When Mr. EP and I came back to London to search for a place to live we had 7 days to do it. After looking at upward of 6 rentals per day and each one worse than the last, we retired every evening to Kettner's and the safety of at least 2 (but no more than 3) champagne cocktails that tended to get watered down by our tears of frustration. Kettner's helped us cope. Then it was back to New York to pack and hope something would come up while we were away; that our relocation agent would find something for us in the interim. (She did.) When we finally made the move, we stopped again at Kettner's but this time is was subtly different. More than a few of the deliciously overstuffed couches and chairs were gone, replaced by sleeker (cheaper) versions. We didn't come back for a while. The clubby atmosphere was slowly disappearing.
A few months ago, Mr. EP read that Kettner's had undergone a thorough renovation and so we decided last week to check it out. Now, there were different menus for different rooms and even an additional bar area. I checked out the menus online first and was impressed by the items on offer (and the prices) but I thought, it would probably be one of those situations where the menu descriptions were considerably better than the actual dishes. I was hoping for mediocre at best.
We popped into the champagne lounge and took a seat at the bar. The champagne cocktails now were garnished with orange peel. I was a bit disappointed by that but decided not to say anything and I'm glad I didn't. The orange peel brought out the flavor of the bitters nicely. The bartender was a bit of a Suzy-Lead-Hands with the cognac but that was fine with me as well. I left my drink for a minute and explored the lounge. Gone entirely were the lovely leather sofas and in their place were elegant settees, tables and chairs. The floors had been stripped and stained nicely and the new tile work was divine. The glass skylight in the back was gone and it was no longer possible to look into the kitchen. The groupings of the tables made each little area feel extraordinarily private and no longer a place where it was possible to get a little bit raucous - this was a room where one had to be on best behavior.
After our drink, we went to the brasserie dining room for lunch. The host showed us what was probably the worst table in the room which was odd since there were very few people there. When I asked for a different table, he huffed and puffed about having to separate some marble-topped tables for us while we happily waited for him to get his back in it. Mr. E.P. pointed out behind me that it was a shame that during the renovation, they hadn't stripped back the portrait moulding on the walls before painting over them again and I commented that the chairs looked like painted garden or outdoor bistro chairs. The banquettes, however, were a lovely fawn-colored velvet and hugged the walls and the new marble-topped, center dining bar warmed the room. Unfortunately, there were spots of encrusted food on my side of the table.
The service was decent - it took an age for our carafe of wine to arrive but when the manager came over to answer any questions, I fell in love. He was charming and honest when I told him I was torn between two options, one of which was the Lobster Shepherd's Pie which he informed me was unavailable - "When the lobster is done, it's done," he said and then added that it's better during the week anyway; that the quality of the lobster on Sunday and Monday is fine but not great. It turned out that the table before us had ordered the last one and as it went by, I resolved to come back on a Tuesday to try it; it looked heavenly.
The lobster pie being out, I ordered the French Onion Soup to start and the Free Range Chicken, Truffled Macaroni, and Simple Jus. Mr. EP started with the Fresh Crab on Sourdough Toast, followed by the Fricassee of Rabbit with Morels and Papadelle.
The soup was the best I've had. In fact, it was the soup of childhood memories. The broth was incredibly rich with a hint of sherry and the onions weren't stringy and had been caramelized. The cheese on top of the round toast was sharp and copious and coated my spoon thoroughly. I was actually sad when I finished it. Mr. EP was impressed with the crab and gave me a good sized bite. He was right - the crab was incredibly fresh - sweet, rich, and slightly briny with just a hint of mustard and worcestershire sauce. It was also generously portioned.
I ordered the chicken for two reasons: first, I think chicken is one of the hardest things to cook well and second; I will do just about anything for anything truffled. The chicken did not disappoint. The skin was crisp and well-seasoned and the meat was lovely and moist. The truffled mac came in a small, heart-shaped La Creuset crock and when I lifted the lid, the aroma of the truffles hit full blast. The pasta was surprisingly light - almost as though there was no cheese, only reduced cream and maybe a touch of parmesan and it certainly wasn't dull. Mr. EP's rabbit was another surprise. The other hardest thing to cook, we find, is rabbit. Because it has so little fat, it does have a tendency to dry out but this was a moist ragu accented beautifully by the morels. The papadelle was homemade and cooked to perfection - al dente without being too firm and just the right thickness so there was no chance of it becoming gummy.
Our skepticism went right out the window that Sunday lunch and I for one am looking forward to go back. The staff were all very helpful and obviously excited by the relaunch - encouraging us to explore the Apartment Bar upstairs (the perfect place to have drinks, lunch & play a game of cards or even backgammon) and the private dining rooms. Of course it isn't the Kettner's of old that we loved but this new incarnation is a welcome one and one I fully intend to visit regularly.
Lunch, including 2 champagne cocktails, 2 carafes of Provencal rose, and service charge was 99GBP.
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