L'Oranger

Address:	5 St James's Street SW1A 1EF
Tel	020 7839 3774
Email:	oranger.functions@gmail.com
Website:	Visit L'Oranger website
Price: £69.00	Wine: £19.00	Champagne: £48.00
Opening Hours:	Mon-Fri 12N-2.30pm Mon-Sat 6-11pm

Square Meal review of L'Oranger:

This softly-spoken St James’s institution treated itself to a refurb in 2007 & the refreshed interiors have gone down well with its clubland clientele. There’s nothing fuddy-duddy about L’Oranger, however: while the chairs & banquettes have the well-upholstered luxury you’d expect from the location, an atrium floods the warm-toned dining room with light, & the cheery staff go about their business without a trace of stiffness. The same is true of the cooking from chef Laurent Michel, whose Provencal background lends the menus a sunny, south-of-France accent to brighten up the predictably top-end ingredients. So Jerusalem artichoke soup might be partnered by deep-fried cromesquis of foie gras, or wild sea bass steamed with aniseed & accompanied by cucumber, girolle mushrooms & radishes & served with a pomegranate dressing. Prices, too, are predictably top-end, though a business lunch menu (two courses for £27) has considerably more choice than in many fine-dining establishments.

Wine List: France dominates the list & the classic areas of Burgundy & Bordeaux stand out, but there are also some interesting bins from the south. Outside of France, Italy is noteworthy. While there are only six wines by the glass, an excellent range of halves makes up for this. However high mark ups are a problem, with little choice under £30. Best Buy White 2004 Clos d’Yvigne Princesses de Cleves, Bergerac, France, £28. Best Buy Red 2003 Quinta do Infantado, Douro Valley, Portugal, £28.

L'Oranger Location: