The ”Cod” , as it is affectionately referred to by the locals, is a pub with a lot of attitude – partly because of its clientele of regulars, partly because of its location (in the middle of a Knightsbridge, Chelsea and South Ken triangle), partly because of its enclosed garden, and in large part because of its well-deserved reputation for serving outstanding meals.
The Cod has long been THE place to go to for sea food so we rather looked forward to trying out its newly launched fish menu.
We arrived to an already booked up dining room and ordered a bottle of the house rose – a Sasha Lichine “single” blend of mostly Grenache with some Cinsault and Syrah, all generic grape varieties of the Languedoc. For those who are tempted to order it based on the name alone (Alexis Lichine was Sasha’s father and owner of famous Château d’Esclans in nearby Provence), you’d be rewarded with a fairly sophisticated rose, infinitely better than the standard issue house wine served in any English establishment.
We started with the Halibut Carpaccio and the Portland Crab with avocado salad. Now, Halibut carpaccio can be a pretty plain dish and any chef who can make it explode with flavour deserves a medal. The secret is in the dressing, of course – this can either overwhelm the delicate fish or leave it tasting bland.
The Cod’s Lime & coriander, orange slice and mixed herbs dressing was just so and for once, I had all the greens on my plate. Similarly dressed was the salad that accompanied the Portland Crab – citrus-driven, delicious. The crab was presented as two separate mini-portions: the dark meat on toast; the white meat as a robustly flavoured terrine. The dark meat was creamy and rich as it should be.
Our mains were the Grilled Tuna Nicoise with lemon oil and herb dressing and the Grilled Jumbo Gambas with citrus chilli butter and side salad.
The tuna steaks must have been marinated because, not only were they cooked to a slightly pink inside perfection, they tasted divine. Here is the place to say it: the chef at the Cod is not afraid to use the correct amount of salt in his dressings and marinades. The result is superbly seasoned food, oozing with complex, citrus-infused flavours.
The Gambas were as described: fresh and massive, with a delicately spiced butter sauce on the side. To those of you who routinely leave their greens on the plate, don’t – the chef’s dressing makes them worth mentioning periodically in this review.
We finished with an English cheese platter between us. I would advise a glass of port with it as the cheeses were on the strong, mature side. Served with home-made jellied chutney, they would appeal to the serious cheese connoisseur.
A great alternative to the many restaurants in the area, The Cod combines great food with a well-established identity and atmosphere.
The Admiral Codrington, 17 Mossop St, London SW3 2LY
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