edit of the best things to do in town – and if you want get the next edition before anyone else, sign up here ! The Food Just like many of us would feel if we found ourselves in a forest and were tasked with producing a Michelin-quality fine-dining meal, the menu at first glance is intimidating. There’s a series of dishes that make you double-take (what do you mean mustard ice cream?) but they all – and I mean all – deliver. From the smokey oysters caramelised with beef dripping to the veal tartare with the contrasting aforementioned mustard ice cream, my tastebuds were dancing around with a childish glee, telling me with absolute certainy that I was tasting something truly special .
The desserts are equally exciting, supremely earthy and delightfully balanced. The truly world-class cep mushroom soufflées served with birch ice cream was so soft inside it was practically mousse, while the assortment of sweets – presented in a beautiful hamper made of pine twigs – is wonderfully original and tasty (I’m still salivating over the cardamom buns). More Trending Walkers teams up with Heinz for three new crisp flavours — and one is controversial Kellogg’s confirms ‘best’ cereal has been discontinued and breakfast won't be the same It’s been 14 years, so why are people still queuing for Dishoom? Cadbury just brought back four fan-favourite treats but one will cost you £4.
50 Guided by a volcanic wine pairing (new fact learnt – the harder the roots have to grow as they do in volcanic rock – the deeper the flavour of the grape becomes), this is a unique and exciting food and drink experience. There really is not much quite like it. The Value I try to never lose sense of how expensive fine dining experiences can get, and at £85pp for 3 courses, or £115pp for 6 courses let’s not kid ourselves – this isn’t cheap.
But very rarely has the ‘experience’ in fine dining experience made such sense to me. Here you know you’re paying for the vision, the high-quality ingredients and the expertise to execute. With that in mind, this is a place you simply have to save up for and visit to celebrate whatever it is you wish to celebrate.
Fine dining meals are often frustrating and forgettable evenings out, but when it comes to value for money, Ekstedt at The Yard stands tall above the rest. The Service You can expect excellent service all around here, from knowledgeable waiters to talented chefs. In a place like this, bad service could easily shake you from the trance the atmosphere and food places you in, but you can rest assured, like everything else at Eksted at The Yard, what you get for your money is a faultless, outstanding quality.
Helpful information Address: 3-5 Great Scotland Yard, London SW1A 2HN. How to get there: A ten-minute walk from Embankment station. Opening times: Tuesday-Saturday, 6.
00pm-9.00pm. Reservations : https://www.
ekstedtattheyard.com/ MORE : Cadbury fans thrilled as they find twist on ‘ridiculously good’ discontinued chocolate MORE : Walkers teams up with Heinz to launch three new crisp flavours — and one is controversial MORE : Do you know the Muffin Man? People are going wild over swimmer’s snack at Olympics Sign up to our guide to what’s on in London, trusted reviews, brilliant offers and competitions. London’s best bits in your inbox By ticking this box, you confirm you are over the age of 18*.
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