Tredwell’s, Seven Dials (Covent Garden) Reviewed

Tredwell’s, a new restaurant from Michelin starred chef Marcus Wareing, can be found nestled in the vibrant and eclectic Seven Dials area of Covent Garden. Wareing has rightly earned himself oodles of prestige in the culinary sphere and we believe Tredwell’s is another fantastic addition to his restaurant portfolio. Unlike his eponymously titled restaurant in Knightsbridge and his Grand British cuisine in Kings Cross, this new concept has been posited as a “casual, family neighbourhood” style eatery. For us, this was an intriguing opportunity to see if the style of the other restaurants would be honed into a more relaxed affair, or if this would be a completely unique experience.

The restaurant itself is a modern take on New York and Paris dining, whilst promising proud British cuisine and produce. The perfect way to kick of our experience was to start with a cocktail (as is the perfect way to start most meals). Shortly after arriving at Tredwell’s, the highly professional and amicable staff had created a “Down the Apples & Pears” (Belvedere Vodka, apple, pear, egg white, thyme £9.50), for us to sample. The combination of the light texture from the egg white, coupled with the apple and thyme made for a cocktail with finesse and balance. The egg white here being utilised perfectly, gave the drink it’s airiness and this made a fantastic backdrop for the apple and light pear tones. Take a look below. The cocktail menu, as we were to find out, is a good indicator of the restaurant’s wider intent. In this case, it perfectly summed up Tredwell’s seeming desire to pull on influences old and to give a modern twists where necessary.

Our meal begin with the hot smoked salmon, grilled courgette & watercress sauce (£8) and the Grilled prawns, sweetcorn, cornbread, prawn butter (£10). It has to be said, each dish was quite exquisitely crafted with a high level of skill, technique and attention. For example, the hot smoked salmon is smoked on site and it was done so to perfection. Each dish here had the initial air of simplicity and we were allowed to fully enjoy the heroes of the dish (the smoked salmon and grilled prawns), without feeling overwhelmed with additional flavours. However, this was a part of the mastery; because once you began looking into the dish in detail and analysing the processes put into making such a dish, it soon became apparent that there was an abundance of skill beneath. The prawn butter and sweetcorn for example not overbearing the grilled prawns (which would be easily done), but gently supplementing the natural flavour and enhancing the overall dish.

As we moved on into our mains, I am happy to report that the high standard of food carried on and our dining experience kept getting better. Having sampled the fish offerings to start, it seemed a prime time to descend into the Tredwell’s beef repertoire. The slow cooked, smoked beef short rib (£29) was a melt in the mouth, tender and bold piece of meat. By that I mean it was bold not only in flavour, but also in size – it was very large indeed!

For me however, the 35 dry aged Ribeye was the star. This steak was modest in size (especially when compared to the short rib), but packed wonderfully honest and hearty flavour. To top this off, a velvety and rich peppercorn sauce worked well with the beef to bring the flavours to the fore.

To compliment the dishes we also tried the extravagant truffled macaroni cheese and grilled broccoli, with a toasted almond butter. The truffled macaroni cheese was a delight and encapsulated the menus seeming mission to elevate the ordinary.

Our deserts were also a fantastic success and a great exploration of the sense (see some below). All in all, our experience at Tredwell’s was a good one. The casual and relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant made for a truly memorable, comfortable and satisfying meal. It should also be added that the food and drinks available were disarmingly simple in their aesthetics, but oozing with modern techniques and skill once you began to peel back the layers. For us the balance between high-end flavour and casual dining was perfect and we hope it’s not too long before we return.