Tasting Britain
TastingBritain.co.uk - Charlotteâs Place, Ealing, London
Itâs a very small number of independent restaurants in London that have lasted 30+ years, which I think says something about Charlotteâs Place. You know what else says something about this place? Going there. And you should - it is worth it (if youâre willing to make the trek to Ealing). In one form or another, Charlotteâs Place has lived in Ealing since 1984 (I believe the original owner was called Charlotte, hence the name). It was rebranded, refurbished and reopened under new ownership in 2005 and hasnât looked back since. Located next to leafy Ealing Common, with a mostly relaxed mood set by jazz playing quietly in the background, Charlotteâs dining room looks like it was literally a dining room. In a house. Which is now a restaurant...
This probably supports the impression I got, which is that the place has a âhomelyâ feel about it (providing your home is a building full of chefs and fine wines). Once described by another reviewer as 'an old restaurant with a soulâ, it feels lived in - someone else described it as 'suffering from a little wear and tearâ (personally, I like this, as itâs not too slick at all). It sits about 40 covers and seems to have developed a cult following in the local area over its two decades of service. People have been using the term âneighbourhood restaurantâ to describe it - whatever that means, isnât every restaurant in a neighbourhood?
Anyhow, Iâm not sure if the food here is officially classified as 'fine dining' but you could make the case that it was (if arguing about restaurant cuisines is your thingâ¦). The food is innovative but the place doesnât feel pretentious - portions err on the smaller size, served as many courses. Thereâs lots of loving attention to detail - amuse bouches, specially paired dishes and suggestions from the chef are all part of the fun! Speaking of chefs, Head Chef Lee Cadden is the man behind the ever-changing menu (every month, I believe) and is a guy who appears to know his stuff. His background is eclectic but he seems to have cut his teeth in private dining and âexecutive diningâ, working at Barclays in Canary Wharf. Memorable dishes? The wood pigeon, which was 'steak-esqueâ (currently the best way I can summarise its taste and texture). It was also the best wood pigeon I have ever tried! Again, this came as personal recommendation from the kitchen
Charlotteâs Placeâs pricing is, on the main part, average for London, but you seem to get more value in the tasting menus. A 5 course lunch tasting menu for £30? Yup! Drinks are reasonable I suppose/averagely priced. If you wanna nuke the budget start hitting up the stuff at the bottom of their wine list. Speaking of their wine list - it is bigger than you may have expected (Imbibe Wine List of the Year 2013) and I think was created in association with Matt Wilkin, MW.
All in all, Charlotteâs Place is a great example of how far British cuisine (and British restaurants) have come (and perhaps will go?). It's a place Iâd recommend to any adventurous eaters amongst you! Well done, fine people of Charlotteâs Place...
TastingBritain.co.uk - Charlotteâs Place, Ealing, London
Itâs a very small number of independent restaurants in London that have lasted 30+ years, which I think says something about Charlotteâs Place. You know what else says something about this place? Going there. And you should - it is worth it (if youâre willing to make the trek to Ealing). In one form or another, Charlotteâs Place has lived in Ealing since 1984 (I believe the original owner was called Charlotte, hence the name). It was rebranded, refurbished and reopened under new ownership in 2005 and hasnât looked back since. Located next to leafy Ealing Common, with a mostly relaxed mood set by jazz playing quietly in the background, Charlotteâs dining room looks like it was literally a dining room. In a house. Which is now a restaurant...
This probably supports the impression I got, which is that the place has a âhomelyâ feel about it (providing your home is a building full of chefs and fine wines). Once described by another reviewer as 'an old restaurant with a soulâ, it feels lived in - someone else described it as 'suffering from a little wear and tearâ (personally, I like this, as itâs not too slick at all). It sits about 40 covers and seems to have developed a cult following in the local area over its two decades of service. People have been using the term âneighbourhood restaurantâ to describe it - whatever that means, isnât every restaurant in a neighbourhood?
Anyhow, Iâm not sure if the food here is officially classified as 'fine dining' but you could make the case that it was (if arguing about restaurant cuisines is your thingâ¦). The food is innovative but the place doesnât feel pretentious - portions err on the smaller size, served as many courses. Thereâs lots of loving attention to detail - amuse bouches, specially paired dishes and suggestions from the chef are all part of the fun! Speaking of chefs, Head Chef Lee Cadden is the man behind the ever-changing menu (every month, I believe) and is a guy who appears to know his stuff. His background is eclectic but he seems to have cut his teeth in private dining and âexecutive diningâ, working at Barclays in Canary Wharf. Memorable dishes? The wood pigeon, which was 'steak-esqueâ (currently the best way I can summarise its taste and texture). It was also the best wood pigeon I have ever tried! Again, this came as personal recommendation from the kitchen
Charlotteâs Placeâs pricing is, on the main part, average for London, but you seem to get more value in the tasting menus. A 5 course lunch tasting menu for £30? Yup! Drinks are reasonable I suppose/averagely priced. If you wanna nuke the budget start hitting up the stuff at the bottom of their wine list. Speaking of their wine list - it is bigger than you may have expected (Imbibe Wine List of the Year 2013) and I think was created in association with Matt Wilkin, MW.
All in all, Charlotteâs Place is a great example of how far British cuisine (and British restaurants) have come (and perhaps will go?). It's a place Iâd recommend to any adventurous eaters amongst you! Well done, fine people of Charlotteâs Place...