Review: The Cocochine
Review: The Cocochine
Just off Berkeley Square there is a beautiful side street, Bruton Place. It’s lined by mews houses, restaurants and a pub, and on a sunny evening it’s a fun spot with guests milling out on to the pavements. It is also home to The Cocochine, which also has a handful of outdoor tables, but on our sultry evening visit, we were drawn to the cool, dark interior. With leather seating, parquet floor and deep red and cream colour scheme, it’s a classily done spot.
A glass of Billecart Salmon champagne, along with a beautiful selection of canapes, were brought promptly to the table, both were signs of good things to come. The canapés included a stunningly presented tartlet of fresh vibrant tomatoes. Careful sourcing is priority here with the restaurant able to tap in to the bounty of the regenerative Rowler Farm Estate in Northamptonshire.
Incredible bread followed – worthy of a review in its own right. Pillowy mounds of brioche came interspersed with sweet caramelised onions. A sourdough was almost loaf-like in proportions and offered a perfect crust and light interior. A salted butter and whipped truffle butter made worthy companions.
My guest and I were both tempted by the native lobster, caught from waters around Tanera Island in Scotland. Two generous pieces came wrapped in banana leaf and then grilled in front of us. The flesh was sweet and a kick of sour tamarind worked well.
For mains, dry aged fillet of wild Scottish turbot, courgette and cloudberries for my guest, and dry aged Rowler Farm spring lamb, with girolles and tomatoes for me. The fish was firm but delicate with pops of sharpness from the cloudberries. My lamb was cooked perfectly with the tomatoes bringing a fresh zing to the dish
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Wine is a serious business here with a 1000-bottle cellar. Fortunately we didn’t have to choose as we opted to have wines paired with our dishes, all excellent, including Emilio Moro Polvorete, made with the godello grape, and a wonderful cabernet franc-based Clau de Nell blanc de noir.
The restaurant was opened just over a year ago, and at the helm is ex-Petrus chef Larry Jayasekara. Clearly no expense has been spared. There are only eight tables on the ground floor; a chef’s counter upstairs can perch just seven diners. And while the private dining room at the top takes over the entire floor, it serves only 16 guests, and they get their own lounge complete with a vast fireplace.
The chef’s counter accepts walk-ins if there is space – and we were invited upstairs to enjoy our desserts and see the kitchen in action. Don’t come expecting The Bear-type theatrics: the kitchen here is the epitome of calm. It’s all very high-tech too with dry-ageing units and bread cabinets – apparently the street had to be rewired to make sure the kitchen had enough power.
We enjoyed a chocolate cremeux, with crème fraîche ice cream, and an exotic savarin, which was punchy, creamy but paradoxically refreshing, and with a distinctive pop of green cardamom. Sri-Lankan born chef Larry has nods to his heritage but also travelled all over the world before launch to find inspiration for his menu. There are petit fours, too, just in case you’re even the tiniest bit not full.
It’s all top-notch fine dining, created with precise attention to detail, right down to the interesting plates the food is presented upon. As you’d expect, prices reflect this at £145 for three courses a la carte. There are set lunch options that cost less, and the team here also own The Rex Delicatessen opposite, which been created inside a Grade II listed former Victorian stable, so you could always pop in for a Rowler Farm short rib beef pie.
But do book into The Cocochine. It’s a fine spot, you’ll leave feeling pampered.
