Once in a while you get an invitation that is hard to turn down, so when Chef Damian Wawrzyniak invited us as part of his #HandCSocial London Top 10 Restaurants to join him for lunch at Crockers Folly how could we refuse.
H&C News are based in Ascot so we set off for North West London on a sunny Saturday afternoon and enjoyed a remarkably easy car journey to arrive at Crockers Folly London NW8.
An impressive building from the outside and even more so once inside, Crockers Folly was a beautiful Grade II* listed former Victorian gin palace that dates back to 1898. Sympathetically and painstakingly restored, Crocker’s Folly has been reinvented by its owners, the renowned Maroush Group, as a stylish restaurant and bar serving modern European food – complemented by a selection of wine and signature cocktails.
After a tour of the kitchens we sat down to consider the menu delivered by a courteous and knowledgeable waitress. The menu came with a wonderful collection of breads, rosemary and olive were our favorites. There were several starters that we wanted to order but we deferred to chef for his recommendation. For chef and without hesitation it was Beef Tartar, we were not so sure so after some hesitation one of us went for it and the other decided to try Seared Scallops. Both were an absolute delight and if you like us have never tried Beef Tartar try it at Crockers Folly.
On what wine to accompany Beef Tartar our waitress was once again helpful and suggesting that full bodied reds can overwhelm the dish and we were served with a Beaujolais, perfect pairing.
The Seared Scallops were served with avocado, mango salsa and topped with crispy prosciutto, cooked to perfection and accompanied by a white burgundy, a sublime partner for the scallops.
For mains chef had Herb crusted Halibut and we tried the Organic Pearled Spelt Risotto and Charcoal Oven Grilled Ribeye Steak. All were shared to a greater or lesser extent and the consensus around the table was that all were presented well, cooked well and tasted even better. The wine recommendations once again paired to maximise the enjoyment of the experience.
The dessert menu was just so tempting but we decided to savor what we had already enjoyed and leave dessert testing for our next visit.
The overall experience was one that showed Chef Damian’s decision to include Crockers Folly in his #HandCSocial London Top 10 Restaurants as a good one.
Our thanks to Chef Damian and we look forward to visiting more of his #HandCSocial London Top 10 restaurant selections in the weeks and months ahead.