A new addition to Mayfair’s fine dining scene, the opulent Caviar Kaspia
On entering Chesterfield Street, you could be forgiven for thinking that anywhere apart from Mayfair would be a residential road. This tiny street nestled in the heart of Mayfair is full of beautiful four-storey townhouses. At 1a, you find Caviar Kaspia.
Caviar Kaspia started life in London as a private members club until now and has relaunched as a restaurant and bar. I’m here to try the new menu and to look over the venue. I should say I did have the opportunity to meet our genial host general manager, David Vareille, earlier this year, before the refurbishment and the launch of the new menu. So it’s good to come back as a diner and see what Caviar Kaspia has in store for us.
As the name suggests, the restaurant showcases the roe of the sturgeon, commonly known as caviar. The very mention of the word Caviar gives you a clue that this is a high-end fine-dining restaurant. I will say from the outset that you will need deepish pockets to visit, but this is a special occasion restaurant. In the following paragraphs, I will do my best to paint a picture of the upmarket newbie on the block.
The bar is on the ground floor, and I highly recommend enjoying an aperitif before your meal. The decor and lighting set the scene; they have created a very intimate space that you can relax in. We decided on cocktails; I must admit that I am a little vague on the content of each cocktail as I usually rely on the bar menu to give me a full description, but these were the house specials. Suffice, they were very nice, and mine was Tequila-based and infused with sea flowers that turned the Tequila purple. My wife Leigh had a champagne and gin-based cocktail that was also much to her liking.
A bowl of crisps arrived to accompany our drink. Of course, these were not your common garden crisps. They were caviar-flavoured no less, and unlike some flavoured crisps, these actually tasted of Caviar.
Food is available in the bar, and you can order from the restaurant’s ala carte menu if you prefer to eat in the bar. With a mention of menus, it was time to leave the bar and make our to the dining room after we had a full tour of the Private dining area on the third floor. Private dining is increasingly popular, and Caviar Kaspia has a large dining room that can hold up to 30 or more people; upon hiring the room, you have use of the adjoining soft seating room and bathroom. It is a clever idea and will be in high demand for Corporate events. While I’m on the subject of private dining, if you are interested in private dining venues in the centre of town, feel free to message me. I’m more than happy to send over ideas. Caviar Kaspia will added to my list.
Back to our dinner, and before we get to the menu and quick word about the dining room, we both agreed it was one of the most romantic dining rooms we had eaten in. Beautiful original artwork added a splash of colour to the room, and the pale shade of the turquoise tablecloths completed the look. From first taking our seats, we felt very at home in our new surroundings; it felt very private space. My pictures do not do it justice, but you get the idea.
On to the menu. While caviar plays a central role, many dishes on the menu offer the option to add caviar and work well without it. The menu has been designed to highlight the quality of the produce, and ingredients are allowed to shine. There is no overriding cuisine, but Italian/French dishes are prominent. A lot of thought has gone into producing an imaginative menu with something for everyone.
We started with three dishes: cured mackerel, Salmon Tiradito and dish that caught my attention on my pre-meal check of the menu the Kaspia Croque Monsieur, this is destined to be a house favourite.
The salmon and mackerel dishes emphasised the point about the produce. They were light and fresh, a perfect way to start our meal. The salmon was presented with aji amarillo, yuzu kosho, and tobiko. The salmon tasted as good as the it looked.
I love mackerel. Cured and served with celery gazpacho, cucumber, and baby leeks, it was delightful.
Onto the croque, and for what it’s worth, I predict that it will quickly become a firm favourite with diners. The Kaspia version comes with Salmon, Comte, and imperial baeri caviar. They were not holding back on this; although hugely opulent, each ingredient was clearly evident.
Onto the mains: two dishes, one of which was the Kaspia signature dish, Baked potato, and the second was wild mushroom risotto. Okay, I know what you are thinking: Baked potato? Well, this is Caviar Kaspia, and this is no ordinary baked spud.
Firstly, let’s talk about the risotto. As you can see from the picture, the risotto was generously adorned with trompettes, girolles, and porcini mushrooms. The rice was perfectly cooked with just a slight bite to each grain. This was a luxurious dish. I adore risotto, and this one was exceptional.
Now, on to the not-so-humble baked potato; as you can see, it’s been given Kaspia treatment and served with a large spoonful of caviar. I’m told that the potato had been slow-cooked for two and a half hours, then removed and, I’m assuming, mixed with butter, cream and truffle. Meanwhile, the skin continues to cook in the oven to form the perfect crisp serving bowl. The potato was served with sour cream and chive, and the sweetest onion puree. Never has a baked potato tasted so good.
Onto desserts—again, the chef is playing with the senses. We were served Kaspia’s delight, more of this dish in a minute—but our other sharing dish was a Mille-Feuille, a chocolate cremeux, chestnut ice cream, and Williams pear. The Mille-Feuille and cremeux were delightful. The chestnut ice cream and pears added freshness and would make a lovely dish on their own.
The Kaspia’s Delight pays homage to caviar; however, the small pearls are filled with coffee and served on a cocoa sponge and ricotta mousse. It is presented in a tin-on-ice, caviar style. This innovative presentation was not only clever but also tasted great.
Sadly, our meal had come to an end. To summarise Caviar Kaspia in a few words, opulent, romantic, and memorable springs to mind. Dining at this restaurant will make any special occasion extra special.
Caviar Kaspia, London
1a Chesterfield St, Mayfair, London W1J 5JF
If you like this review, you might like to read about three more stars of Mayfair’s restaurant scene.
