Dinner at The Wolseley
Returning to the calm reassurance of The Wolseley is a joy-filled antidote to this unsettling time. Located in the heart of Piccadilly, The Wolseley’s grand past is evident in its black and white marble, and Venetian-inspired pillars. It was built in the 20’s as a car showroom, before transitioning into Barclays Bank - until 1999, where it opened as a Chinese restaurant before becoming ‘The Wolseley’. It is an all-day café restaurant in the grand European tradition, offering breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner or late night options with a selection of vegetarian dishes.
Inside, the dining room is dazzlingly fabulous. The well-mannered waiters are clad in black and white tuxedo’s, and ushered us warmly to our table in the centre of the dining room. We thumbed through the enormous menu, and my eyes grew wide at the fabulous array of options. From Jersey Rock Oysters and Sturia Oscietra Caviar to Chateaubriand and Lamb, the options were endless.
Lobster & Caviar Omelette ‘Adrian’ started us off, one of The Wolseley’s top favourites. And a favourite of mine too it was, a delicious eggy number bursting with flavour and juiciness. I licked my lips happily as I wolfed down the portion, already crowning it the best omelette I have ever had. The dish was an assembly of a generous hunk of lobster sitting on a bed of a golden omelette, heaped carefully with premium caviar. Just heavenly.
The Lobster & Caviar Omelette ‘Adrian’
Next onto the Plateau de Fruits de Mer - a dish touted to be one of their best sellers. We enjoyed an array of raw seafood on ice between sips of Krug, a very pleasant mix.
Plateau de Fruits de Mer
Chateaubriand with bone marrow and king oyster mushrooms was a monster portion. The meat was rare to perfection, the succulent bits of meat mixed with the bone marrow was just a pure delight. A mammoth dish of gratin Dauphinoise was placed before us along with some thick-cut chips, our eyes boggling at the sight - I am sad to say this course defeated us. I contemplated asking for a doggy bag but my arteries pleaded for mercy.
The Wolseley’s Chateaubriand
Our dessert was just the right balance of light and heavy, we settled on the Apfel Strudel with calvados crème Chantilly. The poached apple, tasting slightly boozy, was enveloped in a thin layer of pastry, spices and hazelnuts. It was tricky business chasing it round the plate with the spoon provided, but it was the perfect way to finish our very indulgent dinner. Crispy on the top and moist in the middle - this dessert is to die for. Oh, and that crème Chantilly that comes on the side is sensational, too. We were also convinced to try the baked cheesecake (although close to bursting point by this point) so we took this home in a cake box and I had it the next day for breakfast.
Our fabulous finale - Appfel Strudel with calvados crème Chantilly
Plates cleared, espressos drank, we ordered a second bottle of wine. It got dark outside, and the staff reassured us that there was no rush. A full five hours after I'd arrived, we were one of the the last to wobble out the gorgeous grand doors, stuffed to the gills and a little drunk. The evening started and ended fabulously, and I can't think of a much finer way to spend an evening in London.
Thank you to the Corbin & King team for having us - what an evening.
Address: 160 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1J 9EB, United Kingdom