Expectations were somewhat high coming in, given the collaboration between Celebrity Chef Nathan Outlaw of Cornwall, and the the Goring Hotel - the venerable institution (first hotel with running water in every room) favored by the royals of house Hanover and Windsor (the hotel's founder, Otto Goring, was a Germanic emigré).
We arrived a bit early, and were offered the opportunity to have a drink at the bar - the Siren restaurant is housed in an extension of the bar that is a solarium overlooking the garden. Martinis are correct, properly chilled without over-dilution (no small feat during these hot summer days).
Moving on to our table for 2, we were greeted with crusty bread, seaweed butter, and whipped cod roe (in essence inspired by a greek taramosalata).
We settled on baked scallops and the cuttlefish black pudding as starters. Excellent scallops, though weighed down a bit by an overly strong orange butter and breadcrumbs. The cuttlefish black pudding was created a very moist custard-y texture that is lighter and more succulent than the traditional version. That said, my personal preference would be that it did not eschew the seafood flavor in its goal of avoiding "fishiness". I would have hoped that the dish would retain certain flavors that would remind me that I was eating cuttlefish and its ink. But these are minor quips.
We also sampled some of the best cockles and clams we had ever tasted. We had been presented with the day's special was a seafood platter with lobster, clams and cockles but could not resist asking if the kitchen could offer us just the clams and cockles - and they did, at very reasonable cost. Beautifully mineral and briny, these reminded you why one seeks out restaurants that can source the best seafood.
The main was the Grilled Monkfish for 2, elegantly spiced, paired with 2 sauces - a tartare (light cream sauce with capers and shallots) and a crab sauce (an intense bisque). The first bites were pure meatiness, like the finest kebab of monkfish. Later bites revealed an intense spice profile reminiscent of a Chicken Tikka. Bravo.
Service was good, not completely crisp but the staff meant well. Let's be fair it's only been open for a couple of weeks.
Note: Visited on Sunday, July 14th 2019. read more