Walking around London you have the culinary world at your fingertips, but sometimes finding somewhere amongst the myriad of choices can be a challenge as you're simply spoilt!
After a morning of sightseeing with my partner it was time for a lunchtime treat at the Indigo Restaurant, in the mezzanine of One Aldwych hotel. A venue I have visited numerous times during fashion week, its perfect when popping along to see the Handpicked Media ladies or just for a good coffee in between shows. Until now however, I'd never had the chance to come in and actually sample their food. 
On arrival we were greeted by friendly door staff and then escorted to the Indigo Resturant on the first floor. I hadn't ever realised but the restaurant has a mezzine that over looks the lobby/bar area, so you can enjoy looking over what is happening down there, gaze out of the elegantly long windows and of course, relax, in a calm setting.
Our impeccably turned out waiter took our outerwear with a flourish and led us to our table, with beautifully presented menus appearing at our table side. Looking around it was clear this was a hotel for all sorts of occasions from business lunches to theater goers, or just having a break after a spot of shopping. The interior was quite simplistic but rather classically stylish,nothing too ostentatious, just understated elegance. 
On browsing the menu we were both spoilt for choice with the eclectic mixture of items available, however in the end the set menu really caught my attention and decided to go for that. You may think dining at a venue like this would be prohibitivly expensive, but actually their set menus are very reasonable, with two courses only £19.75 and three courses for £23.75. StartersBroccoli velouté, Stilton and toasted almonds (v)(n)
Grilled Cornish mackerel, orange, watercress, red onion salad
Rillettes of Suffolk pork, cornichons, toasted country breadMainsDry-aged 170g sirloin of Scottish beef, roasted banana shallots, hand-cut fries
Pan-fried Gurnard fillet, crushed Jersey Royals, baby carrots and chives
Potato gnocchi, kale, butternut squash, roast beetroot and soft herbs (v)DessertsPistachio and polenta cake, poached pear and cinnamon ice cream (n)
Chocolate tart, crème fraîche
Crème brulée, blood orange
Starters
Broccoli velouté, Stilton and toasted almonds (v)(n)Grilled Cornish mackerel, orange, watercress, red onion salad
Rillettes of Suffolk pork, cornichons, toasted country bread
MainsDry-aged 170g sirloin of Scottish beef, roasted banana shallots, hand-cut fries
Pan-fried Gurnard fillet, crushed Jersey Royals, baby carrots and chives
Potato gnocchi, kale, butternut squash, roast beetroot and soft herbs (v)
DessertsPistachio and polenta cake, poached pear and cinnamon ice cream (n)
Chocolate tart, crème fraîche
Crème brulée, blood orange
- See more at: http://www.onealdwych.com/food-drink/indigo/sample-menus/fixed-price-menu#sthash.PTEiRMDq.dpufStarters
Broccoli velouté, Stilton and toasted almonds (v)(n)
Grilled Cornish mackerel, orange, watercress, red onion salad
Rillettes of Suffolk pork, cornichons, toasted country bread
MainsDry-aged 170g sirloin of Scottish beef, roasted banana shallots, hand-cut fries
Pan-fried Gurnard fillet, crushed Jersey Royals, baby carrots and chives
Potato gnocchi, kale, butternut squash, roast beetroot and soft herbs (v)
DessertsPistachio and polenta cake, poached pear and cinnamon ice cream (n)
Chocolate tart, crème fraîche
Crème brulée, blood orange
- See more at: http://www.onealdwych.com/food-drink/indigo/sample-menus/fixed-price-menu#sthash.PTEiRMDq.dpufWhilst sipping on our chilled Chablis, selected by my other half from an extensive and varied wine list, to start we both decided to go for the grilled Cornish mackerel. I never like anything too heavy to begin with so where possible I will always order seafood, and this particular dish sounded light but zesty.
On arrival it was beautifully presented with a complex shades of color from the watercress, orange and red onions. The soft fish blended with the texture of the crunchy salad complimented perfectly, but better yet the zesty flashes from the orange wedges and the sweetness of the red onion made it even better. A delicious start. 
If you ever read my blog or any of my food reviews you will be fully aware of my devotion to gnocchi - I love it. When I saw that my favorite was on the menu I felt it would be rude not to order, the last time I'd eaten gnocchi the base was very creamy so I was looking forward to having a different twist on this dish. Firstly the presentation was spot on along with the portion size as sometimes having a large portion of gnocchi can be too much but this was just right. The textures and tenderness of the beetroot partnered with the leafy spinach and al dente butternut squash were a match made in heaven!
My other half decided to go for the steak which I was told was absolutely amazing, cooked to perfection and flavoursome whilst remaining tender. 
Onto the final dish and instead of going for chocolate I selected the pistachio and polenta cake. My default setting seems to be chocolate (!) but I've given it up for lent, so when I saw this I was eager to try something out of my comfort zone. All I can say is that I am thrilled I selected this one, as once I began eating it I wished it would never end! The spongy cake, full of flavor and teamed with delicately soft poached pears, next to a succulent scoop of homemade vanilla icecream... and of course not forgetting the sprinkle of crumble on top! There isn't any other word to say but, yummy!
My other half went for my other option which was of course the Crème brulée, blood orange, and I must admit when I saw it I wish I had enough space to eat that as well! This wasn't like any other crème brulée I've had as the base was far smoother than others, but the beautifully crisp layer on top partnered very well with such a creamy base. A divine end to a spectacular lunch. 
I think the plate says it all.
One thing I will say is that whilst we over looked the lobby bar I spied a number of people indulging in the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea. When I say I was jealous... I was green with envy as it just looked spectacular! Wonkalicious!! I will certainly be trying that next time... watch this space!Being in such a calming and effortlessly cool location, yet a stones throw from the West End and the endless London adventures makes One Aldwych the perfect setting for lunch, dinner, or an overnight stay (yep, its a hotel too!). To summarise I'd say this lunch was absolutely scrumptious, affordable and a fantastic location to relax amongst the buzz of London.
