Le Chalet, London
Le Chalet @ Selfridges Rooftop: London
13/11/14
By Beth
...WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT:
- To gorge on festive food that makes you feel very content indeed
- For a cocktail on the terrace where you can wrap up in a blanket if you're cold
- The Christmassy entrance will make you want to up your decoration game
- It's above Selfridges so you can indulge in some shopping whilst you're there
I am a huge fan of Christmas and it is most definitely, one of my favourite times of year. So when I was asked to review Selfridges new pop up rooftop restaurant, Le Chalet, themed around an alpine chalet, it’s fair to say that I was rather excited.
Decked out with fairy lights, lanterns, blankets and Christmas foliage and with food and drink themed around the festive season, it is the perfect place to get you in the mood for Christmas. After heading to the top floor of Selfridges through the restaurants private lift, you are welcomed with not only skis on the wall, but a corridor encased in magical fairy lights that makes you feel as if you are walking into Narnia.
My Mum and I were given a corner table for two facing the window, where you can see some of London’s skyline. On a Thursday lunchtime the place was packed with couples, business associates and parties of lunching ladies and it had a real buzz that I imagined would be even better in the evenings with the room looking even prettier lit up in the dark. There is also an outdoor terrace with heaters which I am sure would be great for an early evening cocktail.
The menu is largely seasonal in its dishes however there is a good amount of fish and seafood which are both asian and mediterranean in their flavours. On that note, I decided to try the Peppered Tuna with Wasabi and Avocado (£14) to start and my Mum chose the Sweet Walnut and Stilton Tart (£8.75). The tuna was one of my favourite starters in a long while and it was presented beautifully. The fish was perfectly seared with a very tasty rice wine dressing and welcome spice from the wasabi avocado. The tart was a very healthy sized portion with a creamy and almost runny filling and buttery, crumbly pastry which was served with a crunchy and fresh chicory and pear salad.
For main course, my Mum ordered the Buttermilk Chicken Schnitzel with Blue Cheese Fondue (£15.50) and I chose the Spit Roasted Pork with Chorizo Cabbage and Apple Sauce (£19.50).
The Schnitzel was huge with the meat very moist inside the crunchy breadcrumbs and it was great to dip into the creamy blue cheese fondue. The pork was mouthwateringly good topped with crisp crackling and served with buttery cabbage, fruity apples and fluffy mashed potato. We also ordered some Roasted Roots with Honey & Thyme (£4.50), which came with beetroot, parsnips and swede and were sticky and sweet, and Seasoned Chips (£3.50) which were coated in a really delicious paprika seasoning.
We also shared a bottle of the Q House White wine (£24) which was a very pleasant, dry white.
We were quite full after two courses but the puddings sounded too tempting not to try. After debating over the Eggnog Snow Egg (a meringue and custard based dessert) I decided on the Apple Streusel with Custard (£7.50) and my Mum chose the Black Forest Cheesecake (£7). Both were presented well with the cheesecake almost looking like a forest, with the meringue shaped like little mushrooms and berries dotted around the plate, and they were both equally as tasty as they looked. We finished the meal with a Cappuccino each (£2.50) which we enjoyed slowly letting our food go down before leaving!
If you want to get into the festive spirit then Le Chalet is definitely the place to do it. Make sure you book a table and visit while you can - we are already planning our next visit!
Dotty Dishes was a guest of Le Chalet.
Le Chalet, Selfridges rooftop, Selfridges & Co, 400 Oxford Street, London, W1A 1AB.
