Last month, the doyen of kosher catering moved his restaurant from its former residence (and incarnation as the Island Grill) at the Royal Lancaster Hotel to shiny new premises in W1.
In a remarkably fast turnaround, Tony Page closed his Hyde Park-facing doors only a few days before opening on the slightly less picturesque but more centrally placed Paddington Street.
No leafy views but there’s a patch of green space across the road for a post-prandial walk — and plenty of boujie shops to ogle at on nearby Marylebone High Street.
When I snagged an invitation to join Mr Page for lunch I didn’t mess around, clearing my diary for the next day and digging out my trousers witih the most forgiving waistband.
I managed to stride past once — it’s currently hidden behind roadworks — but soon found the entrance and a warm welcome from many of the same faces I’d met at the Island Grill.
Frank Sinatra was crooning over the speakers when I arrived at 2pm while Page shmoozed with the last of his lunchtime customers.
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The site is large and bright, with huge windows onto the street and with an L-shaped dining area. The back area has a huge bar with a row of slim tables with outward-facing seating — perfect for romantic meals for two. The main area has a range of tables for larger and smaller parties.
The operation acquired a new chef during the move — Hungarian head chef Zsolt, whose CV includes Scott’s, Margot and Le Caprice. He was working on some new menu items. So instead of ordering from the menu — largely unchanged since the move — my task was to provide my expert input on these dishes.
North West Londoners in the know will be delighted to discover the breadbasket filled by Charlotte’s Sourdough. Regular readers will know I’m a huge fan of the hugely talented Hendon artisan baker. The dense loaf was delicious dipped in peppery olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
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The dishes we tasted included juicy, pink duck breast with a deeply flavoursome jus and deliciously savoury-tasting roasted butternut. It cut like butter screamed luxe. Just don’t ask for it well done – you’ll get short shrift from Tony’s maître d’, who has been ordered by the doyen himself to refuse to serve it any other way.
Same goes for our second dish — delicate lamb chops which were also perfectly pink with a layer of tasty fat around the edges. Cumin-coated carrots didn’t go down as well with the master and will appear without the warming, nutty spice but no doubt, full of flavour.
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A generous tranche of char-grilled salmon was coated in smoky griddle lines witih a shiny pink interior. Served on a bed of tender ratatouille it had the couple next to us eyeing it up while wondering how they’d missed it on their menu. Definitely worth returning for.
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The last dish in this beauty parade was one of my all-time comfort food favourites: crisp, golden chicken schnitzel sandwiched in a mini challah loaf. Piquant pickles and a schmear of mayo plus leafy lettuce and slaw were on point. I’d head there just to snag one of these beauties.
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We did order from the menu for dessert – Page’s favourite lemon meringue tart (his mother’s recipe) and a melting chocolate fondant in its own cute mini copper pan plus a scoop of ice cream balanced on a pile of crumble. Parev perfection.
Before I left, the boss — like a child with a new toy — demonstrated the new window blinds. The remote-controlled coverings can be lowered at night, totally changing the ambience of the room.
It’s smart, shiny and worthy of a special occasion outing as well as cosy meal for two. And the food was delicious.
Tony Page Marylebone
