“Ain’t got no pain, Ain’t got no rules, I think I like, Living upside down”

Paloma Faith “upside down” live at the Proms.

After two visits and a period of deep reflection, over more than a few meals and glasses of red, I now believe that I can put together the puzzle of the Chiltern Firehouse. I must admit that this restaurant is polarising, everyone I spoke to had an opinion. At the risk of sounding Facebook-esque, some liked it, some liked it a lot, whilst other didn't like it at all. Still judging by the difficulty of securing a reservation and the lack of empty tables then the "I's" have it by a clear majority. My first thought is If your going solely for the food your missing two thirds of the experience. I think that the Firehouse is best summed up in the brash, jazzy big band live version of the above mentioned Paloma Faith song, "Living Upside Down" live at the Proms from her album "A Perfect Contradiction". If Paloma Faith isn't you cup of tea then perhaps the next best analogy would be one of the outrageously over stylised parties from Baz Lurhmann's equally over stylised “The Great Gatsby”. Still, I like the Paloma Faith so that's what I'm sticking to. The song is a raucous, big band romp that only works because of the sum of all its parts. The punchy lyrics, the big band, the horn section, all backed up by an equally raucous choir and of course the audience. At the Firehouse the kitchen is the band, Nuno Mendes's food is Miss Faith, the waiters are the choir and the audience is well, I think you can guess. The whole damn thing can't work without out all the other parts and at the Firehouse it meshes in some sort of strange restaurant alchemy. However, I must qualify that I wish not to appear parsiminious or to traduce the Chiltern firehouse, but I have had better food in London at better prices, but I can assure you not nearly as much fun. Having now vented these thoughts I must admit that this is food and wine on a grand scale, in a stylish and funky dining room, it is the whole experience, a buzz, it's about the tables around you, the noise and activity as much as the food and wine. It is a package deal with a free set of steak knives thrown in for good measure.

Some lunches will be remembered whilst others are cast asunder to the collective experience that equates the sum of my dining experience. These forgotten meals run though my subconscious as subterranean undercurrents, others stick with me and are my constant companions. My second meal at the Chiltern Firehouse, in the rather drab yet paradoxically ritzy area of Marylebone, sits in the ether in between the two. My first visit as a lone diner at the bar was an enjoyable meal as I gazed into the open kitchen watching what seemed liked a thousand chefs toiling away. Stand out dishes included the now well known Beef tartare with firehouse hot sauce and the Iberian pork with bitter turnips, which was superb, an enjoyable evening, yet not a revelation.

My second visit revealed the Firehouse for what it is, a hedonistic delight. It is a lunch that will last long into my memory, not only for the food but for the wine and the experience. We chefs and diners often focus solely on the plate forgetting what that plate then becomes in the context of the dining room. The food at Nuno Mendes Marylebone outpost is a joy of playfulness, big flavours and zingy-ness combined with a part dining room and part funhouse, albeit a fully grown up version. I had sat in the bar of another well know London restaurant evesdropping on a youngish group of diners discussing the fallibility of the food at the Firehouse. Yes, the restaurant is big and yes it is in a hotel, making it essentially hotel food and yes they were probably right in suggesting that Nuno Mendes's food was probably better suited to a small and more intimate dining room, one that could really bring out and showcase the chefs talents. Well maybe and maybe not because from my vantage point they are missing the point. Start having some fun, if you're only looking for the negatives your missing the boundless energy of the Chiltern Firehouse. The food is well cooked, interesting and tasty. The food fits the dining room and the dining room fits the food. This is the magic formula of resturants. Sure they are some dishes that could be described as a miss rather than a hit, the tables are a little cramped as it the dining room but I can forgive all this as there is so much fun to be had as you walk though the door.

the meal

My dining companion Kirsty had arrived earlier than me and had taken up position in the wonderfully intimate garden at the entrance to the hotel with a glass of something white. This is such a great entry and fabulous space reminiscent of sitting amongst a group of well-heeled and dressed characters from a Hercule Poirot novel. Ordering a rather ambiguous and inoffensive glass of Puglian red we chatted and waited for our dining companions. Casually moving to the dining room after they arrived.

