With the restaurant celebrating retaining its Michelin star for the 13thyear in a row, we went to try a Taste Of Angler
It’s a funny name for a restaurant that’s nowhere near the sea, but Angler has always been seafood focused. For thirteen years now, it’s retained its Michelin star and today the responsibility of not letting that accolade slip away rests on the rather young shoulders of Craig Johnston who has been Executive Chef since 2024.
Angler is on the seventh floor of the five-star South Place Hotel, tucked away near Moorgate and the first hotel from restaurateurs The Evolv Collection who are doing great things in London, check out our review of the brilliant Chop House for example
There’s casual dining downstairs – when we went in, a bit of a party was going on, but we slid into the lift and ascended skyward. Despite being on the seventh floor, the restaurant is still lower than most of the buildings around and so we got a good view of the empty offices opposite from the angled plate glass windows by our table. There’s a heated outdoor terrace too, with better views.
It is a very nice room, those angled windows make it airy and inviting, especially I imagine at lunch when the City wines and dines. If you look sideways you can see the towers around Liverpool Street
There are two menus, the full on tasting signature seven course menu, which can reach £150 plus, or the compacted version ‘Taste of Angler’ which is what we’re having, plus matched wines by the glass.
Champagne first of course and then pre nibble amuses geules – a Tunworth cheese cornetto, followed by duck liver mousse on cornbread. The former is very pretty, supported by having its point buried in raw brown rice. My wife, who has forgotten her glasses, asks for a spoon to eat the rice mistaking it for something edible. Gosh, how we laughed. The cornetto is wonderfully friable and the cheese a real palate livener with its topping of candied walnuts.
The sponge-like cornbread cosseting the rich and unctuous duck mousse is lovely, a very neat idea. Classic Port reduction seals the deal. Home made ricotta in a delicate pastry bowl with raisin, caper and smoked almonds, gives creaminess, a bit of ‘tang’ and some delicate crunch and is all gone too soon
All these pre nibbles get us priapic with anticipation, the degree of skill displayed in presentation and creation indicating good things to come. If we have one small niggle it’s that the staff are a bit too eager to take plates away, almost before we’ve finished our mouthfuls, which makes us feel a bit hurried.
A bit unnecessary too, as the first course proper arrives after just the right amount of wait time, no need to start doomscrolling, but after the pre nibble tastes have pleasantly subsided.
We’re drinking Château Canteloudette Blanc 2024, Entre-Deux-Mers at this point in the proceedings, its apple and citrus notes just sharp enough
This takes us through to starter proper, a divine tuna tartare. This is just perfect, the clearly sushi grade tuna chopped just the right amount to be delicate but to not lose shape integrity and fall to bits as it’s eaten. Ginger and sesame oil are perfectly balanced and there’s a slight crunch from sesame seeds. Red pepper puree provides sweetness. Such a good dish that we eat it slower and slower to make it last longer.
Just because Angler is fish focused doesn’t mean you can’t catch some meat, I saw venison on the full tasting menu, and for our main we have a bit of chicken. I say a bit because the star of the plate is actually Scottish cod, but with a chicken butter sauce and caramelised cauliflower.
Again it’s excellent, the fish firm but flaking perfectly. The sauce is a variant on classic beurre blanc sauce made special with chicken stock created, I suspect, by frying chicken wings to get the gelatinous element to bind the sauce. Superb in every way and no we didn’t need any chips. Although come to think of it…..no, that’s not Michelin.
With this we drink Domaine de Fusiacus Macon Fuisse 2023, a very smart Chardonnay ideal for this dish.
Desserts come in two parts, first a rather divine Yorkshire rhubarb in buttermilk enlivened with ginger beer and pink peppercorns. Forced rhubarb is very much a British delicacy and this dish respects this ancient vegetable (yes it is) that’s grown and harvested by candlelight for a delicate sweetness.
Second up, a flawlessly executed caramelised pear Pavlova. Brillat Savarin with its mousse-like texture and subtle tang takes us back to the earlier Tunworth cheese cornetto, bookending the meal rather smartly. With it Castelnau de Suduiraut sauternes, from vines just adjacent to fabled Chateau d’Yquem, delivers sweetness and delicate aromas of quince and even frangipani.
After that it’s coffee and petits fours – Early Grey tea and clotted cream; Gingerbread vanilla milk chocolate, and Rum and raisin bonbons. Lovely little mouthfuls, perfect with strong coffee.
Thirteen years a star, not fifteen minutes of fame, Angler is a Michelin restaurant that’s clearly no flash in the pan.
South Place Hotel, 3 South Place, London, EC2M 2AF
anglerrestaurant.com