H&C News wrote recently about the appointment of Head Chef Ivan Simeoli at Gigi’s located in London’s Mayfair, in a move designed to cement its position as London’s finest contemporary Italian restaurant.
The Italian-born chef is described as using innovative techniques to put a fresh, artistic twist on traditional Italian classics, and we were recently pleased to have the opportunity to check this out – and were delighted by what we tasted. In our experience, the ‘fresh, artistic twist’ is being delivered to the evident satisfaction of diners.
The menu proved an enjoyable challenge with some intriguing choices to debate and decide, but the fine selection of breads saw us through the ordeal! From the light green, leek flavoured, to black and ink flavoured, to the crackers described as ‘mother-in-law’s tongue’, the bread selection appealed to the taste buds as much as the eyes.
Starters
Tempted by the choice, including the 62 Degree Egg, girolles, pickled tomato, and crispy parma ham (pictured top), we actually settled on:
The razor clams, seaweed cracker, wakame and parsley puree – pictured above: the clever presentation – a consistent quality in all the dishes we tried – was matched by the flavours. The seaweed cracker in the shape of a razor clam shell added crispness, whilst the parsley puree added a subtle aftertaste.
Roasted octopus, borlotti beans with flamed onion broth, in contrast, was warm in both temperature and flavour, with the onion gently enhancing the octopus and beans – a real winner as a starter on a cold evening!
Pasta
It was impossible to resist the opportunity to see how the pasta matched up to the rest of the menu.
The ravioli was light and subtle: the amalfi lemon lightly overlaying and flavouring the dish, without overpowering the buffalo ricotta.
The potato gnocchi, were also surprisingly light with the added sprouting broccoli delivering contrast and flavour, with a light touch of chilli bringing a hint of heat to the aftertaste.
No disappointment here, then, and it would have been a pleasure to work one’s way through the other pasta dishes on offer.
Main course
Here, the decisions proved harder than ever, with temptations such as black leg chicken and south coast turbot attracting attention and debate.
The wild Cornish sea bass, beetroot broth, ginger and salsify melted in the mouth: sea bass, of course, is a popular and widely available dish but not always cooked to best effect. Here, the salsify added a hint of oyster, the ginger crisps added another texture, and the beetroot added earthiness and flavour without overwhelming the sea bass. The result: it disappeared off the plate at great pace.
Salt marsh lamb, heritage carrots, sheep’s milk, and crunchy shallots: again, high quality lamb is often present on menus, taken for granted, and not as good as it could or should be. Not so here: the lamb was tender and full of flavour, complemented by black cabbage, tender carrots and the crunchy shallots combining to deliver a delicious mouthful that you would never consider overwhelming by the addition of mint sauce.
Dessert
And so to dessert, with further temptations including the Liquorice sandwich with apple bubbles.
However, Gigi’s signature tiramisu had to be sampled – a contemporary, deconstructed take on the beloved Italian tiramisu that proved a triumph (even for the sceptical who have experienced the good and bad extremes of tiramisu in many restaurants).
And the Chocolate Mondrian (pictured above) was a further delight: a cleverly constructed visual ‘homage’ to Mondrian, with a particularly subtle and delicious coconut flavour adding to the chocolate and caramel.
In conclusion
As readers will have gathered, Gigi’s was a thoroughly enjoyable experience: from the high quality ambience and decor, to the attentive and welcoming service, to the variety, interest and subtleties of the menu and dishes.
The proof: plates were cleared – not only by us, but by the diners around us. As ever, the real sign of appreciation!
Gigi’s, 22 Woodstock Street, Mayfair, London, UK, WIC 2AR
For H&C News’ January article click here
For more information click here