It’s been some time since I brought you along on a date night…
As you know very well now, I moved to London early January, which means that me and Alex are still getting to grips with this huge city. But our favourite thing to do most nights, is to head out into new unexplored areas and dine in restaurants we haven’t come across before. This night we headed into Knightsbridge to the Dubai and Lebanon originated Salmontini, who have opened up in the English capital to bring their passion for food, and especially smoked salmon, to the brits.
I’m not going to make this incredibly long, because in all honesty, I’m sure you’re mainly interested as to whether I would recommend Salmontini for your next date night. Well lets start off with appearances. The restaurant is beautifully presented, minimal with a really chilled vibe. The outside looks lush with the branding lit up against the aqua fascia and cute London fencing. If you’re there to make an evening out of it, rather than stopping by for a meal only, you can relax in the low lit lounge on leather sofas with oak wood tables and the most delicious cocktails I’ve sipped in a while. The barman truly knew his flavours and offered to create something new for us both, but his recommendations on the menu sounded exquisite, so we ended up going for two of his favourites. I had the Belgravia Gardens, mixing Henricks Gin with Elderflower and cucumber with a top of Champagne; of course. Whilst I’m not a fan of Gin specifically, this was the most refreshing and moreish drink. As a bourbon lover, and sometimes venturing into Whiskeys, Alex went for the Uisuki Orenji, a Red Nikka pure malt drink, with antica formula and a twist of orange for a smooth and light flavour. As someone who is not a fan of whiskey, this was the tastiest cocktail I’ve tried of this type, and we were both over the moon with our choices. As it was a Thursday evening, we also got to sip our drinks whilst a four piece jazz band played some instrumentals and helped us wind down into the late hours.
After an hour of chatting and sipping, we moved into the restaurant. With brighter lighting and a monochrome feel, we chose a bottle of Rioja and three courses. I started with a French Onion Soup with a crouton topping, with Alex going for a Fishermans soup. Both of us enjoyed the starter, and whilst this wasn’t the most insane onion soup I’ve ever tried, it was still delicious. The Fishermans soup was truly fishy, with mussels and pieces of salmon and cod in the mix. Alex made an empty plate so he was definitely loving every mouthful.
We moved into mains, both choosing the 35 days aged Tenderloin fillet steak, as we’re that sort of couple. Whilst this restaurant specialises in Sushi and Sashimi, as well as Salmon and other seafood delights, we decided we wanted to go for something they might not be as famous for. The steak was exquisite, perfectly cooked, pink in the middle and tasted fantastic on its own, or dipped into the dark peppercorn sauce. The steak was sat on a bed of wild mushrooms with potato dauphinoise to the side, which I tucked into happily whilst we chatted about the future and current work aspirations. The steak was gone within a short amount of time, before we turned to desserts.
As dessert lovers, we usually choose two desserts and share. We decided on the two chocolate desserts, the chocolate fondant and the chocolate dome. The waiter brought the desserts over before pouring hot dark chocolate over the chocolate dome for our viewing pleasure, watching it melt through the chocolate, revealing the icecream (I think) tucked inside. Both were delicious, but I’d be inclined to go for the Chocolate Dome if you were choosing just one. It was so lush!
We booked a cab home and finished up our wine, comfortably full and so happy with our wonderful choice of restaurant. For the fish lovers, I absolutely recommend this restaurant, and whilst they probably aren’t known for their steak, they absolutely should be. We had three truly tasty courses, with an attentive waiter and chilled ambience, and although I was slightly chilly and had to wear Alex’s shirt to heat myself up, there isn’t much else I could say that would be negative. It was a fantastic evening and a restaurant I would absolutely recommend!
Oh and if youre wondering, my pink jacket is from Lipsy here, with the Shop Dixi necklace being found here.
Where have you been loving in London recently?
Some of these items may have been sent to me for review. Please see my disclaimer for more information
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