Restaurant 1890 at The Savoy review: Exquisite luxury

Technically, if this question was asked of Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay, then the answer would be yes.

But it is testament to the exquisite quality on offer at The Savoy’s recently Michelin-starred restaurant that the course delights in so many ways.

On advice of the waiter, the tortellino goes down the hatch in one with as much of the accompanying lobster bisque as you can get on your spoon.  

There’s a delightful pop of flavour as you bite into the pasta and then a moment of confusion. The bisque appeared to be so thin it would be fair to describe it as watery, but in your mouth the complex flavourings create a taste so deliciously rich and creamy it makes you question your eyesight.

The sadness that the dish is finished is quickly replaced with the excitement for what’s to come – and you are not disappointed.

The exquisite tortellino (Image: Param Singh)

Each of the ten courses of modern French cuisine offer something different to tantalise your tastebuds.

There’s a touch of the Heston Blumenthal about one course. It looks like a tomato, and there's an extra bit of theatre as the waiter removes what appears to be the stalk with some tweezers and gives it a light shake to give the dish a dusting of pepper.

But penetrate it with your fork and you will release a tomato consommé inside what turns out to be a transparent gelatine lining.

That's just a tomato right? Wrong (Image: The Savoy)

This can be devoured with the moreish bread roll which is served alongside. Now, there are bread rolls and then there is the Parker house roll with lemon thyme and black pepper, with Ampersand butter, still warm from the oven. We jump at the chance when offered a second helping.

Other highlights include a delicate, flaky Cornish John Dory, served with a seaweed beurre blanc so good it rivals the lobster bisque, and a lamb course so tender it barely requires a set of teeth to devour.  

The Suffolk Texel Lamb with ratatouille and a pistou sauce (Image: Param Singh)
Dessert comes in the form of a surprisingly substantial apple tarte tatin, before we inhale a basket of freshly baked vanilla madeleines.

After opening in February 2022, Restaurant 1890 pays homage to the acclaimed French chef Georges Auguste Escoffier, taking its name from the year he began working at the hotel.

The luxurious décor fits perfectly with this period, with the gold ceiling and dimmed lights giving the intimate space – there are only eight tables – the feel of a speakeasy with an extra bit of decadence. The ambience is added to by the lively jazz playing in the background.

The illusion is only broken by the view of the famous Savoy Court and people queuing for Mean Girls at The Savoy Theatre over the road.

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This is The Savoy, so it should go without saying that the service is impeccable. Your glass will never get close to being empty and the friendly staff will talk you through every course and wine pairing.

They even play a bit of a game with you. Two black wine glasses are brought to the table, and we are tasked with saying what we can about them. I don’t wish to divulge how we fared in this but suffice to say it is harder that you would expect to analyse a wine that you cannot see.

For the plonk connoisseur, you can rest assured you are in safe hands, as the wine list was awarded Three Star Wine List by the World’s Best Wine Lists 2023 and the head of wine, Emanuel Pesqueira, is known as one of the best sommeliers in the UK.

The underwater wine is presented to the table (Image: Param Singh)

One of the highlights of the evening was the Vinho Tinto do Atlantico, which had been aged underwater off the coast of Portugal. It is presented at the table in what looks like a giant clam, but which was in fact made from material recovered from the sea.  

The ‘Carte Blanche’ dinner tasting menu, available Tuesdays to Saturdays, is available at an unsurprisingly steep £175 per person.

This may seem a lot, but dining at The Savoy is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so if you get the chance, you should take it.

Even if you do only get one piece of pasta.