Noelle A.
Yelp
This review is not about the hotel itself, but the bar/restaurant called Oscar on the first floor.
My friend and I were wandering around Charlotte St. last Friday night looking for a good place to eat. We had been through out YELP and TripAdvisor suggestions and apparently, so had everyone else, because there was no table to be found without a proper advance booking.
Then we stumbled upon people sitting at outdoor tables, under the awning for Charlotte Street hotel. We walked up and the bar looked packed. We thought- oh well, here we go again. But we decided to ask the incredibly nice doorman. In his Caribbean accent, he said, "for two? let me check with my friends." Within 5 minutes he came back and said, "we have something ready for you now."
We were escorted by a lovely woman who walked us through the lobby of the hotel (as others have mentioned, decorated in a very hip, but tasteful fashion. Modern, but warm, with lots of woods and neutral leather) through the back door of the bar/restaurant to a cozy table for two. We were close to the kitchen, but it wasn't noisy as you might expect.
The waitstaff were friendly and helpful (only one qualm- I asked for lemon three times before receiving it for my water) and when we saw the plates arrive at the table next to us- looking completely beautiful and smelling delicious- we essentially said "We'll have what she's having!"
Here's what we had:
Appetizers
- (Shared) Seared tuna, sweet soya jelly, wasabi peas and ginger £13.50
This was a gastronome's delight! The tun was seared perfectly and the soy jelly was cut into cute squares. The wasabi peas, were such a fun novelty but added just the right crunch and salt to the dish. Add to it the pickled ginger and this was a deconstructed sushi- minus the rice and I loved every bite.
Entrees
- (my friend) Special of the night - Rib-eye grilled, served with a Bearnaise and crispy hand cut chips and a glass of Merlot - £29
My friend said the Merlot was perfectly paired and the chips were nice and crispy unlike the other steak fries she had earlier in the day (or what you normally get at a chippie shop in London. I tasted her steak with Bearnaise and it was melt in your mouth goodness.
- (me) Special- Bavette steak grilled, served with a creamy chive and sour cream potato mash - £28
The steak was nice and lean, a little over for my taste (and I ordered Med-Rare). It lacked a bit of seasoning, but the rest of the plate was well seasoned. The potatoes were a bit dry, but when paired with the cabbage (which was AMAZING), everything came together nicely.
- (Shared side) Savory Cabbage with bacon - £5
Delicious. The bacon was not fatty and added just enough salt to compliment the cabbage, which was cooked just enough to remain al dente, and not soggy.
Aside from the cabbage- I still feel that London needs a bit of salt added to their dishes. Maybe its just my pallet? I know I am over-salted in America, but at least they included salt on the table.
We would've stayed to try dessert but I had an appointment. But we will definitely come back. The staff and location are lovely and it felt like a hidden treasure.