London Restaurants: Seven Park Place by Chef William Drabble

I loved this London Michelin star restaurant, Seven Park Place by Chef William Drabble.

I must confess I was biased before I stepped foot into this gorgeous restaurant.

You see seven is my lucky number, so perhaps I was going to love Seven Park Place, this upmarket, elegant London Michelin star restaurant within Mayfair’s St. James’s Hotel & Club no matter what.

My 10 year old twins were born on 07/07/2007 at 7am. I know, sounds like serial code from a James Bond safe, but it is a true story, so how could 7 not bring me luck absolutely every time? Well it didn’t fail here.

The British do many things very well, but it’s only in the last decade they’ve improved their cuisine to the point where it’s world class.

But what I love about this intimate restaurant is that it encapsulates the true essence of what it is to be traditionally British with the most modern, delicate, French influenced food presented like feminine modern art pieces.

Woman dressed in black dress with large straps over the shoulders sits at a yellow couch with artistic wallpaper in the background.

Renae at Seven Park Place in the St. James’s Hotel & Club, London.

Plus it is one of the smallest Michelin star restaurants in Europe, so it feels like a local spot you’ve popped into for a plate of food. It’s not overly uptight.

The St. James’s Hotel & Club was established in 1857 and history pours out of both the interiors and the facade of the building. Tucked away at the end of a dead end street,  off St. James’s Street, the classic English heritage building feels and looks like it was designed to reflect English tradition.

From the well mannered doorman to the long hallway with rooms off to each side, the building is a beautiful modern day example of quintessential London.

The stylish bar is on the left and has three large bay windows where natural light floods in & where drinks before dinner are an essential treat. The bar is long and packed with coloured bottles of all shapes & sizes. Sitting in the bar, I couldn’t help but wonder what those walls had seen and which famous people had sat exactly where I was. It is that kind if place.

The interiors are elegant but fresh, with hues of gold and rich black & grey patterned wallpaper and carpet and even a touch of the oriental, making it a touch exotic. The feel is luxe but still relaxed.

Renae at Seven Park Place at The St James Club and Hotel, London sampling the huge cheese platter.

This is a beautiful London restaurant to dress up for.

In the restaurant itself there are gorgeous booths with large tables but still plenty of room. You can imagine deals going on in the little booths where conversations are concealed due to the space between each one.

The menu is not overly long, but each offering from seared foie gras with peach and golden raising chutney  to roasted quail with asparagus, orange and hazelnuts uses the freshest ingredients and a detailed mix of textured, full flavoured ingredients.

I had the beautifully presented house special,  poached native lobster tail with courgettes and lettuce puree which was stunning both in presentation and flavours. The lobster was perfectly cooked and a generous size, the puree adding to the delicate flavour of the seafood.

I loved the saddle of Lune Valley lamb and sweetbreads, caramalised onions, broadbeans and confit tomato. In Australia, lamb is never labelled as saddle, so it was exciting to try a new cut which was sweet, flavoursome and tender.

The wine list is long and so varied, I was pleasantly overwhelmed as I leafed through varietals, countries & regions for ages until I handed control to the sommelier.

The waiter picked a riesling for us that was a perfect match with the dishes we chose.

I couldn’t resist the cheese platter which was astonishingly generous, and a stunning Argentinian Malbec to go with it.

If you want to impress, take someone here. This restaurant is as upmarket as it is elegant and delicate in a lot of ways, from the presentation to the intimate booths and flavours.

Unlike a lot of restaurants around town, you can settle in and spend hours at Seven Park Place without being rushed out, and with such an extensive wine list, why wouldn’t you?

Check it out here.

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