Langtry’s

Langtry’s with its Knightsbridge location is a luxurious place to dine and an intimate one, with around twelve tables filling up the sumptuous dining room. A fireplace steals the focal point of the room, (laden with Christmas trimmings on our visit), whilst the rest of the room impresses sheer elegance upon its diners.

Deciding what to eat at Langtry’s is a convoluted affair as there are four or five menus to choose from. Confusingly Saturday and Sunday’s menus were included in the weighty choice on offer, although we were dining on a Friday. Ignoring these, we poured over the standard menu, the Christmas menu and Langtry’s Limitless Laroche Wine Dinner.

We were tempted by the Langtry’s signature starter - Langtry’s prawn cocktail is decadently rich, served up with prawn tempura and marie rose ice cream. But, the Limitless wine offer got the better of one of us and I opted for the smoked salmon and potato pancake, followed by the roast turkey to accompany my free-flowing Laroche Chardonnay. My dining partner decided on the homemade pork pie and pickles, followed by the Lancashire hotpot and accompanied with a glass of Argentinean Malbec.

Before any of the above arrived, we were presented with a little taster of tomato sorbet, topped with a sliver of Welsh rarebit. The sorbet was lush with its mix of Tabasco, Worcester sauce and a modest hint of mustard. Once we wiped the sorbet clean from its espresso cup, our salmon and pork pie arrived. The pork pie was satisfyingly coarse in texture and my dining partner set about slathering each slice with an immodest amount of mustard. The salmon was good, but the potato pancake made the dish with its brilliantly savoury flavour, and crispy finish.

The Lancashire hotpot arrived without its promised potato mash, but my other half tucked in nonetheless, only to be greeted with a bowlful of the aforementioned mash on finishing. An odd way to eat a dish, but a forgivable one considering the mash was so good. The roast turkey was satisfaction on a plate. Roast potatoes, parsnips and of course the odd brussel sprout accompanied the turkey and its sidekick of bacon, making for a beautifully balanced dish.

All the while, we sipped on our wine – the Chardonnay was fresh with a clean finish whilst the Malbec wooed taste buds with its deeply rich, fruity mix. We moved onto pudding in the shape of a cheese board for the red wine drinker at the table, and the Christmas pudding for myself. The cheese board was good, let down only by what looked suspiciously like a tired mixed leaf garnish straight out of a supermarket salad bag. The Christmas pudding was ashamedly good – served with a light but indulgent custard that made you want to lick the plate. I didn’t, of course, but it was tempting.

Even if you don’t drink like a fish, Langtry’s Limitless Laroche offer is good value. Being a reprehensible lightweight, I managed only a glass and a half of the Chardonnay with my meal, but at £35 for a three-course meal with a decent glug of wine, at an establishment such as Langtry’s, you’d be hard pressed to leave feeling short-changed.

Langtry’s Limitless Laroche Wine Dinner is priced at £35 for three courses, from Monday to Saturday.

Langtry’s: 21 Pont Street, London, SW1X 9SG. Tel: 020 7201 6619.

Reviewed by: Helenka Bednar