Finding serenity amidst the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street is no mean feat, but if you are looking for an elegant, discreet dining venue, you could do a lot worst than visiting Hunter 486 at the Arch London hotel. You might wonder what the 486 stands for? It is in fact the dialing code for Marylebone in the 1950s. Both the hotel and the restaurant has a cool, edgy, urban boutique vibe. It is a sanctuary for those who want to escape the crowds on Oxford Street; offering a quiet calm amongst their Georgian townhouses.
It is simply designed and not dissimilar to most boutique hotel restaurants, but you still have to admire the quirky artistic touches. I particularly enjoyed their filament light bulbs in the main entrance that were bunched together like flowers.
The dishes are beautifully plated here especially the starters. The chefs here have the knack of visually making diners hungry. A dish of marinated tuna has a rich intense pink colour whilst the pickled baby vegetables is a bed of artistic colours and shapes; thankfully the dish was as vibrant tasting as it looked.
They also have clever, unusual accompaniments to classic dishes. I tried a very healthy tasting dressed Dorset crab which was flavoured with a quirky curry mayonnaise and also had apple and fennel. The crab meat had that sea saltiness which you would expect from a hotel that receives a daily delivery of new seafood.
Sourcing is an important part of their kitchen; their rib eye is from Rose County which is one of the premium brands offering beef from Lancashire. You can genuinely taste the beefy flavours and the excellent chew from the steak. Air dried ham wrapped monkfish is equally flavoursome with the saltiness from the ham adding more flavours to what would otherwise be a bland-tasting monkfish. The fish meat was perky and substantial tasting along with healthy doses of lentils and button onions.
They have a pleasant mix of the classical and the modern on their menus, which was very much in evidence on their dessert menu. I’ve never tried a mascarpone sorbet, which was lemony and creamy-textured with colourful oranges and pomegranates to boost your 5 a day requirements. On the other hand, they have a very classical tasting chocolate fondant, which was perfectly gooey in the middle with flowing warm chocolate. The salted caramel and peanut brittle added to the addictive nature of the dish.
They have also launched a new wine menu with 23 wines and Champagnes by the glass to try; their helpful staff will be on hand to make recommendations to match with your food choices.
baldwin@townfish.com