Noble Rot Soho
Soho, London
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Back in the day, the Gay Hussar was listed in the Guide for six decades, before the march of time got the better of it. Mark Andrew and Dan Keeling of Noble Rot in Bloomsbury resuscitated it in September 2021, installing the estimable Alex Jackson (ex-Sardine, RIP) in the kitchen. Already it feels like an institution; the creaky stairs, dark wood panels, and cut-glass decanters are bohemian Soho through and through. Under Francophile Jackson, few ghosts of the Hungarian menu remain. In their stead, expect French-accented classics: Robert Carrier’s pâté aux herbes; slip sole with Café de Paris butter (a Noble Rot signature); whole roast chicken with morels and vin jaune. While from beyond l’Hexagone come nettle and ricotta malfatti, Sicilian fish couscous or spätzle with mousserons. A midwinter visit yielded punchily dressed vitello tonnato and satisfying golden-skinned lamb rump over lentils and salsa verde, loosened with the lamb juices. Pudding might be a tart, a mousse, or a plate of à point French cheese. The cellar is, in ‘Rotter’ speak, ‘a shrine to the vine’ with pure gold from Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Piedmont, and even older drops such as an ‘88 Veuve Clicquot or ‘82 Margaux on the Coravin selection. The list opens at an accessible £26 and mark-ups are kind. This is the place to relax the budget if you can. A crystalline Saumur Blanc, recommended by our waiter, was £50 well spent.
