The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
    • Shows & On demand
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureFood & DrinksRestaurant & bar reviews

Davies and Brook in Mayfair: Spotless fine dining at Daniel Humm’s debut London restaurant… but why isn’t my heart beating?

Davies and Brook in Mayfair: Spotless fine dining at Daniel Humm’s debut London restaurant… but why isn’t my heart beating? | Restaurant review
16 December 2019
Filippo L'Astorina, the Editor
Filippo L'Astorina
Avatar
Filippo L'Astorina
16 December 2019

Food

Filippo L'Astorina4

Davies and Brook

BarQuick & easyCasual foodFine dining
QUICKCASUALFINE DINING

Concept

Fine dining

Cuisine

French - Fine dining

Highlights

Dry-Aged Duck, Poached Lobster

Rating

★★★★★

Food ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮

Drinks ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮

Service ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮

Links

InstagramFacebookTwitterWebsiteMap

Daniel Humm, of the uber-celebrated Eleven Madison Park, has finally opened his debut London restaurant, Davies and Brook, at Claridge’s. The Mayfair luxury hotel has long distinguished itself for its food & beverage offerings, starting from the beginning of the century when it hosted Gordon Ramsay at the peak of his game – and fame. Then, during the Olympics, it welcomed Noma for two weeks for an extraordinary pop-up. It was no gimmick: René Redzepi and his entire team worked there for ten days. Finally, Simon Rogan opened Fera in 2014, to great acclaim, but things went downhill when he left the project three years later.

This operation is extra special because things have come full circle for Humm. Here, 27 years ago, he was a young apprentice: “It’s funny how I’m still in contact with some colleagues from back then, we were having dinner together just the other day,” and memories surfaced, he tells us. Openings are never easy, but this one has endured the breakup of the chef and his long-standing partner, Will Guidara, the man known for making the service of EMP an exemplar of bespoke, fun experiences.

Davies and Brook wants to be a legitimate sister to the New York restaurant, not a third-degree relative. The same architect – Brad Cloepfil –  took care of conveying a similar vibe, with a setting that echoes the grandeur of a bygone era. Yet, it stays sober. The colour palettes play down the opulence, in line with the cleanliness of the dishes. And now, onto the food.

With bread and butter comes a surprise: raw scallop with apple slices accompanied by a scallop consommé, and also special butter covered by a reduction of the latter. Everything is quite delicious on its own, although the intensity of the clear broth and the freshness of the scallops did not come together.

 

We continue with Poached Lobster with winter squash, which beautifully represents what they are doing here. Aesthetically, everything is on point and impressively consistent. The same goes for the clarity of the flavours. The lobster is tender and tasteful, yet, it could be even more so. Similarly, the King Crab Chawanmushi, with finely sliced black truffle and daikon, would be exquisite if it didn’t exceed in umami.

The chef delights us with a taste of the restaurant’s more luxurious course, which can only be ordered by the whole table. It’s a butternut squash, cut and carved, containing cooked squash and a ridiculous amount of ossetra caviar. Again, the presentation is splendid, but do the two elements (and temperatures) actually complement each other?

A Dry-Aged Duck is spectacular, in itself a very good reason to come back. The honey and lavender glaze – with the perfect amount of spices – adds not only taste but also a crunchy element to the heavenly, tender meat. It’s a generous portion, cooked just as you want it, and quite stunning even just to look at. Humm more often than not covers his food with elegantly-prepared ingredients that enhance the taste of the dish, and he does it with kohlrabi on a luscious black cod.

While we wait for dessert, a guest sitting next to us enjoys a celeriac cooked inside a pig’s bladder: this technique can be considered an ancestor to the sous vide, but it’s always exciting to watch.

I’ve learnt not to take for granted that a chocolate pudding will taste of chocolate – bizarre, but it is what it is – and I’m more than happy with this delightful light tart, which comes with a scoop of coconut ice cream. For something fresher and more creative, Mandarin Salad certainly makes for a good dessert.

Food-wise, Davies and Brook does exactly what it says on the tin. Humm’s elegant, precise cuisine feels timeless, classic and contemporary at the same time. Given Eleven Madison Park’s fame for their bespoke guest experience, the traditional service – despite being seamless – falls short of expectations. One thing is certain: there’s no place like this in London. But why isn’t my heart beating?

★★★★★

Food ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮

Drinks ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮

Service ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮

Filippo L’Astorina, the Editor
Photos: Filippo L’Astorina

To book a table at Davies and Brook, Brook Street London W1K 4HR, call 020 7107 8848 or visit here.

Related Itemsfeaturedreview

More in Food & Drinks

Three alternative New Year’s Eve menus

Rosamund Kelby
Read More

Sommelier Kelvin McCabe on where to buy good wine to celebrate (and enjoy) 2021

Filippo L'Astorina, the Editor
Read More

Perfect Christmas recipe: Hide Christmas Tree by Ollie Dabbous

The editorial unit
Read More

Ember Snacks to launch three new charcuterie snacks in January

The editorial unit
Read More

Avoid supermarket stress with a last-minute Christmas veg box delivery from Nature’s Choice

The editorial unit
Read More

Ten great Christmas meal kits and takeaway services

The editorial unit
Read More

Christmas present ideas for foodies

The editorial unit
Read More

Spotlight: Oja app founder Mariam Jimoh on bringing local world foods to your doorstep

Lilly Subbotin
Read More

Recreate brunch at home with Mei Mei’s delicious south-east Asian cuisine

The editorial unit
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Food

Filippo L'Astorina4

Davies and Brook

BarQuick & easyCasual foodFine dining
QUICKCASUALFINE DINING

Concept

Fine dining

Cuisine

French - Fine dining

Highlights

Dry-Aged Duck, Poached Lobster

Rating

★★★★★

Food ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮

Drinks ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮

Service ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮

Links

InstagramFacebookTwitterWebsiteMap

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Outside the Wire
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Undercover at Morpheus Show Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • A Livestream with David Bedella at Crazy Coqs Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • You Me at Six – Suckapunch
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Blithe Spirit
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • WandaVision: Marvel’s charming sitcom proves an astounding success
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Queen’s Gambit: A chess story that’s not about the moves but the motives
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Away
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Imperial Blue
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • WandaVision: Marvel’s charming sitcom proves an astounding success
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • The Queen’s Gambit: A chess story that’s not about the moves but the motives
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Undercover at Morpheus Show Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Ten short literary collections to get you back into reading
    Literature
  • Mayor
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Shed Seven at Brixton Academy | Live review
Global Citizen host inaugural awards at the Royal Albert Hall