Mon–Fri midday–2.30pm, Mon–Sun 6.30pm–10.30pm
The blurb
Award-winning restaurant Adam Handling at Caxton in St James’ Park introduces 60-minute lunches—but this is no quickie at your local Italian or bistro. The impressive new lunch menu includes items such as salad of salt-baked celeriac with truffle, yolk, apple and dates, or turbot with potato, radish and tarragon.
Despite the complex, varied dishes on offer, though, the restaurant guarantees that from the moment you are seated to receipt of the cheque will take no longer than 60 minutes—or your next lunch is free; all part of the ‘reclaim your lunch break’ movement sweeping across the UK. All customers need to do is stipulate on arrival that they are on a 60-minute guarantee, then simply order up to two courses, sit back and enjoy.
The style
I ended up running late thanks to an unwise cab decision, but the smooth, welcoming professionalism of the staff—Iulia, our waitress, was absolutely lovely—and quiet sophistication of the restaurant design lowered my blood pressure instantly.
I was particularly taken with the Moorish screens separating seating and adding to the feeling of privacy, and my brother was charmed by the little lightbulb glass terrarium on our table. Being seated by the window and watching the sun-soaked world go by from a discreet vantage point was an added pleasure.
The crowd
Several business tables—enjoying the time-conscious working lunch too, perhaps. A few older couples, maybe regulars, and some tourists, evidently on the foodie trail.
The food
The lunch menu is fairly short, but with the perfect amount of variety to make you want to come back again for the options you didn’t choose. Fred picked the smoked pork with pineapple, lovage and Parmesan as his starter, and said it was his stand-out dish of the meal; the tart sweetness of the pineapple and savoury tang of the cheese were the ideal complement to the pork.
I, meanwhile, opted for the ‘Nitro Salmon’, an arrangement of salmon, snow peas, wasabi and edible flowers that was more attractive than most art—even more so when its accompanying liquid nitrogen (thus the name) was poured over it to ‘refresh the fish’—but, let’s face it, also just to look really cool, like a little localised mist spreading across the table from your plate. You can’t help but coo under your breath at it.
However, this display gave the flavours a lot to live up to—which I’m delighted to say they did. The temperatures, textures and delicate tastes of each component were so perfectly balanced that they in no way let down the spectacle that had come before them. I would actually order this again next time rather than try something new, which is unusual for me!
I switched to pork for the mains, trying the Iberico pork, scallop and red cabbage, while Fred chose the veal schnitzel with mash, buttered caper and lemon. He was less enthusiastic about this course, finding it was perhaps too much for him after the starter but admitting that the flavours and preparation were nevertheless excellent; he just couldn’t clear his plate.
My pork was as tender as you could wish for, the scallops also the ideal consistency, and overall the dish so well balanced that I again wondered if I’d even be able to resist having the same when I returned.
Finally—and not exactly on the lunch menu!—we ended with the Book of Adam, a wooden tome that opens up to reveal a selection of delightful petits fours nestled in chocolate and violet gravel. The macaroons and truffles were all excellent, but I was particularly partial to the metallic ‘nuts’ and cylinders made of chocolate, rich though they were and full as I was. What can I say? I like shiny things.
The drink
Lunch isn’t my optimum time for drinking; I always worry it will make me dozy in the afternoon. However, the lunch menu does have a neat selection of suggested liquid accompaniments—I have my eye on a Domaine de l’Ameillaud Côtes du Rhône for next time—and we had a couple of glasses of champagne off the full wine list, which is also available to peruse.
I have talked a lot about the next time I visit Adam Handling at Caxton, which isn’t a literary device; I fully intend to go back, if just to have the Nitro Salmon again (but also to try to tasting menus, wine flights, the standalone puddings…well, ok, all of it).
Was our lunch 60 minutes? If you count from my tardy arrival (and perhaps take off our sneaky additional third course), yes. Which is impressive when you consider the artistry of the food, and the feeling we left with of having had a really thorough catch-up with each other. But frankly it would be worth getting back late to the office for; you might during it discover, as I did, a new London favourite.