Our meal proper began with a selection of snacks. American inspired corn bread, deviled eggs and crab doughnuts. These ticked all the boxes, warm, salty, spicy and delicious all served as the first wine was poured, a stunning Gonet Sulcova Gaia Grand Cru Chardonnay (£148). This is a Brut style made with 100% Chardonnay grape and is a non vintage in style. This wine was delicate with a thin bone of acid running though it with a touch of residual sweetness, but just a touch, which was just enough. The wine danced on the plate and finished strongly. This was an excellent start but the best was yet to come.

First up was the entree salad of pumpkin, smoked burrata and pumpkin seeds (£12). Sorry but a miss. I'm both reluctant and disinclined to write about things I don't like as unqualified and small minded criticism is pompous and self serving. There is little to be gained in chopping down the hard work of others. But sometimes I like to be honest, as often a chef will know a dish isn't their best yet serve it anyway, and a little feedback can be a great thing, given in the right context. Unfortunately the buratta was firmer than I would have liked with an almost absent lick of smokiness. The roasted squash was quite soft with little flavour and quite watery. The whole thing was bland and really lacked texture, perfectly edible but not worthy of the dining room, the chef, the service or the £12 pounds charged.

Smoked Burrata with roasted squash and pumkin seeds

The next dish really shone. Iberian pork with pickled baby courgettes made up for the slow start. This was the most porky pork dish I had. The pork was meaty, juicy, and flavoursome, firm yet succulent. The combination with the pickled baby courgettes provided an acidic contast that was captivating. This dish was a hit in my book, in fact both pork dishes at the Firehouse have been excellent, although considering the cultural heritage of the chef then I should not be surprised. Next in the glass were two of the most memorable wine Ive had. One Margaux and one Tuscan, both delicious.

First up was the Sassicia

I had tried a later vintage of this next wine whilst in Umbria not three weeks previous, I think it could have been the 2009. This was a 2001 Sassicaia Tenuta San Guido IGT £690 pounds. It was as I expected, a touch of tightness from the classically tannic and tight sangiovese grape, but properly decanted the tightness relaxed in to intense black fruits and mouth filling tannins. Suberb, with or without the pork. The wine service must be mentioned as it mirrored the quality of the wines. All properly decanted and glasses correctly prepared for each new wine.

Next up the 1996 Chateau Palmer

By far and away the most stunning wine of the day. Even though Chateau Palmer is a third cru margaux it is posbily the fineist wine from the Margaux region albeit for the actual Chateau Margaux itself, vintage dependant. Even at £560 pounds this wine was great value, long and silky on the palate, full of amazing perfume (once it woke up), deep ruby red colour and amazing flavours of black plums, truffles and forest. I nosed this wine as much as I drank it.

Next was dessert, which I must admit I can't remember the finer details other than it was excellent, possibly the best chocolate dessert I have had. Even better than Tetsuya's Flourless Chocolate cake with orange ice cream from his early days in the Roselle restaurant, or Peter Gilmore's Textures of Chocolate from "Quay". What I like about this dessert was the contrasting richness and lightness balanced with the acidity of the cherries and the excellent crunch of the base. Pretty as a picture, bitter with the touch of sweetness, creamy and decadent is what I remember. I wish I could recall with greater excatness but the food was somehow cast into the nosebleed section as the wine took centre stage.

After an incredibly long lunch it was time to leave, but only after a drink at the bar and stop at the oyster cart situated just near the garden area of the hotel. These oysters were beauties, fresh, salty , all different and opened in front of us. There were English, French and Irish oysters, all were excellent with the Irish being my favourite. A suberb finish to quite an amazing day. Would I dine again at the Firehouse? of course it's fabulous fun!

www.chilternfirehouse.com

Address: 1 Chiltern St, Marleybone, London W1U 7PA, United Kingdom

Phone:+44 20 7073 7676