Working Lunch at The Ninth: This romantic Michelin-starred hideaway in Soho is perfect for date night, uh, a client lunch
The Ninth
22 Charlotte Street, W1T
WHAT AND WHERE? This modern European restaurant has a lot of competition in the heart of Fitzrovia’s advertising land, yet the fact it won a Michelin star in 2017 should make you pay attention. Now nearly three years old, it’s still a low-key fine dining find in a space that’s the epitome of rustic romance, with exposed bulbs and bricks, dark wood tables and leather seats.
WHO? American-born, Japanese-British chef Jun Tanaka is best known for being a Saturday Kitchen regular as well as presenting Channel 4’s Cooking It. He’s trained in French classical cuisine, working with the Roux brothers at Le Gavroche and Marco Pierre White before leaving Pearl at the Chancery Court Hotel to open The Ninth in Soho.
Inside The Ninth
WHAT’S THE DEAL? There’s a lunch set menu that offers three plates for £27 (£32 with a glass of wine ) that has a sprinkling of favourites, not least the roast pheasant with pickled autumn veg, and a rich gnocchi with wild mushrooms served in the pan it was fried in. That doesn’t include dessert as this is primarily a la carte with dishes made to share. We recommend five dishes between two for dinner.
WHAT SHOULD I ORDER? We honestly didn’t have a bad dish on our visit, so you can’t go wrong. There’s a Wild Pasta menu that’s running for the next few months, though, showcasing the season’s best game and mushrooms. Pheasant ravioli, more akin to bulging dumplings, is a hearty choice, sitting in an umami-packed consomme. For a lighter dish, the razor clam ceviche served in its shell delivers a citrusy smack. Food adventurers have to try thinly sliced veal tongue in tonnato, a sort of fishy mayonnaise.
ROOM FOR DESSERT? Tarte Tartin and rosemary ice cream is obligatory. It’s sticky, crispy and savoury in all the right places; a textured masterpiece that’s worth waiting around for.
That pheasant ravoli in consomme
BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? During the day, its industrial aesthetic is the perfect professional atmosphere for hosting cool clients, who will come away convinced you’ve got amazing taste in both food and lighting design. In the evening, it’s a date night spot, with tables set up for two and extremely low lighting in case you’re a bit hungover from your Working Lunch.
NEED TO BOOK? Towards the end of the week, yes. Email [email protected] or call 020 3019 0880.