Caxton Grill

Going back to Caxton Grill came with fond memories, and the welcome did a good job of meeting them. St Ermin’s makes an impressive entrance, while the hotel bar is cosy and plush enough to turn a pre-dinner drink into part of the occasion. The football was on — a BTNDC first — and Peronis arrived alongside a “love is in the air” raspberry-and-champagne cocktail that produced more belly laughter than romance. It was an easy, friendly start.

Adam Handling’s 11-course tasting menu then moved through a remarkable number of ideas. The first five courses were all “snacks”, accompanied by English sparkling wine from Squerryes 2010, and crab doughnuts were demolished with particular enthusiasm. Beef tartare tasted fondly like pickled Monster Munch, beetroot panacotta with tuile was gorgeous, and chicken liver parfait was “the best thing ever” to one diner. Sea urchin with scallops, crab and urchin velouté was noteworthy, as was the celeriac “bomb” with its yolk explosion. Wild bass divided opinion; beef with pumpkin and treacle did not.

Passion-fruit and rhubarb candy floss brought a proper wow, while white chocolate, olive oil, yuzu and rice ended things on a high before Japanese Nikka whiskies. Warm bread with chicken butter was distinctly average, and the meal was good solid rather than exceptional, but it was surprisingly good value for the amount of food and wine involved. Caxton Grill remains a favourite for the warmth of the evening, even when the plate does not always reach the same height. The tasting menu’s generosity also makes it an enjoyable place to return to with the right expectations: come for the range, the welcome and the occasional brilliant bite rather than a perfectly even run of courses.