Caxton Grill – St Ermins Hotel

The rather grand St Ermin’s Hotel in central London is the home of stylish dining spot The Caxton Grill. The hotel and its dazzling restaurant are firmly in the poshest side of town, steps from St James’s Park, Westminster and Buckingham Palace. The beautiful hotel sets the scene for the restaurant, setting high standards that The Caxton Grill easily meets.

The broadly modern, airy décor has a touch of the traditional about it in the leather wing chairs and architecture. Have a cocktail in the Caxton Bar before dinner and relax by the open fireplace.

Caxton Bar

The waiting staff are always admirably chilled out – even though the restaurant is regularly fully booked – and are very efficient. If there was an unlikely disaster going on in the kitchen, you would never be any the wiser. Unobtrusive but perfectly friendly, they talk you through the menu and are happy to offer suggestions and recommendations. Again, there is a sense that you are part of something bigger than the restaurant. Perhaps because so many of the hotel’s guests dine here, everyone is treated with that extra special bit of care and attention.

Executive chef Hus Vedat draws influences from France, Italy and Spain to create a delicious European menu using artisan and local British ingredients. There are some classic dishes here, served with flair to make them unique. Known for its fish and chips, you can choose from North Sea halibut, Corden Bay wild salmon, or Shetland langoustines and combine them with your choice of chips and accompaniments – a nice touch. There’s a strong seasonal influence to the menu and some of the evocative winter dishes include a salad of soured plum Gorgonzola with winter blackberries, and slow cooked lamb belly with squash puree and sprout tops. A number of the dishes use urban honey from the hotel’s rooftop bee colony.

Fish & chips – Caxton Grill

The Josper Grill – a new addition to the kitchen – is a draw for many. Only the second to open in London, this closed barbecue cooks food super-fast and super-hot over charcoal in a sealed environment to prevent any moisture escaping. The phenomenal range of steaks and meats are out of this world. Also a top venue for afternoon tea, a private dining room for up to ten people, and newly-launched wine and whisky flights, a visit here is more of an experience that just a meal out.

The Caxton Grill can be found at 2 Caxton Street, SW1H 0QW, close to St James’s Park, Victoria and Westminster tube stations. For any enquiries, call 0800 652 1498 or email Gemma Wren directly: GWren@caxtongrill.co.uk

St Ermins Hotel

This is a guest post. Agirlhastoeat did not dine at Caxton Grill.