Marcus

The restaurant of a celebrity chef can bring a degree of hesitation with it; will it live up to the hype, or will expectations be left in tatters? Marcus, we’re pleased to report, delivers on every level for an evening of pure indulgence. The key perhaps lies in the chef’s presence in the kitchen each week, when he works a regular service (apparently demanding silence to allow for complete concentration).

As a master of classic French cookery, you might expect Marcus Wareing’s eponymous restaurant to stick to tried-and-tested combinations, but the Michelin-starred chef plays with international influences to produce intricate and interesting plates of food that balance flavours and textures with precision.

A crab parfait came perfectly seasoned, lifted by the flavour of lemongrass and accompanied with a sweet, fragrant satay sauce while fat, sweet scallops were dressed with a sticky sauce of bone marrow and served with a Scandinavian-style smoked cod roe and crisped kale.

Mains of perfectly pink duck breast and cod with octopus were almost outshone by a side order of some stunning spuds. Gnarled and crisp on the outside, these torn hunks of potatoes were fluffy on the inside and cooked in beef fat for a nostalgic roast dinner flavour and served with sour cream and truffle.

Given that this is no place for restraint, dessert and drinks aren’t to be missed. The wine list is, as might be expected, a robust yet approachable list of bottles that ranges from drinks by the glass through to eye-wateringly expensive Champagnes. For pudding, the tarte Tatin comes highly recommended by the gracious hosts who carefully look after each guest. Served tableside and sliced up between two, it seduces with the rich caramel notes of near-burned sugar.

There’s no happier sound than the happy hum of diners and in the low-lit comfortable space at Marcus, such a noise fills the room. Everything about the experience is for the pleasure of guests, which is exemplified in the range of menu options on offer; from tasting and set menus to à la carte options, this is flexible fine dining.

Marcus is the eponymous restaurant of celebrity chef Marcus Wareing - without question one of the UK's most recognisable chefs thanks to his many years of service on MasterChef: The Professionals as well as his long-time history with former mentor Gordon Ramsay. With pride of place in the magnificent Berkeley Hotel, Marcus arguably boasts one of the great restaurant locations in the city. A towering room of mahogany panels, gleaming architrave, deep-pile carpets and plush, peppermint-leather seating attended by battalions of suited staff, Marcus is as imposing as Mr Wareing’s culinary reputation.

Wareing's time on TV has come up trumps in more ways than one, as he has turned to former MasterChef: The Professionals contestant Craig Johnston to lead the team at the restaurant after the departure of Mark and Shauna Froydenlund. Marcus now offers two tasting menus - the 'Taste of Marcus' menu, and a vegetarian tasting menu, both available in five or seven course formats, with two choices of accompanying wine flights. Dishes at Marcus remain based in quintessential British produce and flavours - Wareing has always been passionate about British food and that shows here.

On the flagship tasting menu you'll find dishes such as baked potato with truffle, honey and confit lemon, confit double-smoked pork belly with quince, grape mustard and black garlic, and roast Orkney scallop with bisque, cauliflower, curry spices and pickled apple.

The vegetarian tasting menu, meanwhile, features some genuinely interesting vegetarian cooking - still somewhat of a rarity in London. Dishes include glazed heritage carrot with pine nut, tarragon, hen-of-the-wood mushroom, black garlic and potato terrine, and Delica pumpkin with bitter leaves, pickled baby onions and king oyster mushroom. Puddings are classic and perfectly executed - try chocolate cremeux, chocolate nougat, salted caramel mousse and peanut for size.

Marcus also offers a four course lunch menu from Tuesday to Saturday, and a significant wine cellar with hundreds of bottles from all over the world.