Oscar Bar & Restaurant, Charlotte Street Hotel, 15-17 Charlotte Street, London, W1T 1RJ, www.firmdale.com
Oscar is situated on the first floor of the Charlotte Street Hotel, our home-away-from-home while in London. But even if you’re not staying at the hotel, the restaurant is certainly worth a visit – as is the adjoining bar, which really rocks during happy hour. The restaurant itself is a colorful palette, boasting original paintings by Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, and other British artists.
And it’s a fun place to dine. The modern European menu majors in a variety of grilled items, and everything I sampled (including a terrific club sandwich at lunch) was right on the money. To start things off, nothing beats Oscar’s plump and succulent mussels marinière prepared with white wine, butter, and sprinkling of parsley (Just ask my wife!). But I find it difficult to resist any possible permutation of arugula; and the salad proffered here is festooned with generous shavings of Parmesan cheese and finished with a soothing white balsamic dressing. Simple but sublime.
Among the restaurant’s entrées, I am particularly partial to matters piscatorial. The Dover sole was beautifully grilled and minimally garnished with a sprig of watercress and wedge of lemon. And the texture was just right: firm to the bite yet wonderfully moist. This is an expensive item, weighing in at a whopping ₤32.50 (even within easy commuting distance of Dover) but certainly commensurate with the quality.
Carnivorous pursuits are equally up to the mark. My wife’s breaded veal cutlet with lemon butter was wonderfully tender and bursting with flavor; and a friend who joined us for dinner one evening thoroughly enjoyed the braised lamb shank. The meat, which was arranged vertically (leaning Tower of Pisa-style) in a foundation of Parmesan mashed potatoes, literally fell off the bone.
Among the side dishes, the hand cut chips are something of a must… ditto the benchmark tart tatin with Calvados Ice Cream in the sweet endings department. The restaurant also boasts a selection of cheeses, excellent wine list, and array of postprandial libations.
A most convivial spot for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea.
Bon Appétit!
TAD
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