The Anthologist | Restaurant Review

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The Anthologist is set on Gresham Street in the heart of the city of London. First impressions were great. Both the restaurant and bar were packed. One immediately gets the impression this a fun and trendy place. The atmosphere was buzzing. We were warmly greeted and led to a two seater table on a raised ledge with a window seat and our own sectioned area. We had a great view of the rest of the restaurant.

 

The tables are candlelit and our chairs were very comfortable. There is great attention to detail and no expense has been spared on the decor. The kitchen is open and visible. In fact you can sit on a counter right next to and looking into the kitchen. Everything is high tech. Chefs have monitors to view orders and some staff seem to be connected by Bluetooth head sets.
Raspberry Daiquiri and Porn Star cocktails

Raspberry Daiquiri and Porn Star cocktails

We start with some cocktails. A raspberry daiquiris and a ‘Porn Star’ made from passion fruit. Both were delicious. The raspberry daiquiris was wonderfully sweet which cut through the alcohol. The ‘porn star’ was amazing and both our favourite cocktail of the night. It had a wonderful smooth velvety texture. It came with a shot of champagne that you can down or mix into the drink. I chose the first option.

The service was first class. Our waiters were knowledgeable, friendly and very happy to make suggestions. Everything seemed extremely well organised and ran like clock work despite the packed restaurant. A waiter was always around when we wanted one and the cocktails and food arrived in excellent time. The monitors and Bluetooth gadgets were working.

 

The menu is large and there is a big selection. I started with tempura squid served on a bed of crunchy bean sprouts and peppers and firecracker sauce. The firecracker sauce was the real star here. Made with tomato, onion, ginger and hint of chilli it goes very extremely with the squid. I enjoyed the sauce so much I mopped up what was left with

Tempura Squid

Tempura Squid

some delicious Foccacia bread we’d been given earlier.

 

Our next drinks were a Skinny Mango Mojito. Which is only 115 calories. This mix of rum, mango, lime juice and nectar is a great take on a classic: just sumptuous. We also had a Princess Sparkle. Blackberries, elderflower, peach bitters, vanilla sugar and prosecco. To be honest the cocktails are out of this world. Just really good and definitely some of the best I have ever had. So if you don’t want to have a meal then at least check out the cocktails at The Anthologist.

 

Our other starter was excellent, old spot pork sausages with roast apples and prunes. A great classic combination. The acidity of the apple works perfectly against the delicious meatiness of the sausages and the sweet earthy prunes adds another dimension in terms of texture and flavor. It’s a dish which you can’t help but smile at and be very happy to eat.
Seabass

Seabass

For our main dishes we tried out two of the specials. The first was the pan fried Sea bass fillet with cracked wheat, marinated artichoke heart, olives, butternut squash, baby spinach and lush pesto which was recommended by the waiter and I could see why. For me this was the highlight of the evening. The whole dish had a Mediterranean/Moroccan feel.The fish was beautifully soft with crispy skin and was beautifully presented on black slate. The wheat was perfectly cooked. The olives were wonderful and full of tremendous flavor. The pesto sauce was delicious and when combined with the fish, earthy squash and spinach and wheat together the result was heavenly. One of the best Sea basses I have ever had without a doubt. Simply superb.

King Scallop Flambe!

King Scallop Flambe!

Next was the Flambe – seared King Scallops with wild rocket, crispy chick peas, grilled courgette, cognac, shallots and butter. This was prepared at our table which is always exciting and fun to watch. It was another stunning dish. The buttery sauce was a delight and it tasted amazing against the beautiful Scallops. They melt in your mouth. The thinly grilled courgettes and crispy chick peas were great accompaniments.

 

For dessert we have the mini pudding shots. They are amazing. You get three shots (although shots is a poor description because they’re were actually a lot bigger than that) of chocolate brownie, white chocolate & raspberry, Crème brûlée and salted caramel and roasted plum Knickerbocker glory. It was all good. It is even hard to choose a favourite. Although at the time I was most in the mood for the chocolate brownie. The Crème brûlée makes that satisfying cracking sound when you put your spoon in. Delicious.
Knickerbocker glory

Knickerbocker glory

We also ordered another knickerbocker glory. It looked amazing, was soft and very tasty. Despite being stuffed already it was easy to eat because it was light and not too rich, a perfect finish to the meal. It was delicious but personally I’m not a fan of the salted caramel craze.

 

The Anthologist is a great restaurant with a menu that has everything you could possibly want to eat in one place. From Asian food to steaks from a butchers in Mayfair. The cocktails are amazing, the scene is buzzing and the service is top notch. The food was truly excellent and the specials were particularly exciting. The chefs clearly have tremendous talent. I doubt you’ll find better food anywhere else in the city. The prices are also very reasonable for this part of London.

 

The atmosphere is amazing but it is loud and it won’t be for everyone’s taste. This probably isn’t the best restaurant for families but it is the perfect place to go after work. I would highly recommend you book in advance because there weren’t many empty seats for the whole night.
Highly recommended. We had a ball.

 

Address: 58 Gresham St, City of London, EC2V 7BB
Phone: 0845 468 0101
Nearest tube: Bank