The Terrace Grill & Bar is located at the Le Méridien Piccadilly hotel in the heart of Central London.
Situated on the second floor of the property, overlooking Piccadilly, one of the Capital’s most famous thoroughfares, the 60-seater restaurant is both contemporary and chic, and presents a pleasant and sophisticated environment in which to dine.
The menu sports a distinctly British theme, courtesy of Chef de Cuisine, Michael Dutnall, and offers an array of meat, game, poultry, and fish dishes. For the starter, I chose the chicory and walnut salad with a blue cheese sauce, whilst my guest opted for the goat’s cheese and beetroot tart dressed with watercress, pine nuts, and herb oil. The subtle flavours of the principal ingredients used in both of these delivered nicely-balanced entrées.
Main courses range from lamb cutlets and steamed seabass with mussels, to grilled native lobster and whole roast Packington chicken. With our tastebuds erring on the side of fish, I tried the pan fried lemon sole with a portion of hand cut chips, whilst my guest sampled the grilled whole boneless trout accompanied by sides of spinach and sauté potatoes with soft onions. My compliments go to the chef as this course was nothing short of divine. Aside from being very generous in size, the lemon sole which was decorated by a delicate garnish of grilled cherry tomatoes, was cooked perfectly resulting in a succulent texture, whilst the lemon, herb, and butter sauce complimented the fish superbly with every bite. My guest was equally impressed with the trout, which boasted a moist consistency and elegant presentation.
Come the dessert, and if like me, you have a sweet tooth, there is a mouth-watering choice of puddings which span from a British cheese board through to a Lemon Syllabub. Following some lengthy deliberation, the final decision came in the form of home-made ice cream decorated with blueberries and a bright orange Physalis fruit as a centrepiece, and a chocolate truffle with raspberry sorbet. After ample starters and mains, the light and subtle composition of these sweets rounded off the meal beautifully.
The service throughout was well choreographed (there was around a 15-minute gap between finishing one course and the next one arriving), but not fast enough to feel like they were pining after the table for the next sitting. Our host for the evening was very hospitable, and more importantly, smiley. But what stood out the most for us was his careful and thoughtful manner as to how he positioned every item on the table so as to create the least intrusion and interruption to the flow of conversation. This was yet another reflection of this eatery’s passion for detail which we had witnessed during the evening at the Terrace Grill & Bar.
Considering that this is a restaurant of a luxury hotel on one of London’s most popular streets, the prices are very reasonable for its location. Expect to pay between £21 and £35 each for fish and up to £45 for a single meat dish. Coupled with sides, mineral water, as well as a bottle of house white wine (a crisp 2010 Pinot Grigio in this case), you are realistically looking in the region of around £100 and upwards for three courses for two people minus hot beverages and cocktails (which can also be enjoyed in the gin bar and upper lounge area).
Upon departure, we were both comforted by the fact that we had enjoyed a meal that left you feeling that you had eaten well, but were not bursting at the seams. The best way to really sum up this venue is that if you are looking for smart surroundings, excellent food and service, and a sensibly-priced meal away from the hustle and bustle, the Terrace Grill & Bar will not disappoint.
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