London - 1
Look up. Where else can you see a ceiling like this above you? There's only one Cafe Royal Hotel, London. The Grill Room, with its frescoes painted in 1865, with Louis XVI detailing, gilding, and varnished oak floors. The whole thing's in Louis XVI style. Here, Oscar Wilde fell in love with Lord Alfred Douglas. Here, Aubrey Beardsley debated with Whistler. It's also associated, much later, with David Bowie, who retired his Ziggy Stardust self here. Mick Jagger hung out here, as did the Beatles. It's an incredible space, 65 seats. And actually, the lighting and mirrors are such that you really don't know whether there are 64 other people staying here or not. It's just a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful room.
There are three menus, one A4-sized and two on A3 cards with sketches on back and front. One A3 is drinks. Laurent-Perrier is house Champagne but there’s Bollinger 2004 going at £1,100. Or go destination-specific, with Cafe Royal Gin – as Martini or with tonic. Girlahead, in usual (or unusual?) modesty stuck with Domaine Ott 2024 Rosé at £25 per glass. The second big menu is à la carte, curated by Kevin Gratton. The small A4 menu offers set meals, two-course courses, £42, three courses, £49, and a suggestion to have a glass of Blackdown Ridge Classic Cuvée 2018 West Sussex at £18.
Girlahead started with Cafe Royal salad – see below - with a piece of pear, lots of endive, little rockfoot nuggets, and toasted walnuts. There's big emphasis on the grills, all grass-fed and dry-aged but tonight the choice was chicken Milanese, superbly moist, thick, and not too much outside crusting, with a portion of lemon, parsley snippets and sides of steamed spinach, and absolutely irresistible butter-mashed potato, which could have made debauchery really seem quite normal.
