Refinement of Work. 5 Savile Row. This is the decryption of the name. The decryption of the food is more interesting. Citing Frantzén and Jordnær as inspirations, Jason Atherton's Row on 5 has been open since November (24th, to be exact) 2024, and has done an exceptional job of bringing the French-based cooking with a (preodominantly) Japanese twist that those aforementioned restaurants have become well known for, to London. Row on 5 is an offshoot of Jason's Dubai restaurant, Row on 45 (which achieved 2 Michelin stars 7 months after opening; Row on 5 was awarded 1 star when it debuted in the guide), with the restaurants acting like two sides of the same coin, trading off the focuses on French technique and Japanese ingredients, respectively.
With this short review, I am adding my voice to the chorus that are saying that, at just 10 months of age, Row on 5 is already one of the best restaurants in London. There are only one or two elements in a couple of dishes that I think do not hit the heady heights of everything else on display here; the lobster sauce, which is incredibly time-intensive and incorporates a daunting list of ingredients, is surprisingly light. When paired with the honey butter that accompanies the shokupan, it is delightful, but left to its own devices in adorning the lobster, it is lacking. Similarly, the sea bass dish skewed too heavily towards citrus, and could have done with some cream to bring weight and balance.
But these are slight notes, and altogether Row on 5 provides incredible flavours and sauces, the type that are worthy of their Inspirations. Apart from the two mentioned, this leaves 13 courses that were knockouts. The five appetizers alone I would happily have had a continuation of, as artfully presented and balanced as they were.
Personalized chopsticks to take home are really the cherry on the icing on the cake that is an exceptional meal. 2 stars can't be far away.
Courses:
1. 'Cheese & Onion'
2. Louëtt-Fesseur Oyster
3. Bluefin Tuna
4. Inverness Langoustine (in two parts)
5. Orkney Scallop
6. Potato and Caviar
7. Singapore Native Lobster
8. Sea Bass 'Au Poivre'
9. Sika Deer
10. Colston Basset Stilton
11. Solliés Fig
12. Hugh Lowe Blackberries
13. Tea & Cake
14. Oswaldo 71 %
15. Petits Fours (Vanilla and Tonka Bean Fudge; Kentish Raspberry, Red Shiso Pâté de Fruits; Millionaire Shortbread Bon Bon; Sicilian Pistachio and Matcha Macaron)
by MaaDFoXX
Dining and Cooking