Texture Restaurant and Champagne Bar
our review
Texture by name, texture by nature, not a single dish is ordinary and the range of (consults Thesaurus); ‘textures’ in each is remarkable. Housed in an Adam style room, which was once presumably the main reception room of this grand house, Texture dares to be different. The room itself doesn’t quite convince; attractive and comfortable though it is, there is a slight sense that the designers have had to respect the space and not do anything that can’t be undone easily should English Heritage come calling. The whiteness of the room is calming though and the art gallery-ish feel is fair enough when nearly every dish comes plated on a slate and slashed across with dabs of colour.
Agnar Sverisson, formerly head chef of Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, is in the kitchen and he brings what is now a fashionable far Northern European slant to the menu, while out front the cool and mostly French team are led by business partner and manager Xavier Rousset formerly Sommelier at the Manoir. There is a palpable sense of the two men working together to deliver a unique food experience and they do it very well.
A basket of Parmesan wafers, toasted baguette and roasted cod skin, all served with wasabi emulsion plus a yoghurt and herb dip, pretty much set out Texture's stall straightaway. The roasted cod skin was as friable as a poppadum and when dunked into the gentle wasabi emulsion a real palate tickler. Wasabi in case you didn’t know is the eye-wateringly fierce Japanese green horseradish which here, thankfully, wasn’t the nasty stuff out of a tube which makes you cough bits of sushi across the table. Well it does me anyway.
An amuse of a glass of celeriac foam with hazelnuts and raisins, had it all in one sitting; the crunch of the nuts, the softly yielding plump raisins and the aniseedy whiff of celeriac dissolving on the tongue. As a curtain raiser it raised expectations. At lunchtime, as this was, there is no distinction between starters and mains, it’s simply recommended that you pick at least two dishes from a menu that changes seasonally.
Winter Vegetable Textures Cooked, raw, salad leaves (sic) was a colourful blend on the slate and dotted about with vibrant sauces. I particularly liked the beetroot, which was sliced like fettuccine and piled in a tangle. Each bite was smooth and yet crunchy simultaneously and all the other vegetables each had their own intriguing, that word again, texture.
Icelandic Cod Brandade, chorizo, squid, olives, pequillo pepper was perfectly executed and a picture here would be worth a thousand words, except that I hate those pictures bloggers take of their dishes. Always the same angle and either blitzed by the flash or blurred with camera shake. Here the cod had the depth of flavour you only get from fish matured in ice-cold waters. Chorizo and cod for me is always a winner and here the meat was sliced delicately thin so that it didn’t overwhelm the cod. The slight salty tang of the olives and the mild heat of the peppers all worked perfectly together as well.
With ‘Coconut Different texture’ the main focus was coconut compressed and coloured so it looked for all the world like a breaded fillet of fish. It was a complicated dish but not a favourite – a bit like eating a Bounty bar I found. The little squeezy tube of extra sauce was cute though.
Texture is a restaurant that ought to be intimidating but in fact is welcoming and it’s a welcome breath of fresh, ice-cold, air on the scene.
Nick Harman - January 2008
your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne
Great food and reasonably priced! The best was the tender slice of chargrilled pigeon breast with corn puree and decorated by a few bacon popcorns. Surprisingly, the sweet corn puree worked brilliantly with the meat. Superb combination!
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FineDiningExplorer - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Monday, April 21, 2008
Hmm - nearly but not quite. The cavernous room and trek through the neighbouring hotel to get to the (grubby) toilets is a bit-offputting, but the food is truly ambitious: bacon-smoked popcorn and crispy fish skin for nibbles with drinkies set the tone. The tasting menu at £59 is only slightly more than the A La Cart at £49. The bar drinks and wine to accompany the food were over-priced and not quite right. The food was unusual, though marred by the over-chatty service. Would recommend Texture as a one-off - the food is definitely a talking point - though the half-empty dining room on a Saturday night was a bit worrying. Perhaps too many people simply aren't going back for more?
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Mr and Mrs S
Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Is this London's best kept secret? As it opened in Autumn 07 it seems to have missed inclusion in many of the major guides and doesn't register on too many e-restaurant guides, london-eating excepted.
I came across the restaurant by chance over the weekend, and intrigued by the pedigree of the principals and key staff went for a relaxed late lunch on Tuesday and enjoyed myself so much, before leaving I booked for another lunch next week to spread the word to a different group of friends.
We were greeted by a genuine welcome that made us feel we had known the staff for many years.
After some help understanding how the menu works, we took the easy option of the tasting menu supplemented by an additional couple of the lunchtime dishes we wanted to taste as our hommage to Eddie 'Bozo' Miller.
Viewers of Top Gear will be aware all Icelanders are bonkers, and sure enough chef/owner Aggi Sverrisson is two stops short of Dagenham with some of his ideas, but what a meal he produces. Beautifully presented, eclectic combinations, packed with flavour and yes...of course...Texture. At the end, replete but not stuffed.
Couple this to an interesting and extensive wine list as would be expected from a former UK Sommelier of the Year, Xavier Rousset, and synergism results.
Minor gripes would be that the tables for two are a tad small, but there are round tables for larger parties, some of the listed wines are probably too young and prices would not be out of place in downtown Reykjavik, but value and quality are to be had, and there are plenty of wines available by the glass, plus a welcome beer list.
I would urge you to go, it is a restaurant that deserves patronage. I'm already looking forward to my next visit.
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Hawko
Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Called on a Saturday afternoon on the chance of a table that evening and got one. Although it was a 7-9 sitting we were made to feel very welcome and in no way rushed. They've certainly got the welcome spot on.
We tried the fish tasting menu and it was *incredible*. Light and delicious and each plate was an art masterpiece. They did a dramatic thing with a cold tuna dish where there was cool and beautifully scented smoke under a porcelain dome that they lifted from your plate.
They did a scallop dish with something they called "cauliflower cous cous" which knocked our socks off.
The dining room doesn't have many tables so it feels special and the service is friendly but super professional.
I could go on - a real 10 out of 10 experience and good value.
If you're in two minds - take it from me and don't hesitate.
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George C - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Sunday, December 09, 2007
The tasting menu was possibly the best meal I've ever had - every course was great. Whilst the menu might read a little over-complicated, I think everything has actually been very carefully thought out, and the execution was fantastic. I'll def be back.
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A
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Beautiful place, feels like you are in a friend's dining room rather than a restaurant. The service was great: prompt seating, just the right amount of attention... the food is very interesting, though some of the dishes seemed a bit overcomplicated. The Cornish Crab starter was, in my opinion, exquisite. One negative thing - we each ordered an individual desert, but were also given and charged for the petit fours. Not a big deal, but seems unnecessary...
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GR
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Monday, October 22, 2007
Loved this restaurant! The food is really excellent (which makes a nice change from other much hyped central London restaurants) and prices are in line with the fantastic service and quality of food. I went with 5 friends on a Friday night and although two of my party were late, the staff didn't rush us or demand that the table had to be back within the seemingly standard 2 hours that drives me crazy at other restaurants. Definitely worth a return visit, and I would also recommend arriving early so that you can check out the champagne bar.
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Jill
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, October 11, 2007
I had a great meal there the other day, this place has Michelin star writen all over it, and it would not supprise me if they got 2* strait off the bat, and for a brand new resturant, i peronaly think that Texture Resturant is going places, and i cannot wait to go back IMO
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paul
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
