Creative Spanish Gastronomy from culinary family
Location: London, UK
Style: Modern Spanish
Budget: £££
In the off-beat town of San Sebastian, along Spain’s Northern coast, sits the world renowned three Michelin starred restaurant of Arkak, famous as an early proponent of New Basque Cuisine. Set up as the legendary family’s first adventure away from their native soil, Ametsa with Arkak Instruction brings a creative and modern style of Spanish gastronomy to the London food scene.
Tucked away in the whitewashed streets of Belgravia, Ametsa with Arzak Instruction forms part of the COMO Halkin hotel. Ametsa with Arzak Instruction is the one Michelin starred collaboration between Elena Arzak, her father and three other Spanish culinary masterminds. The restaurant, set against the back of the hotel with grand windows offering views onto the gardens beyond, offers a very different vibe to that of the original Arzak restaurant (should you have had the good fortune to visit). Offering clean, modern decor, you will immediately notice the striking colourful wave-like ceiling, created from 7,000 tubes filled with Spanish spices.
Dining at Ametsa with Arzak Instruction
Kicking off our Ametsa with Arzak Instruction tasting experience in true Spanish style with modern tapas style ‘aperitivos’, we were treated to a selection of five tasty morsels. Our favourites included a ceps soup with an aubergine and cheese crisp, creamy and delicious, and a ‘Morcilla Crujiente’, a small marble of crunchy black pudding, with a slightly sweet crispy shell and rich centre topped with sharp lemon to cut through the rich flavours.
Our first starter was one of our favourite dishes of the day, consisting of a perfectly cooked scallop served with sweet bits of mango and a crunchy hemp seed biscuit, creating a great balance of textures and flavours.
Following this was the wonderfully named Egg on the Moon, comprising of a perfectly poached egg with runny yolk, accompanied by a slightly spicy spanish sausage (similar in texture to N’duja) and a pancetta consomme.
The fish course was the one dish that failed to enthuse us. The pan fried cod loin, served with a chickpea puree, salsa verde and pickled veg was quite underwhelming. Whilst the wonderfully sharp pickles offered a great tang to the dish, sadly the sauces offered minimal flavours to the cod.
The main course was presented to us as ‘Beef Fillet and Clumsy Peach’ with a cheeky suggestion from the waiter that the latter may not be all it claims to be. A decent sized portion of beef, cooked perfectly rare, is accompanied by a so called ‘peach’. Instead of a peach, we tucked into a pear recreated in Heston style to look like a peach, fully inclusive of the ‘stone’ which in this case was a rich, salty chunk of blue cheese in disguise!
The final touch of magic came in the form of ‘The Passion of Chocolate’, a take on the classic Churros, served with a rich chocolate ganache, passion fruit cream and a passion fruit spherification. As lovers of passion fruit we were always going to be fans of this dish, the passion fruit offers the perfect tang to cut through the richness of the chocolate. A perfect dish to end our Ametsa with Arzak Instruction tasting experience.
Key Information on Ametsa with Arzak Instruction
How do I get to Ametsa with Arzak Instruction?
Ametsa is part of the The Halkin Hotel by COMO, located in the beautiful Georgian district of Belgravia just round the corner from Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Hyde Park. The easiest way to get to Ametsa with Arzak Instruction is via Hyde Park Corner (the nearest tube station), which is a mere three minute walk away. This tube line also connects directly to Heathrow, should you be looking to visit Ametsa as part of a short stopover in London.
What menus are offered at Ametsa with Arzak Instruction?
At lunchtime, you can choose from an excellent value set menu for £29, as well as an a la carte menu and a 6-course tasting menu for £56, or £78 with a three glass wine pairing. The tasting menu also includes a pre-dessert to cleanse the palate, and petit-fours.
In the evening you have two choices – a la carte (mains starting from £29) or the full 8-course tasting menu priced at £110 each or £165 including a five glass wine pairing. It is preferred if diners opt to follow the same menu, either a la carte or the Ametsa with Arzak Instruction tasting experience.
What wine is served at Ametsa with Arzak Instruction?
Ametsa offers an excellent collection of wines from across Spain. We enjoyed some of their classic grapes during our visit, starting off our Ametsa with Arzak Instruction tasting menu pairing with a Cava from El Cellenet, followed by a white Rioja to match our starters and fish, then finishing with a Tempranillo from the Ribeira del Duero region to go with the beef.
What is the dress code at Ametsa with Arzak Instruction?
Whilst there is no formal dress code at Ametsa, we would suggest that classic smart-casual dress is employed. Whilst ties would not be required for gentlemen, jackets would not look out of place in the evening, nor would a dress and heels for ladies.
Our final thoughts on... Ametsa with Arzak Instruction
With London’s food scene so often dominated by French and Italian restaurants, Ametsa’s take on modern Basque cuisine was wonderfully refreshing. Whilst employing molecular gastronomy in places, their take on modern cooking was not overbearing, offering authentic flavours and good execution, our visit was a tremendous delight. Set within such a lovely airy space Ametsa with Arzak Instruction is a great venue for a lunch date, and you can take advantage of the cheaper menu whilst still enjoying Michelin star quality dishes.
Find Out More…
Ametsa with Arzak Instruction – https://www.comohotels.com/thehalkin/dining/ametsa-arzak-instruction
Many thanks to Ametsa for hosting our meal. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely our own, we wouldn’t recommend something if we didn’t love it!
