Portland has received rave reviews since it opened at the beginning of the year. I decided to celebrate my new job by taking my family out for lunch at this highly acclaimed new opening on Great Portland Street.
Portland is the culinary vision of Will Lander (Quality Chop House) and Merlin Labron-Johnson who has previously worked at a michelin starred restaurant in Belgium.
The restaurant is simple and "on trend" for 2015. It's minimalistic with wooden tables, white walls, no table clothes and exposed light bulbs. There's also a private dining room in the basement for a more intimate dining experience.
Our waitress was excellent and I wish I could remember her name. She knew the menu inside out as well as having a detailed knowledge of how each dish was prepared.
We started off with some lovely bread which served with two types of butter; salted and ox heart...
We ordered all of the snacks on the menu - this is the recommended option when dining with a large group.
Dairy Cow Croquette with Horseradish and Pickled Shallots...
This was our favourite dish of the day. It was beautifully presented, crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside.
Montgomery Crackers with Chutney...
I didn't have any of these as I'm not a fan of cheese but I was told that they were simple but good.
Grilled Hogget Shoulder with Smoked Yoghurt and Pickled Gherkin...
For those of you who are wondering, Hogget is a sheep between one and two years old. The dish was plated really well but unfortunately it looked better than it tasted. It was a little bland.
The final snack was the Scallop Sashimi with Buttermilk and Lime...
My father absolutely loved this and ordered another portion as his main meal. It was simple, fresh and once again, it looked absolutely delicious.
The presentation at Portland was faultless. And although this is a very important feature of a good quality restaurant it also meant that we had very high expectations with regard to the actual taste and flavours of the food.
The presentation at Portland was faultless. And although this is a very important feature of a good quality restaurant it also meant that we had very high expectations with regard to the actual taste and flavours of the food.
After the snacks, we were somewhat disappointed.
My mum chose the special, which was Cornish Monkfish, Nori, Enoki Mushrooms and Dashi. The Dashi was poured over the fish at the table and I managed to nab a photo.
Unfortunately, it was a little tasteless and my mum seemed to enjoy the sides (Potato Millefeuille and Yellow and Green Beans) more than the Monkfish...
My sister and I opted for the Poached Cod with Cauliflower, Cumin and Almonds...
Although not one of my favourite vegetables, I really enjoyed the cauliflower foam and the presentation of the cauliflower itself.
I realise that the Cod was poached but to me, it was undercooked and I struggled to finish it. I wasn't keen on the taste of it either. We politely told our waitress who informed us that it was always cooked in this way. We thought as much - it was just a matter of personal preference.
My grandma chose the Charred Sweetcorn, Marjoram and Pickled Girolles....
It looked spectacular and she really enjoyed it.
Desserts seemed like a bit of an after thought and we didn't particularly rate either of them. Pistachio Millefeuille with Raspberries and Chocolate Tart with Buckwheat Ice Cream....
I had very high expectations of Portland. My expectations were even higher when all of the dishes arrived at the table looking absolutely stunning. However, Portland failed to deliver where it mattered most.
The plus points were the presentation, (a few of) the snacks, the service and the wine list. However, the restaurant is fairly dear and if I'm going to spend over £200 on lunch, I want the food to be exceptional.
I wouldn't recommend Portland just yet, but I can see the potential and I hope to eat my words in the future.
Please note that the menu changes fairly frequently.
Rating: 