At the beginning of 2024 I never thought I’d hear myself say the words “can you take me to Cornus please… at the top of The Ice Factory?” No, not words from a Doctor Who script, but words uttered in a taxi in Belgravia, the location of Medlar’s new sister restaurant not yet on Google Maps at the time of visiting, let alone part of The Knowledge.
Sequels and follow-ups are notoriously difficult. But there’s something to be said for being more tortoise than hare and waiting for the right moment. The creative industries provide plenty of precedent for taking one’s time: there has been a nine-year gap between David Gilmour’s most recent solo albums, 26 years elapsed between series two and three of Twin Peaks, and 36 years for the new Beetlejuice film (though the latter should probably have been left behind in 1988). The experienced co-owners of the already excellent Medlar, David O’Connor and Joe Mercer-Nairne, seem to belong to the slow and steady school, allowing ideas to develop like the flavours in a decent ragù. Whether or not a second restaurant was ever in the works when Medlar first opened in 2011, the time spent thinking, testing and planning has paid off. I’m just going to say it: Cornus is one of the best new openings of the year.
Whilst Cornus has much of Medlar’s DNA, it is a different proposition: less of a neighbourhood restaurant for Chelsea regulars but a special occasion place with clear fine dining ambitions (and prices to match). They have also assembled a hospitality dream team with Melania Battiston in charge of wine, Kelly Cullen on pastry (from recently-closed Allegra) and head chef Gary Foulkes (formerly of Angler and The Square). All ego is left at the glass door though; indeed, the langoustine dish is in honour of Phil Howard.
Cornus is one of the best new openings of the year… other restaurants could learn from this absolute masterclass in hospitality
There is also, rather magnificently, a striking marble bar as you enter the otherwise pristine, if slightly arid, dining room. Led by bar manager Mario Aranguez, there are a number of intriguing house specials such as the Clarified Coffee Negroni, but on this visit a classic gin martini seemed the appropriate pre-prandial choice. This was made perfectly to order, and after the first ice-cold sip a free gougère just materialised – daintier than the gougères at Medlar but covered in a Himalayan snowfall of parmesan, the umami of the cheese accompanying the juniper and citrus of the martini beautifully. There was no rush to move to the restaurant area – they let you take your time at the aperitif stage – but once ensconced in a banquette, bread was provided gratis and a glass of perfectly clear ice cubes was regularly replenished throughout the meal. These are just a couple of examples of their meticulous attention to detail, all so massively impressive this early on in the restaurant’s life.
Eavesdropping on the neighbouring table’s observations, they seemed unimpressed by the interior design, commenting that the predominantly bare walls aren’t very inspiring. Perhaps they have never been to St John. Like there, Cornus has no decorative distractions from the food which speaks for itself.
Warm salad of artichokes, crispy quail’s eggs, summer beans and black Australian truffle
Southdown lamb with romero pepper piperade, lamb kofta, fried capers and olives at Cornus
Millefeuille of English raspberries with lemon verbena cream and baked raspberry ice cream
And what food, all made with ingredients of luxurious provenance and extreme precision. A warm salad of artichokes, crispy quail’s eggs, summer beans and black Australian truffle may have looked a little crowded on the plate but every element was there for a reason, a dish greater than the sum of its parts (combined with the genius of the egg yolks providing moisture in place of a vinaigrette).
Heavenly Southdown lamb with romero pepper piperade, lamb kofta, fried capers and olives brought elements of Greece and the Basque region to the plate. The lamb rump had been cooked and rested well, and Melania Battiston recommended an appropriate red to match the dish (being a sommelier in the truest sense – your trusted wine counsel rather than a salesperson).
There was no dropping the ball in Kelly Cullen’s pastry section: a sideways-on millefeuille of English raspberries with lemon verbena cream and baked raspberry ice cream was perfectly balanced and a joy to devour.
There’s no sugar-coating the expense at Cornus; the prices are there for all to see with no starter less than £20, mains around £35-50, coffee with petit fours at £7, all of which easily racks up. But when you consider the quality of the ingredients (such as Arnaud Tauzin’s chicken from the Landes region in France) and the capable hands they’re in, as well as the staff’s years of experience which help to deliver flawless customer service, the value is fair. Ditto the wine, where on a quick spot check of the list, the mark-ups are better than most high-end London restaurants, and there’s a very affordable selection by the glass.
Searching for any criticism reminds me of an old dentist of mine who always tried to find something – anything – with his little mirror to justify some sort of remedial work. But as much as I try to poke around with my critical scraper, no fillings are required, and return visits will be a pure sybaritic pleasure. Perhaps, just perhaps, a little more sauce with the lamb dish would elevate it further (as per the generous bisque with the hand-rolled spaghetti in Cornish lobster). And maybe just one constructive suggestion would be to supplement the tasting menu with a cheaper set menu at lunchtimes like its older sibling Medlar (where it’s £47.50 for three courses), or a plat du jour in the vein of Josephine Bouchon or Café Deco.
On paying the bill and booking a return visit before even leaving The Ice Factory, I congratulated co-owner and omnipresent manager David O’Connor. He replied, “well, we still have a lot of work to do.” That very modest response made me love the restaurant even more; this is a place of quiet understatement, not the mixed salad of hubris and pretension that we so often get with new London openings. Indeed, other restaurants could learn from this absolute masterclass in hospitality.
There isn’t much work to do other than maintaining its brilliance. Cornus has the makings of a new destination restaurant – one that is now on Google Maps.
27c Eccleston Place
London
SW1W 9NF
September 2024
