Review – The Lady Ottoline

Set in the heart of Bloomsbury, a stone’s throw away from Chancery Lane and just off Gray’s Inn Road, The Lady Ottoline is perfectly positioned for after work drinks, dinner or a traditional Sunday lunch. We paid a visit on a Wednesday evening to sample the wine list, soak up the atmosphere and taste some of award-winning Head Chef, Alan Irwin’s dishes.

We’ve come to know that you can tell a lot about a restaurant by getting to know its founder; in the case of The Lady Ottoline, founders – married couple Scott Hunter and Maria Larsen who first met while working at a branch of Pitcher & Piano. Five years on they have now head up three gastro-pubs scattered across North and North-east London: the award-winning Princess of Shoreditch, critically acclaimed Pig & Butcher and The Lady Ottoline, which, we can reveal, comes highly recommended. At the heart of all of their restaurants is the promise of locally sourced produce, including beef, venison and game birds from Chart Farm in Kent and pork cuts from Kilravock Farm in the Scottish Highlands, and we haven’t even touched on the fish and seasonal greens.

The successful couple claim to be ‘fastidious about quality,’ a demand which pays off tenfold in offering up a broad range of unique seasonal dishes and in the delicious flavours that make each individual dish.

After a G&T, my companion and I started the evening with the Chart Farm venison Scotch egg with piccalilli and mixed leaves and Welsh rarebit of Mull Kintyre and mulled figs, accompanied by a bottle of Chianti Classico, Castello di Gabbiano, which we later found out was the wine chosen by Scott and Maria for their wedding day. The tipple turned out to be an excellent choice on both our parts. Despite being slightly chewy – the only thing I raised an eyebrow at throughout the whole evening – the venison Scotch egg had a wonderfully runny yolk centre. The Welsh rarebit, well, to put it simply, melted in your mouth, its rich, cheesy flavours perfectly complimented by the subtle, sweet flavours of the fig wedges. To follow we opted for the Kentish Barnsley lamb chop, creamy mash& wild garlic pesto and the hake from the South Coast, near Cornwall which came served with white asparagus, purple sprouting broccoli & Morecombe Bay shrimps; the perfect option for a light but flavourful main.

Finally, to top off a very enjoyable evening, we closed with vanilla panacotta served with mulled figs and marinated blood oranges with white chocolate mousse accompanied by two glasses of 2006 Château Briatte Sauternes. Take note that The Pub’s draught ales downstairs include Dark Star Hophead, Lymestone’s Stone Cutter, Sharps Doombar and Sambrook’s Wandle and an extensive wine list which largely spans European grape varieties.

Of course, what makes a restaurant an all-round hit is its atmosphere. The Lady Ottoline plays its cards very well with its downstairs pub, upstairs dining layout. Tables are decorated with Dickens-like night lights while the main lighting is set low to create a homely atmosphere and the venue caters for both summer and winter dining with an open fireplace and big French doors that let the breeze in. It’ll take quite something to top this gastro-pub. theladyottoline.com

To book call 020 7831 0008

By Emma Corbett