Beautifully Presented Food That's Missing A Kick

The Ninth ★★★☆☆

Tabish Khan
By Tabish Khan Last edited 68 months ago
Beautifully Presented Food That's Missing A Kick The Ninth 3
The swanky interior of the Ninth.

Two delicately filled razor clam shells arrive at our table, and the contents are beautifully presented. As we polish off these tasty treats we can't help but think that something's missing. Wait, was there any actual razor clam in it? We look across at our friend and she looks equally confused. There was, we just can't remember tasting it.

The beautifully presented razor clams, but something's missing.

This one dish neatly sums up our dining experience, in that we consume a selection of good-looking snacks that all feel like they are missing something, whether it be an extra punch of flavour or a bit more substance.

We're dining at The Ninth, a restaurant on Charlotte Street, the Fitzrovia road known for its many dining options. There are two ways to enjoy the offerings at The Ninth — the full blown menu or the lighter terrace and bar menu that we're sampling.

The duck scotch egg that could do with a spicy kick.

The duck scotch egg is missing the spicy kick that would elevate it to a new take on a traditional dish, and the mussels feel like they've been over-salted. The Panzanella, a tomato and bread salad, does the job. The Barbajuans (cheese pastries) have a full-on flavour but it's hard to distinguish which cheeses we're sampling.

All the dishes tasted lovely, it's just that nothing felt memorable to us and that's a bit of a let down given how well all the dishes are presented.

The panzanella salad hit the spot.

We do stray to the main menu for dessert and the pain perdu is divine. It's a take on french toast that's been soaked for 24 hours so that the inside liquefies into what can only be described as a bread custard. It's easily the most memorable dish of the evening.

This pain perdu is divine.

Given dessert comes from a main menu that's been receiving rave reviews, it does make us think that the terrace menu diners are missing out on the best The Ninth has to offer. Visitors may wish to plump up a bit more cash if dining here, as it looks like it pays off to go all in for the full experience.

The Ninth London is at 22 Charlotte Street, W1T 2NB. Nearest underground station is Goodge Street.  The meal in the review would cost circa £20 per head excluding drinks.

Last Updated 12 July 2018