Myrtle Restaurant

"At this Irish spot in Chelsea, there’s no naughty corner for diners who ask for their sirloin well done. The butter is served on jade slabs and there’s a TV personality chef in the kitchen, but it’s a relaxed affair soundtracked by Shane MacGowan’s cigarette rasp. Dream Irish road trip in the making, the nine-course tasting menu is the best option and trots from County Derry salami to Clare for duck, then onto Clonakilty for meltingly soft black pudding." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak

"Myrtle has white tablecloths, serves its butter on jade slabs, and has a TV personality chef in the kitchen, but it’s one of London’s more relaxed fine dining restaurants—and one of its best. You’ll be charmed into spending your Sézane trench coat fund, and feel great about it. At the Irish spot in Chelsea, there’s no naughty corner for diners who ask for their sirloin well done. The velvet stool-thrones parked next to each table hold a mix of Fendi baguette bags, damp umbrellas, and well-used totes. And a couple from Belfast are encouraged to enter an age-old debate with their smiling waiter—is it wheaten bread or soda bread?—while a glass of crémant is poured and Shane MacGowan’s cigarette rasp plays in the background. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch You might have heard of the Wild Atlantic Way but we’d like to propose another essential Irish road trip—the one you go on at Myrtle. Salami comes from County Derry, you’ll dip down to Clare for duck and St Tola goats’ cheese, and then it’s off to Cork for Clonakilty black pudding. The nine-course Taste Of Ireland menu is the best option here. Each course comes with a little card and description, ranging from stories about the famine to a music box of sweets inspired by all 32 counties. It feels incredibly special and personal whether you’re Irish or not. We can confirm, it’s possible to feel moved while eating a sweet potato. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Food Rundown photo credit: the soda bread and butter from Myrtle Soda Bread & Butter Surprise bread is always exciting. The theatre of the white paper bag, the perfect, puck-shaped disc of malty bread, and the cylinder of creamy, salty butter presented on a jade stone slab—this bread course made us feel giddy. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Bia Beag “We didn’t want to say it in French”, the waiter announces as he presents the prettiest soup we’ve ever seen. ‘Bia beag’ means ‘little food’. The side of the bowl has a little trail of pistachio, coriander seed, and chive. So with each swipe of the comforting, silky root vegetable soup you get a nutty, warming hit too. It’s one of the best courses. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Snacks Imagine a classy dinner party, and these snacks would be served. There’s a duo of spicy and peppery salami, both soft and delicious, and creamy Carlingford oysters. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Kindred Spirit Mild, sweet flavours—goats’ cheese, sweet potato, corn cake—come together to make a satisfying dish. But it’s the story of native Americans generously sending corn—or as the Irish called it, yellowmeal—to Ireland during the famine that’ll stay with you. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Sovereign Street Black Pudding It doesn’t matter if you don’t like black pudding, or if your only other experience of barley and pecan has been a sad granola mix—this dish will change your mind. The black pudding is meltingly soft and served inside a crisp pastry shell, the apple purée is sweet, and the barley mix is nutty and savoury. It’s a plate of bits that play very happily together. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Poached Wild Seabass In Burnt Irish Butter Three more perfect words don’t exist: Burnt. Irish. Butter. It’s a bit smoky and incredibly smooth, and so glossy it shimmers. The fish is cooked perfectly, a little sweet, and topped with mini potato scales. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Sirloin Of Irish Beef It’s quite a feat if there’s perfectly cooked, flavoursome beef on the plate and that isn’t even the star of the show—the boxty is. It’s stuffed with shredded beef, has a comforting, doughy casing, and a crisp, cheesy top. We’re still thinking about it. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Silver Hill Duck Breast Some of the best duck we’ve ever had. It’s gamey, it’s tender, and the skin is crisped to perfection. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Milseog Moin We don’t care how old you are, an illusion dessert done well deserves to be papped with as much fervour as Paul Mescal on a north London run. This lemon semifreddo looks like the fruit it’s named after, and has a nice citrus tang that feels needed at this point of the meal. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Myrtle Carrot Cake You have a choice of this carrot cake or chocolate mousse, and we’d go for the mousse. The cheesecake carrot and orange notes are pleasant, but the mousse is a knockout. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Carrageen Chocolate Mousse This dish was served as ‘Zombies’ by The Cranberries played. And between a mouthful of airy chocolate mousse and a delicious coffee-laced Guinness cake, it’s the closest we’ve come to fist-pumping in a fine dining restaurant. video credit: Sinéad Cranna Milsean This wooden musical box—it plays a tinkly little tune for a minute or so when you open it—made us feel like a fairy tale character. But the flapjack-adjacent slice is just OK, ditto the sponge number. The fudge, however, is buttery perfection. We’d have been happy with just those." - Sinéad Cranna