Granger and Co’s Marylebone site is Bill Granger’s fifth London location, the latest step on his apparent mission to takeover the British capital. After experiencing the fine food, fun cocktails and generous service, we can wholeheartedly say that we support this mission.
If there’s one word to describe the décor, it’s elegant. Granger and Co is understated and effortlessly trendy, with muted tones and chic touches like gold accents, contemporary wall art and golden pepper cellars. The venue is deceptively big, with a curtain obscuring the back section, which features a large skylight and mirrors, giving the space a light and airy feel.
Cocktails first: a flavoursome yuzu and lemon sour and a decent passion fruit bellini were sipped leisurely before starters. Salty marcona almonds arrived lightly dusted with flour, while squid was complimented well by a garlicky aioli. The standout starter however was the labneh, dukkah and sourdough; tearing apart the crisp crackly crust and scooping the lemony creamy labneh and cumin-heavy was nothing short of sensational.
Portions here are very generous, as we discovered when our tofu and squash coconut curry and chicken schnitzel with creamed corn arrived. The curry was well-balanced, with enough spice to tingle the tastebuds without overpowering the creamy flavours, while the schnitzel took on a bold task in combining the flavours of lemon, sauerkrout and creamed corn - a risk which paid off. A fresh leafy side salad and some spicy and garlicky blistered green beans were the ideal accompaniment.
There’s always room for dessert, and we managed to cram in tiramisu which was a perfect blend of darkness, thanks to the coffee and chocolate, and lightness from the fluffy texture, as well as some fudgy peanut brittle.
Faultless food was accompanied by faultless service - friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Granger & Co is a welcome addition to Marylebone's fun restaurant scene.