Tredwell’s is something a wee bit different from Marcus Wareing, who also owns the two Michelin starred eponymous restaurant inside The Berkeley Hotel.
It’s a casual, affordable, “accessible” restaurant on a site just round the corner from Seven Dials which always seems to have struggled; many a restaurant has failed to make it a success. What a transformation though; it’s three floors of pure beauty. We were seated in a booth on the ground floor opposite the bar which was very pleasant indeed.
The menu was vast; take your pick from snack, pots&jars, breads&buns, bowls – it goes on. Charred bread with chorizo jam (£4) wasn’t charred in the slightest – the bread should have been far more crunchy. Either way, the chorizo jam was a pleasant enough spread (it had the texture of chilli con carne) with a nice, subtle heat.
Crispy prawns, fennel and kimchi mayo (£8) were OK – although the prawns tasted fresh and were cooked perfectly, the batter encasing them along with the sliced fennel was a tad too grease laden.
Smoked chicken croquettes (£5) weren’t the gooey breadcrumbed delights I was hoping for, instead these had a dry filling that tasted more like ham than chicken.
Sticky smoked Goosnargh chicken thighs (£10) delivered their promised stickiness but they were overcooked which seemed such a shame – chicken thighs are usually so wonderfully moist.
Curried lamb sweetbreads with lentils and carrot (£8) would have been better if the sweetbreads had been caramelised giving them a crispy coating. Along with the lentils and the carrot purée it all felt terribly ploppy.
The Onglet steak (£8) was cooked perfectly and the accompanying mushroom ketchup (which on its own was far too tangy) worked really well with the strong beefy flavour.
For dessert we opted for the avocado and white chocolate, chia and chocolate Cornflakes, mainly out of intrigue. Avocado and white chocolate? Made into a mousse? It was quite honestly disgusting, it had the texture of cake mixture with an oddly savoury and healthy aftertaste. And chia is a superfood – what the hell is a superfood doing in a pudding?! The one saving Grace could have been the chocolate covered Cornflakes but they just tasted of Branflakes. Bizarre.
Tredwell’s is a pretty restaurant and the staff are super kind and friendly. The food on the other hand didn’t fill me with excitement – most dishes were just a mouthful or so of averageness. A very forgettable meal.
5/10
