Simon Wittenberg heads to Geode London Restaurant and Bar, a new eatery in London’s affluent SW3 neighbourhood, to sample its newly launched Sunday Roast menu.
Formally unveiled just a few weeks ago in mid-September, Geode, which takes its name from the word meaning “a spherical rock structure with an internal cavity that is often lined with quartz”, is the newest addition to Knightsbridge’s bustling culinary scene and is themed around Mediterranean and Asian gastronomy.
It’s situated a few streets along from the famous Harrods department store on Beauchamp Place – an address off the busy Brompton Road, which houses a series of independent boutiques and eateries.
The restaurant itself is set across three floors of a 7,000-square-foot Georgian townhouse, with the top level set to be occupied by Geode’s Atico Members’ Club by the end of the year. This eatery is the third to be opened by Arrow Hospitality’s owner and founder, Neha Beriwala, following in the footsteps of Kutir Chelsea and Manthan in Mayfair.
The décor is themed around subtle copper hues, and guests are welcomed with a bar area featuring a geode design with colourful stones, amplified by a decorative void in the wall, made to resemble the inside of a quartz rock.
Climbing the small staircase to the “Mezzanine”, and the restaurant has more of an airy conservatory-type feel, thanks to the pitched glass roof that floods the heart of the restaurant with natural light.
The walls sport a relatively rustic finish, with exposed steel beams and brickwork, and it almost looks half done, but in a way, it works and, in turn, creates an inviting atmosphere.
It’s also an open kitchen here, where chefs cook on the robata grill in full view of guests. This is in contrast to the first-floor dining room, which features floor-to-ceiling windows and has a more traditional restaurant look.
Executive Head Chef Francesco Scala, who counts Novikov in Mayfair on his CV, is at the helm of the cuisine at Geode and is the talent behind the mouthwatering line-up of Mediterranean dishes, with Japanese Chef Yuka Aoyama (ex-Nobu) responsible for bringing the Asian influence and flavours.
The aim is to bring the Mayfair vibe to Knightsbridge and to re-establish Beauchamp Place as a gastronomic destination, harking back to what this street once was in years gone by.
During the week, there’s a set menu, as well as a comprehensive à la carte featuring dishes such as sea bream tartare and octopus and asparagus teriyaki. Unveiled on the 22nd of October and adding to the offering at Geode is the Mediterranean Sunday Roast, priced at £65 per head, which is aimed at families in search of a “delightful weekend dining experience”.
Served every Sunday from 12:00, the comprehensive three-course line-up has been pitched as a great value proposition to help draw in the punters as Geode builds its presence in the area.
The aim is to appeal to local residents in the first instance, followed by visitors, including those staying at hotels in the surrounding area. Our visit was the third week of the Sunday Roast, and considering it is a 90-seater restaurant, 75 guests were on the books on that date, highlighting Geode’s fast-growing popularity.
In addition, between the hours of 13:00 and 15:00, singer Nina Barratt serenades diners with rhythm and blues, jazz-style entertainment, which adds to this eatery’s unpretentious atmosphere and is a nice accompaniment as you make your way through the various courses.
The Sunday Roast starts with a grand central table laden with a colourful spread of different salads, which form the first part of the entrées.
The selection includes Caprese (tomato and mozzarella), roast pepper salad, roasted sweet potatoes and goat’s cheese, tomato and quinoa salad, broccoli with garlic, and chard salad. With nice fresh ingredients and subtle dressings, this provides a relatively filling start.
Also on the starters list is a wood-fired pizza prepared after a few flips of the dough, which can be finished with or without cheese depending on dietary preferences and is a definite highlight for young eaters. This is served alongside a duo of soft and cheese-covered cannelloni tubes filled with delicious ricotta and spinach, whilst there is also the option of tucking into a selection of salami meat.
Sipping on some regularly topped-up chilled cucumber-infused water, the mains then arrived, and there was no possibility of having any alternatives due to the dishes being pre-planned by the kitchen.
As it is a carnivorous line-up, namely lamb shoulder, roast chicken, and pork, this is where vegetarians may get a bit stuck, but there are roast vegetables and, of course, plenty of greens on the buffet, so there’s no chance of going hungry.
Here, you can choose three of the meat dishes, and my other half opted for lamb and chicken, which was nicely prepared with a touch of gravy, but our only criticism was that the lamb was a bit on the less generous side, most likely due to its higher purchase cost.
Also on the Sunday Roast menu to finish is a good array of desserts, which takes in the likes of crème brûlée, a fruit tart, and a cheese board. With little hesitation, I went straight for the chocolate waffle with vanilla ice cream and thinly sliced apple and redcurrants for a garnish. The little one and my wife completed their meal with a refreshing lemon sorbet.
In summary…
Geode London Restaurant and Bar is an eatery that offers inviting and warm hospitality and excellent service – synonymous with what you find in the Mediterranean and in Asia. The Sunday Roast offers superb value for the whole family, with the added bonus that there’s plenty for young children to feast on.
Knightsbridge residents are lucky to have such a gastronomic gem in their neighbourhood, and it’s crystal clear that this jewel is a polished and professional business that will shine bright for years to come.
Geode London – Where and How?
Geode London is located at 14-15 Beauchamp Place, London SW3 1NQ, United Kingdom.
For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.geode.london, call 020 3794 7708, or e-mail reservations@geode.london.
See a video of our visit to Geode London on the Luxurious Magazine Instagram page.