Three indulgent visits to the Chancery.

As a certain New York Times food critic once said, you cannot recommend a restaurant having only visited once. So after visiting the Chancery for the 3rd delicious time in 12 months, I would now be more than proud to recommend the place to all London foodies out there. I was introduced to the Chancery via the tastelondon (now tastecard) website during a trial membership. I sought after what would be a celebratory dinner for my boyfriend and I, having survived our first year of university and finished our dreaded exams. Chancery lane is home to my university’s main library so I knew the area and the sophistication it has to offer. To me, the service is one of the most important aspects of a restaurant experience and the waiters at the Chancery lived up to my expectations! They are courteous but not overly formal, they take your coats and let you taste the wine before you commit to it, and once you do, they make sure your glass is always full. Even the chefs go that extra mile, by bringing out a mouth-watering complimentary selection of bread and butter as well as amuse bouches before the starter and dessert. The decor is simple but elegant, and not at all stuffy, with some interesting art displayed against the back wall. The main dining area is on the ground floor while the bar and a couple more tables are in the basement. I have never had the misfortune of dining in the basement as it does seem somewhat dark and lacks atmosphere, as well as its proximity to the bathroom being off-putting. Don’t be put off though as the food more than makes up for that one tiny drawback. Although the memory of my first visit is a bit hazy, which I put down to how long ago it was and not the wine (ok maybe the wine had a little to do with it) but I remember the rib-eye steak being tender and flavoursome, the cheesecake sweet and delicate and even the amuse bouche of gazpacho had me longing for more, with the flavours of good quality tomatoes and peppers playing off each other to create a refreshing start to the meal. My second visit had me ordering a game and wild mushroom terrine for starters, a combination of flavours which I initially questioned but luckily it worked very well. The wild mushroom side was subtle and not at all overpowering as wild mushrooms generally dominate a dish. My only criticism is that there was not enough toasted bread on the side but the rest of the portion size was fantastic value for money. The amuse bouche was a cauliflower soup, what a pleasant and creamy concoction with the perfect amount of seasoning, something I now crave on a rainy day. Unfortunately, the amuse bouches never seem to make it to the menu as an orderable dish and change very frequently (which just goes to show how inventive the chef is) so my tastebuds may never be graced with that smooth deliciousness again!
The main course of my choice was a tender breast of duck, served on a bed of buckwheat noodles and topped with a hearty broth. The overall dish had an Asian tone, but not the type you would expect from your local Chinese. The whole thing was a play on the senses. The broth was fragrant, while the presentation of the dish was playful; the juxtaposition of the dark buckwheat with the pink duck breast was an exciting twist. My desert was a delight. I ordered the chocolate fondant which came with prune ice cream and baileys mousse. I wondered whether the whole combination would be too rich after such a meal, but I simply could not resist. What a great choice I made, as the fondant was oozing and rich and not a spongy mess you often get in bad establishments and supermarkets. The baileys mousse on the side made me want to lick the plate but the prune ice cream I could have done without, the dish already had enough going for it.
As for my last visit, it was just as impressive. My starter of a crab and avocado tien was refreshing and light and my fillet steak on a bed of even more beef, this time braised, spinach and mash with various other accompaniments was so rich I did not have space for dessert. It was another beautifully indulgent dish but left me feeling guilty for leaving such quality produce, there was just too much. I came with my boyfriend, whose appetite is slightly larger than my own and he had a trio of pork tasting. He is still raving about it, who could have thought you could do so many different things with pork! I took a cheeky forkful of his dessert, a mocha parfait with deep-fried ice cream (seriously) and all I can say is- I wish my main course was smaller so I could have space for some myself.



The Chancery has so much to offer. Perhaps a little too much, where portion size is concerned. I don’t normally complain about that aspect but I can’t help but feel cheated out of a delicious dessert! I will keep coming back to the Chancery just to see what the chef can come up with next- the menu changes very regularly and there is always something new and exciting that boggles the taste buds.

My fillet of beef

Trio of Pork Tasting (see what I mean about portion size?!)

Click here for the Chancery's website.