Morden & Lea: An unexpected gem
Leicester Square is where the cosmopolitan culture of the Capital goes to die. When walking the tourist drowned streets of Chinatown we can’t say we have ever thought, “this would be the perfect place to open a modern British restaurant”. Luckily, former Claridge’s head chef and Gordon Ramsay protégé, Mark Sargeant, did. Adding to a portfolio that already includes Plum + Spilt Milk, Rocksalt and a director position at The Strand Dining Rooms, Mark introduces his new venture Morden & Lea.
THE CUISINE
Crafted by Sargeant alongside head chef Daniel Mertl (previously of Chez Bruce, The Savoy and La Gavroche) you will find a menu of sharing plates and tartines downstairs and a rich British brasserie-style dining upstairs. When they say British produce they mean it, the suppliers are proudly name-dropped throughout the menu and the quality shines through on every plate, small or big.
THE VIBE
Traditional British restaurants in London tend to fall into two types: extremely stuffy or extremely tired. One glimpse at Morden’s branding and you’ll realise that this new spot plans to fit into neither. Bar the rather odd collections of stock framed photos, the design has an airy, modern and industrial feel throughout.
THE FOOD
It seems almost prerequisite now that any new London eatery has to have that “must have” dish, destined to fill up the feeds of every foodie Instagram and generate FOMO frenzy amongst the masses. In this case, the blogosphere has already feverously taken to Morden’s crabmeat sausage roll. Served with brown meat ketchup, the delicate crab meat works perfectly with Sargeant’s light and deliciously flaky pastry. It’s a much more refined bite than the tepid, greasy parcels found on your rushed lunchtime Greggs visits.
In the upstairs brasserie prepare for refined highlights, the cumin roast quail starter for example was wonderfully complex, served with exceptional smoked aubergine, fluffy polenta chips and spiced yoghurt. Also making a star appearance is the overwhelmingly trademarked Gypsy tart. If you didn’t experience this delight at his King’s Cross restaurant Plum + Spilt Milk, then you must order this, no questions asked, and prepare for a delightfully heady sweetness of condensed milk and muscovado sugar whipped into a cloud-like lightness, floating on a bed of salted caramel. Not that I liked it or anything…
THE DRINKS
The cocktail menu varies between floors, so you’ll have to try both of course. Much to the pleasure of any single malt slinging Gent; a lot of them come strong. End your evening with the James E. Pepper, blending Jamaican rum, Scottish lowlands dram, tobacco and Peruvian butters. It hits hard and smoky – all that’s missing is a Cuban for your other hand.
THE DAMAGE
We could see that given their quality one could rack up a bill on the ground floor sharing plates if you weren’t keeping tabs. However, at £29 for two or £35 for 3 courses on the fixed price upper floor, it’s extremely well-priced food for an area that often overcharges and underperforms.
CONCLUSION
With this new opening we see Mark Sergeant continuing in his string of successes. Next time you brave the masses at Piccadilly Circus, stroll with gloating entitlement past the pre-show amblers to your secret haven of refinement in the midst of M&Ms world shopping bags and selfie sticks.
BEST FOR
Stay downstairs for casual post-work drinks (and nibbles to quell the school-night hangover!). Skip upstairs for dinner dates and group catch-ups over a “proper” dinner.
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