The Athenaeum Hotel in Piccadilly has a seven, yes SEVEN course taster menu and I went with my family and friends to celebrate a birthday. I took a few pictures…
Sauvignon Blanc and Shallot Dressing
Sauvignon
The fifth course was the only course where there was a choice between the beef and the fish.
Rich Red Wine and Winter Truffle Jus, Curly Kale, Horseradish Mash
The food was five star, sadly the service was not.
We were a party of seven and there were not enough menus for us to have one each, in addition, we were asked during the course of our meal if we had any menus so that staff could give them to the other tables. Really! The restaurant was at about thirty three percent capacity so they clearly need to print more menus, The service staff started off well but there was a very long delay before the main was served and it was clear that the food had been standing for some time. The glasses from the wild berry sorbet were not cleared before the main was served so the table was cluttered and a glass was knocked over. This is not acceptable in a five star establishment and would be very easy to resolve.
One of our party has a nut allergy and they were able to accomodate her needs well. In addition, my sister received a mini birthday cake which was yummy.
As it was such a special occasion it was a real shame that the standard of the service did not match the quality of the food but we still enjoyed ourselves and left the hotel with very full bellies. It was my first experience of a tasting menu but I would definitely recommend it if you are a foodie.