Marianne

When looking at new restaurants, it’s pretty usual to try a place on the basis of the chef and their previous history. The approach to Marianne was a little bit different. First I’d heard of it was when Matthew Hough (ex-Medlar) posted on Twitter about the new team he was part of and the restaurant they were opening together. Given the very pleasant encounters we’d had at Medlar and the fact that we had a mutual appreciation of Hedone, my interest was piqued. It later emerged that the restaurant would be called Marianne and it opened in Notting Hill in September 2013. A couple of reviews mentioned how small it was so booking seemed like it would be difficult. Once I started to pull this trip together the need of expediency meant that Marianne was one of the first places I booked.

By the end of this trip I wasn’t sure of the wisdom of this. Having eaten heartily over the course of 8 days I could happily have spent my evening in my hotel room having a last fix of British TV. But more overriding is my willingness to do the right thing by people. Quite honestly, I couldn’t think about cancelling at short notice when that meant 1/14th of their potential income could be lost. So there I was, committed to one final feast before heading back to the US.

Marianne is the first solo venture of Marianne Lumb who trained at Gravetye Manor, River Café and Le Gavroche before working as a private chef all over the globe. The team consists of her and an assistant chef in the kitchen with Matthew Hough as front of house. There is also one other person who deals with idiots like me who forget when their reservation is. The small team ensure that the place has a very friendly approach to their customers.

The dining room is in the front room of the restaurant directly off Chepstow Road. Brown three-quarter length curtains shield the room from the outside world. The fourteen covers in the restaurant are spread between five linen-clad tables attended by beige chairs. The room small and that intimate feel can be its strength and its weakness. It has a lovely cosy atmosphere but I’m not sure that I needed the not quite sotto voce argument between the couple at the next door table and that the soundtrack of Coldplay wasn’t enough to overcome. But then I’d far rather be in my seat than his and luckily it didn’t last long. The kitchen butts directly onto the dining room and a narrow window means you can see the chefs move about their business through the array of knives mounted against the window (on the kitchen side).

The à la carte menu is brief with three starters, three mains and two desserts plus cheese. There is a seven course tasting menu available on request. I was pretty sure of what my chosen starter would be but one of the options was actually being offered as an amuse bouche instead. Everyone was told that up front so their choice was much clearer. The amuse bouche consisted of a single tortellino containing Buffalo ricotta and saffron with a carrot and Swiss chard mirepoix. A celeriac and lovage consommé was poured into the dish at the table to lift the saffron scent. The pasta was pleasingly yielding with a nice homely filling and the celeriac broth was a delight. This was sufficient to confirm that keeping my reservation was a wise choice.

They don’t make their own bread, opting instead to buy bread in from Hedone. Given the quality of Hedone’s produce that counts as a pretty sound decision.

The starter I’d always intended to go for was a plate of hand dived scallops, pata negra, pumpkin and apple. The superb sweet tender scallops combined really well with the strong flavour of the salty, fatty ham. The pumpkin purée with apple juice added for an acid edge cut through the rich proteins with the thin sticks of Granny Smith provided a pleasant crunch. All in all a thoroughly satisfying appetiser.

Moving onto mains, the loin of South Downs fallow deer with celeriac, Brussels sprouts and treviso was a delightful dish. The deep pink venison was phenomenally tender and it teamed perfectly with the mellow taste of the celeriac that had been cooked down with butter. The wilted treviso had a hint of bitterness that excelled with the rich meat. The bones of the deer were used for the sauce with its gentle chocolate emphasis. All of the components combined for a wonderful overall dish. 

But the highlight was the next course. The Agen prune soufflé with Armagnac ice cream was a dazzling mixture of flavours. The towering soufflé had a gentle prune flavour gaining further from the added bonus of an intense dark purée in the base. But the soufflé was not the end of it, the mild brandy flavour in the ice cream was brilliant too. Just tremendous.

The bill was delivered with a couple of rich chocolate and bergamot truffles to set the seal on a thoroughly enjoyable meal.

Marianne was the perfect way to sign off a trip through a variety of London restaurants. The food was all of a good standard with the venison main and dessert hitting the spot perfectly. Front of house in the form of one very busy person really helped the whole experience. Every table got plenty of attention but he still found time to talk between delivering plates and drinks so the room felt really sociable.

Based on this experience, Notting Hill has gained a lovely addition to the neighbourhood. I hope they continue to thrive even if it means it’s difficult for me to book again in the future. Although I’ll keep trying.

Overall Rating – 4.5/5