Having worked for DesignMyNight for some years, I have been able to do many reviews, with a variety of outcomes - but 28-50 Marylebone was a joyful dining experience with attentive, knowledgable staff and stand-out food.
The Venue and Service
The restaurant had floor to ceiling windows which pleasantly allowed in natural street light, combined with tasteful dim lighting and contemporary furniture pieces. It felt cosy, warm and inviting thanks to a gentle buzz of conversation, but nothing was overpowering or harsh. A testament that was only going to be further complimented by their stunning level of service on the night.
I'll be honest, we didn’t make dining easy for them. My dining companion for the night was an old friend, who just so happens to be vegan. She admitted over dinner that the hardest part of making the switch from vegetarian to vegan was her fear of eating out. How would she be able to maintain a London social life without being able to join people out for dinner?! Lucy emailed 28-50 the in the morning to let them know she would be coming and to see if they would cater to her vegan diet. They responded almost immediately to thank her for giving them some notice and to let her know the chef was preparing a special menu especially for her. When we arrived, we were also once again delighted to be provided with a gorgeous glass of the house champagne, introduced by the house sommelier, Jorge.
28-50 is a markedly charming and contemporary restaurant with a welcoming air.
The Food and Drink
Lucy was given her menu, specially printed out for her with a selection of two starters, two mains and two deserts from her to select from while I was delighted by the varied selection of their a la carte menu. I decided to start with the sea bream ceviche with lime and coriander (£8.50), which was a delight with fresh lime and buttery fish, paired with an Austrian wine, something I never would have selected for myself. It was light, flavorsome and didn’t compete with the acidity of the cerviche. Lucy opted for the British asparagus with rye crisp and parmesan (£7.95), which was paired with chardonnay. She looked at me wide eye-ed at the mention of chardonnay, no doubt recalling the chardonnay’s served at pubs, but this was something very different; instead of being overpowering with oak, it was subtle and gentle.
For our mains, I was wavering between a few items on the menu, but the server suggested I try the cod with the black rice, noceralla olives, lemon and radish (£16.95), and I am so glad I did - it was perfect, fresh and bold. Sharing two sides that were from the vegan menu, skinny fries and white broccoli, Lucy also had a special tomato salad that was one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted; all the while, both of us were delighted by a Slovenian and a French white.
We were pretty stuffed at this point, but who could resist the gorgeous array of desserts. I enjoyed the passion fruit carte and Lucy the Chocolate Madeleines, served with a dessert wine. The wine was so gorgeous we almost didn’t want to eat the desserts, but once we started we just couldn’t stop thanks to their rich notes and moreish flavours. To finish off the meal, we sipped fresh mint tea and chatted about what an amazing experience we’d just had.
Moreish meals using rustic and original flavours make up the bones of this Marylebone menu.
Summary
The management made the extra effort to cater to our vegan requirements, the sommelier was pushed out of our comfort zone and introduced us to some lovely new regions and the food was perfection. I would whole heartedly recommend this restaurant as they have carefully cultivated a dining experience that leaves nothing unattended.
