Bistro 190 in the privately-owned Gore Hotel is handy for, but not exactly on the way to, the Albert Hall and London’s major museums, as well as the boutiques on Kensington High Street. It was at the forefront of the renaissance in modern British cooking when Anthony Worrall Thompson ran the kitchen, and now — although currently without a head chef — has a slight European twist.
So there’s foie gras and gnocchi on the menu but also parsnip soup and wild game pie. The list doesn’t shout about sustainability, but the fish is mullet, mackerel and pollock. Similarly, the source of the chicken is given (Haughley Farm) but not the aged Angus rib eye. My companion started with the mackerel, served with 'leak (sic) puree, pancetta and puy lentils'. It was very good, crispy on the outside and firm within, and the 'leak' was pleasantly liquid. My wild hare ravioli was done to a turn, with a nutty bite to the pasta heralding the rich gamey meat within; a wild mushroom veloute topped it nicely.
Mains were also impressive, if perhaps a little over-rich in their concentration of flavours. Crayfish risotto made a succulent breast of chicken a little too opulent and unctuous, though the flavours went well together. Superb as a starter, it was a bit palate-smotheringly OTT for a main course. Red mullet was again perfectly cooked, the skin crisp and the flakes fleshy. It came with cavolo nero, which added a bit of greenery and iron to a meal heavy on protein. The only problem was the vegetable fricassee: cubes rendered indistinguishable by a potent orange sauce in which it was hard to discern individual seasonings. It didn’t taste bad — quite the opposite — but it overpowered the fish.
Our tastebuds thoroughly glutted — there were amuses bouche of saucy oysters and clementine profiteroles as well — we only had space to share a pudding. Pistachio panacotta with berry compote tasted strongly rather than subtly of the sweet nut. It had a nice firm wobble to it but the colour was a bit off-putting, like joke food. If I’d eaten this meal before I gave up
smoking I’d probably have pronounced it excellent: as it is, the cooking at 190 remains very good, even if it leaves you feeling overindulged rather than just slaked. Service was attentive throughout. We weren’t drinking but the wine list seemed to offer broad choice from the opulent to the reasonable, and 190’s Virgin Marys are excellent although, as you’d expect, highly spiced.
Bistro 190, 189-190 Queen's Gate, London SW7 5EX (+44 (0)20 7584 6601; gorehotel.com)
