Food from both sides of the Pond at The Colony Grill Room

My family and I are big fans of Corbin and King restaurants; whether it’s schnitzel at Fischer’s, breakfast at The Wolseley or Egg’s Benedict at The Delaunay…you know you’re in safe hands with the famous duo of restauranteurs. In 2014, the partners added a hotel to their portfolio and The Beaumont is a glorious art-deco jewel located near Oxford Street, rather conveniently close to Selfridge’s. A couple of months ago I’d popped by to have a ~~snoop around~~ tour of the hotel and I was quite taken by the restaurant, The Colony Grill Room.

With cosy red leather booths, art-deco sporting murals on the walls, pictures of old Hollywood stars and cartoons of famous Brits lining the wall, I knew it would be the kind of place to ‘take the parents.’ Plus if you fancy pre-dinner or post-lunch drinks there’s the stylish American Bar which specialises in Bourbon, American Whiskies and classic cocktails…simple and fuss-free.

So with a lunch date in our diary it was the venue one chilly Saturday. Mr S and I had actually power-walked there – it’s our new thing – and we made it there in 5,000 steps but we did arrive quite flustered, and very hungry so we were pleased to see me parents there already and a crisp basket of bread quickly placed on the table.
Like the other Corbin and King restaurants, the menu is classic but the twist here is dishes are either UK or US classics.
Seeing one of my favourites on the menu, I chose tuna tartare which came on a bed of smashed avocado, it was absolutely perfectly prepared. Juicy and thick chunks of tuna pairing absolutely beautifully with creamy avocado.

Mr S chose this rather gorgeous avocado feast, dressed generously with a zesty vinaigrette, ripe, soft and velvety – the perfect piece of avo…
My dad’s starter was a dish firmly from the other side of the pond, a huge and filling bowl of clam chowder which brought back memories for me of our honeymoon in California where it was a frequent order for us.

Minestrone soup was my mum’s choice and she was particularly pleased that they left her the parmesan cheese to help herself with. Unfortunately, she has quite an aversion to salty soups and the minestrone wasn’t palatable for her – I tried it and liked it though. The staff were really helpful and whisked it away offered to prepare her a pumpkin soup which was isn’t on the menu, this arrived speedily and she was really pleased with her new starter, especially the pumpkin seeds garnishing the top.
Fully satisfied with all our starters we were looking forward to the main courses.
I loved my roasted sea trout with wild mushrooms, the flesh of the fish was cooked perfectly, slightly rare and there was a light drizzle of sauce which made the perfect accompaniment. I didn’t get a photo but I’d recommend the side dish of roasted parsnips and carrots to pair with the fish.

My S spotted a childhood favourite on the menu and was immediately keen to relive some memories by tucking into a salt beef reuben.
The sandwich was crisp and toasty with gooey melting cheese and topped with cute flags representing the two sides of the Atlantic featured on the menu. Salt beef is a dish associated with Jewish cuisine and something both my husband and my dad loved as a boy growing up. I asked Mr S what he thought of his sandwich and his response was…

‘It’s not like the one from the local shop in Edgeware’

He’d expected very thick cuts of meat and found the beef in his sandwich too finely sliced. Isn’t it funny that however good a dish is, if it doesn’t live up to childhood expectation we’re never going to love it? I don’t think I’ve ever found something that will replace my mum’s chicken soup or spaghetti Bolognese in my heart.
Despite his disappointment with his sandwich, he was pretty happy with his portion of fries, another thing Corbin and King restaurants always seem to do well.
Calf’s liver and bacon was my dad’s choice; generally I’ll ask my dining companions about their dish or ask to try some but my dad goes quiet when he’s eating and he doesn’t like to share…but from his finished plate I’m pretty sure he liked it.

My mum’s fillet of sea bass on a bed of spinach and artichoke puree was cooked beautifully and definitely not too salty. The tomatoes were actually from my dad’s dish but she stole them off his plate before I got a chance to take a photo – apparently you can do that when you’ve been married nearly 45 years. Mr S take note…

I decided to forgo dessert but Mr S showed no restraint and went for Jimmy’s Chocolate Cake…the fictional Jimmy being a character invented by the hotelier’s who came to London and founded The Beaumont to escape the Prohibition era in the USA.

Well, whoever Jimmy is he knows how to make a chocolate cake and Mr Silver was very impressed by the huge wedge of sponge garnished with raspberry and gold leaf.

At the Colony Grill Room you’re invited to invent you’re own sundae….perfect for my dad who’s fussy about his ice-cream.
You’re even given a pad to tick off you’re exact requirements…something I bet children would love too.
And here is the rather epic creation!

My mum’s delicious looking dessert was actually (semi) low calories, chocolate sorbet with oranges was perfect for her and she really enjoyed her ‘healthy’ frozen dessert.
Overall we loved the tasty, comfort food at The Colony Grill Room and found the atmosphere casual whilst still feeling elegant and special. Service was excellent, particularly in the efficient and speedy way in which that handled the salty soup situation. I’d highly recommend The Colony Grill room for any occasion.