Launceston Place

Launceston Place, Kensington
A birthday celebration gives us an opportunity to knock another name off our Must Eat At list of London restaurants - though as quickly as one gets moved to the 'done' column, another one gets added!  That's one of the great attractions of this city, there's always something new to try.  LP popped up on our radar screen when sous chef Steve Groves won the BBC's 2009 Professional Masterchef, though it has been a restaurant of regard for many years - even more so when Head Chef Tristan Welch moved into the kitchen after working with Marcus Wareing at Petrus. 
The restaurant is a maze of dining spaces in a calming, though sombre, palette and an atmosphere of cool professionalism pervades.  Because of the layout, the restaurant never seems full as only two or three tables are visible from our cozy corner - though those we see are occupied.  Though the tasting menu is tempting, we soon put it aside in favour of the 3-course prix fixe (£48).  My sister and her husband are our dining companions, so it must be the shared dna that prompts she and I to choose the same starter and entree, but when my husband and brother-in-law also plump for identical dishes I conclude that it's some sort of Stockholm Syndrome.  Or maybe in the same way that people come to resemble their pets there's a symbiosis that develops in extended family members.  Hmmm.  Whatever it is, we choose scallops roasted in their shell, steak tartare and four orders of roast suckling pig.  I order an old favourite - William Fevre Chablis - to whet our apetites and pair with the scallops, and it is perfectly balanced: a harmony of stone fruit flavours and crisp minerality.  Another favourite, a Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend from Leuwin Estate is ordered for the men and their raw meat.  The wine list is extensive and well chosen - have to say we were tempted by the Domaine Romanee Conti La Tache, but at £3300 a bottle it stayed a temptation! 
Little plates of house-made seasoned potato chips arrive - my guess is it's a clever use of the leftovers from making fondant potatoes as they have large holes in the centre and are tied in small bundles.  Too more-ish, they disappear in a hurry!
An amuse-bouche shooter of mushroom consomme and herb foam lands on our plates - the consomme is intense and earthy but we're not too sure about the foam as it tastes a little soapy.  I think lavender is the culprit - not easy to pull off without the old lady bath salts subtext and it hasn't worked here.  The scallops arrive - 2 giant diver scallops still attached to their shells, and roasted with coastal herbs (I think there might be a bit of a fixation here.  Looking back at the menu herbs feature largely in most of the dishes).  They are meaty and succulent and the herbs are just right this time.  The steak tartare is fairly chunky and wears a dollop of foam - the dish is described as '35-day aged beef tartare, barley, beer and chives' so can only imagine the foam is beer.  Our carnivores are enjoying it too much to pass much comment, though the cleaned plates speak volumes.
The Tamworth suckling pig is a pared down plate of slices of tiny tenderloin and a large cube of . . . belly?  shoulder? . . . hard to say, accompanied by ethereal potato puree and Alexanders which I later discover is a roadside plant resembling angelica that grows profusely in Kent - who knew?  The piggy is delicious, though I am left wondering what happened to the rest of it.  The red wine is almost gone - perfect with the pork - so we order another, why not?   It turns out it's the last bottle - shame.
As we switch into thinking-bout-dessert mode, a pre-dessert is brought to wake up our palates: a perky little granita.  Feeling just a little rushed, we slow up service so we can savour the wine and digest dinner before embarking on the real thing.  Luckily the rice pudding souffle with raspberry ripple icecream is advertised as a 20 minute wait, and - there's that symbiosis again - two of our party order it.  The other two choose cheese.  A small cheeseboard, but choice - Stilton, Camembert and Yarg (a Cornish cheese with a crumbly texture and nice sharp notes) - a good way to polish off the wine. Before that, a cupcake with a candle for the birthday boy - no waiter's chorus though thank goodness!  When it arrives, the souffle doesn't quite hit the right note, though I understand the ice-cream made up for it. 
There's a whiff of the hunt for a Michelin star here that's for sure - a feeling that's confirmed when we are presented with a cute little package of chocolates as a parting gift - but despite a deft touch with some dishes, there were a few too many hiccups that need to be cured before it reaches that standard. 
http://www.launcestonplace-restaurant.co.uk/