Review: IGNI
Review: IGNI
Innovative fire-led dining in Mayfair. By Helen Down
Some may question going to IGNI, the new “fire dining” experience in Mayfair built around an open wood flame, during a heatwave… and on the night of England’s semi against Argentina, no less. But missing the big game felt like a fair trade the moment IGNI’s wildly inventive flavour combinations started landing on our table.
Helmed by Michelin-starred Executive Chef Theo Clench, IGNI uses seasonal ingredients from elite producers to craft six and nine course tasting menus threaded together by delicately smoky flavours. The amuse-bouche set the tone: black tea smoked fish, a charcoal tartlet with Devon crab, plus a millefeuille of yellowtail and pear. And that’s before the official six courses had even begun. By the time we savoured our whipped tofu and molten volcanic chocolate so mineral it verged on savoury, served alongside a pairing of lapsang souchong and cocoa nibs, it was clear IGNI had hit on a smoking hot philosophy.
From cuttlefish, smoked eel and bee pollen, to red bream crisped over Japanese white oak fire, it’s hard to choose a favourite course. If pushed, though, I’d go for the fermented potato bun, which is saying something given I’m not usually a bread person. Slathered in leek ash butter, it had an intensely savoury, almost barbecue depth. As with every dish, presentation played its part: served in a black stone dish under a layer of black ash, it was hard to tell where the butter ended and the stone began.
The drinks pairings deserve equal billing. It’s not often I prefer a non-alcoholic pairing (or in IGNI parlance, the “liquid kitchen”); yet despite the wine pairing featuring sensational sake and interesting grapes, I did. The liquid kitchen echoes the food by using its byproducts. For me, the standout was a chilled tomato and raspberry broth with blackcurrant wood oil. Savoury and sweet, mellow and punchy, 24-hours later I’m still struggling to describe its glorious uniqueness.
IGNI is ambitious, refined and technically confident. Worth a trip even if it costs you a seminal game of football. World Cup: 0. IGNI: 5 stars.
IGNI: 12 St George Street, London, W1S 2FB
www.igni-london.com
Six courses: £135. Wine pairing from £105, or Liquid Kitchen at £55.
Nine courses: £185. Wine pairing from £155, or Liquid Kitchen at £90
From 27 July, IGNI launches its inaugural ‘Michelin Four-Hands’ series, ticketed events featuring collaborative dinners from some of the UK’s most celebrated chefs.
