Review: The Restaurant at NoMad London

Decadence and indulgence are concepts that food writers frequently fall back on when attempting to describe a particularly hearty or filling plate of food; I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve been guilty of this myself in the past. I’ve had fatty cuts of steak and stodgy, creamy pasta dishes which could easily have been described in a number of other, less contrived manners. But sometimes, a dish comes along so rich, so utterly, sumptuously buttery that there are simply no other ways to convey the experience of eating it. And I was presented with such a dish as my main course at The Restaurant – also known as the Atrium Restaurant – at London’s NoMad Hotel.

This isn’t some sort of artistic deconstruction of the food review genre, and I don’t quite see myself as the Fellini of gastronomic journalism; this main of lobster tagliatelle was of such extraordinary quality that it begs to be spoken about before all else. It is essentially a mound of lobster perched on top of a similarly-sized mound of pasta, all of which is covered – and I mean covered – in butter. Even before taking my first dip into the world of flavours this dish was inviting me into, just looking at this dish left me struck by the unashamed indulgence (there’s that word) of it all. Despite the NoMad being a luxury hotel in the literal centre of London, this was no overpriced haute cuisine, nine-course-taster-menu fare; this was the product of chef who knows that sometimes you just want to get your hands dirty and your stomach crammed with enough sustenance to sustain Roald Amundsen on his trek to the South Pole.

And good grief was it a showstopper. It was one of those meals where every bite had to be followed by a slump back into my chair and a minute or so of me quietly muttering “oh my God…”, both to myself and occasionally to my bemused companion. Despite the aesthetics of the dish leaving me somewhat wary that I would be swept away by a butter tsunami upon contact with it, it was strikingly well-balanced, the intense creaminess of the sauce counteracted by a distinct zing of lemon and waft of uni, or sea urchin. It was just heavenly.

It was enough to make me completely forget where I was for a brief period. And that’s something of a shame considering the glorious surroundings in which we were sat. Housed in the former Bow Street Magistrates Court near Covent Garden, NoMad is the result of remarkable refurbishment project that came to fruition upon its grand opening in May 2021 following multiple delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Magistrates building itself was already sufficiently grand and storied that its charm could be harnessed into a slick, chic 91-room hotel that oozes character and history. But The Restaurant is an entirely different beast, consisting of a cavernous three-storey atrium filling out the site of what was once the building’s courtyard, which essentially served as a parking space for police vehicles. It’s an astonishing piece of engineering, now adorned with greenery and foliage, giving it the feeling of an Art Deco tropical greenhouse.

But, once again, I’m getting ahead of myself. Initially turning up slightly late, I had arrived at The Restaurant to the sight of my companion eagerly holding out a cocktail menu which, upon further inspection, was chock full of peculiar concoctions, all of which were decidedly tempting. One in particular, Like Water For Chocolate, was an intriguing and slightly scary prospect, featuring 15-year-old Glenfiddich, Toki Japanese Whisky, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum, Muyu Jasmine Verte Liqueur, white chocolate and wasabi. The waiter arrived and I pointed at the cocktail in the menu, said its name and simultaneously craned my neck to stare at her with an incredulous expression that, looking back, I couldn’t really explain the purpose behind. Laughing, she insisted that no matter my reservations, I give it a try, and for her decisiveness I am extremely grateful. Truly weird but extremely drinkable to a nearly addictive degree, this was a light, if slightly creamy, long drink that refreshed and tingled in equal measure. It was a mile off the boozy, horseradish-y stodgefest I had envisaged with those ingredients.

I sipped on it between mouthfuls of the English pea toast with whipped ricotta and mint, which I had picked as my starter. It felt like a verdant, botanical take on the rather boring avocado toast trend, the mint opening the airways for diners to better taste the subtle ricotta lying underneath. Then came the piece de resistance, but never fear: I shall not bore you with another retelling of Dr Lobster or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Calories and Love the Butter.

What I will mention, however, is dessert. Though guests have a choice of just three items, each of them is well worth your time, the highlight being the lemon curd with olive oil ice cream and basil. Though I was once again left perplexed by the combination of olive oil and ice cream like the culinary philistine I presumably am, the final result was a revelation; sweet but with a hint of saline umami, this was an apt way in which to end what had been a truly fascinating gastronomic experience, and washed down with a Warbler cocktail brimming with spicy mezcal, it sent me on my way as a truly satiated man.

Nomad London, much like its New York City cousin, is fast becoming one of the most in-demand hangout spots in the capital, and its restaurants are no doubt playing a major role in this trend. To be honest, the lobster alone would be worth the visit, but The Restaurant’s culinary arsenal extends well beyond this one dish. The food is undeniably intriguing on paper, but never simply for the sake of it – it’s fun, playful fare that not only tastes superb, but is also so unique that it practically acts as a conversation piece of its own. It is not to be missed. 

thenomadhotel.com