Fleet Street in the city of London has a certain buzz about it. For centuries it has been a thriving hub of work, rest and play. Since Roman times this area has played an important part in London’s history. The street became known for printing and publishing at the start of the 16th century, and it became the dominant trade so that by the 20th century most British national newspapers operated from here.
CORD, the spanking new and exciting fine dining restaurant from the world famous Le Cordon Bleu School of culinary and hospitality arts, is situated in the old Reuters building. The setting, with its colourful history oozes passion, class and a lust for the good things in life. It literally pours from the ornate brickwork and outside façade. Approaching CORD’s enormous side entrance, you just know you’re in for a very, very special dining experience.
The inside decor takes your breath away. Chic lighting and classic white linen tables, an open viewing kitchen and serving staff who cannot do enough to guide you through a wonderful eating and drinking adventure! All the staff have a clear appreciation for fine dining and food. Before we even sit down the Maître d’ was enthusing over the way the head chef (the super talented Christophe Marleix, former head chef of Folie, Annabel’s and The Dorchester) creates his masterpieces for the À La Carte menu.
The menu is broad and inspired. Glazed veal sweetbreads, sea bream, heirloom tomatoes, crab and foie gras are some of the starter choices. Usually razor clams are also available but on this day, I was offered fresh clams with mushrooms. My partner went for the crab with the deliciously fragrant sounding radish marmalade. Before our starters arrived, we were treated to the densest, freshly baked sourdough cob with salty butter. I spent far too long trying to figure out how the chef had created such a crispy and delicate crust around the satisfying doughy bread.
Our starters were a sight to behold. Three clam shells full of enticing scallops, with foam and lightly cooked mushroom for me – a stunning array of brown crab meat, various herbs and brightly swirled sauce for my partner. The simple way the menu is set out does not describe the intricate and many levels of these fabulous dishes. Or the outstanding taste. To put it bluntly my dining partner had never had such a fantastic starter in his life. In fact, he had to send a salute to Christophe himself, who was calmly and confidently seeing over the kitchen from the pass.
The second courses were just as beautiful to look at as they were complex and clever. My corn-fed chicken was a testament to the head chef’s huge talent. The succulent breast and leg meat had been flattened and basted, the crispy skin the colour of gold. It was served with a colourful array of heritage balls of carrot and a sweet tarragon sauce. We also ordered the beef ribeye which was served with probably the most fantastic potatoes we’d ever seen or tasted. Apparently, there is a secret way to spiral them into tight, crispy parcels. Absolutely not something I could attempt in my own Sunday roast – although I might die trying!
We were amazed to hear from our server that the desserts were actually more beautiful than the mains. Surely that’s not possible from the plates we’d just devoured? But we were once again astonished by the dazzling display of our finishing course.
I’m a sucker for Christmassy flavours so I chose the warm muscovado cake with spiced cherries, fig ice cream and grated pistachio. The dessert looked like a tiny fairy garden, and the flavours were like a comforting, warm hug inside. Yet it was not heavy, even with the many layers of cherries, wonderfully moist cake and the nut topping. My partner was tempted by the chocolate option – the chocolate croustillant. An interesting and super delicious creation of sea buckthorn curd and chocolate crémeux. It managed to produce a dessert that was both creamy and rich and yet refreshing and light at the same time. And, of course, it was just stunning to look at, almost a shame to dive in and break the delicate chocolate mould. A feast for the eyes and the stomach.
Some fine dining experiences are ones that stay with you forever. CORD was that for us. Attentive staff, amazing surroundings, and top-level food, passionately created by a masterful chef and team in the kitchen. I highly recommend CORD for a special treat lunch or dinner, that you’ll never forget and talk will about for years.
CORD, 85 Fleet Street, London
Review and images by Saffron Bentley
