Indigo at One Aldwych: Pre-Theatre Bliss

A POSH SPOT FOR DINNER: Indigo at One Aldwych in London. Photo: Courtesy of Indigo at One Aldwych.

INDIGO RESTAURANT
Inside One Aldwych Hotel
One Aldwych
London, United Kingdom
WC2B 4BZ
020-7300 1000, http://www.onealdwych.com/food-drink/indigo

By Scott Harrah

Looking for a great pre-theatre dinner in London’s West End? Indigo is an elegant place for a quick bite, with a unique twist on classic British cuisine. Located inside the posh five-star One Aldwych Hotel in Covent Garden, Indigo is within walking distance to all the beautiful theatres in Central London.

Recently renovated back in April to the specifications of executive chef Dominic Teague, with a new state-of-the-art kitchen, Indigo is located above the downstairs bar area and is a great place to relax with a cocktail, a glass of wine and a quick but hearty, healthy meal before dashing off to a show.

During our recent week visiting London to review West End shows, we stopped at Indigo to sample their excellent “set menu.” Everything on the lunch and dinner menus is gluten-free (important for those on restricted diets) and the menu carefully notes which dishes are strictly vegetarian and which contain nuts. In addition, the bread baked in-house is also gluten-free. The restaurant uses carefully sourced ingredients from the British Isles, from healthy dishes to heartier fare.

DIVINE CHOICES: (left) organic lamb rump, samphire, smoked aubergine, capers & anchovy & (right) fillet of halibut, marinated heritage tomatoes, Jersey Royals & black olives at Indigo at One Aldwych. Photo: Courtesy of Indigo at One Aldwych.

LEEK SOUP: With potatoes & wild garlic. A great starter at Indigo. Photo: Scott Harrah

The starters include leek soup (potato and wild garlic); crispy confit duck leg (with pickled heritage carrots and truffle honey vinaigrette); and cured Scottish salmon (with apple, dill and crab apple blossom). The leek soup is light and the perfect appetizer on a warm summer evening. My dining companion chose the Scottish salmon, which he said was delicious, particularly with the flavor of the dill and apple.

BEER-BATTERED DAY BOAT FISH: With hand-cut chips, crushed peas & tartare sauce. Photo: Courtesy of Indigo at One Aldwych.

BREAST OF CORN-FED CHICKEN (with buckwheat, broad beans and girolles) at Indigo at One Aldwych. Photo: Scott Harrah

Mains include breast of corn-fed chicken (with buckwheat, broad beans and girolles); pan-fried Brixham plaice on the bone (samphire, wild fennel, tomato and lemon); and roasted cauliflower (with toasted pumpkin seeds, aged balsamic and sea purslane). We opted for the chicken, which was delightfully served as perfectly carved chicken breasts over the buckwheat, beans and girolles (British mushrooms with a faint flavor of apricot, a perfect complement to the chicken).

QUINOA: Served with peas, broad beans, smoked almonds. Photo: Courtesy of Indigo at One Aldwych.

For dessert, choose from Valrhona chocolate mousse with English raspberries; flat peach (almond, white peach sorbet); and rice milk panna cotta (with poached rhubarb).

For the set menu, it’s 20 pounds for two courses and 25 pounds for three.

We’re especially grateful to Nicholas Kerle, Assistant Restaurant Manager at Indigo at One Aldwych. Mr. Kerle answered all our questions about the food, took our orders and made certain we had a pleasant dinner.

Indigo has a relaxing ambiance, situated above the bar, so you can dine and look down at the panoramic view of the place. Indigo is trendy but not at all pretentious, the food is of excellent quality, and the pre-theatre menu is certainly affordable. Quite simply, Indigo at One Aldwych is pre-theatre bliss.