Portland, Fitzrovia

Portland opened in Fitzrovia in 2015 and gained its Michelin star later that same year, which it has retained ever since. Now part of the Woodhead Restaurant Group, alongside Clipstone, Quality Chop House and 64 Goodge Street, it positions itself as contemporary fine dining without tablecloths or theatrics. Precise cooking, strong produce, no frills.

Practical details

We visited to try the four-course £55 early dinner menu, available daily between 5:30pm and 6:30pm. It’s a set menu with no choices, so my friend and I ate the same dishes throughout.

While it sits at the higher end of early/pre-theatre pricing, for a Michelin-starred restaurant in central Fitzrovia I’d still consider it competitive. For context, the usual à la carte pricing is £49/£59 for two or three courses at lunch and £95 for three courses at dinner.

Interiors

The dining room is understated and calm. Relaxed rather than showy, which the anti-white-tablecloth brigade will appreciate. Personally, I prefer a little more personality and atmosphere. It felt polished but slightly lacking in wow factor. They did, however, have a private dining room downstairs which looked lovely.

Starters

We began with an additional amuse bouche of onion and ricotta parmentiers. Sweet, savoury and crisp.

The fried artichoke with sour cream, chilli and chive was interesting. Good bite, with a gentle heat and creaminess. Thoughtful and well executed, though I found the sour cream slightly heavy. A little more freshness would have sharpened it.

The truffle beef tartare was more mixed. The beef was finely cut and well seasoned, paired with a strong tarragon mayo that dominated the truffle. The toast, unfortunately, felt slightly stale, which was a touch disappointing.

Then came sourdough with whipped whey butter and a hay-infused hollandaise. The hollandaise was the first real moment of impact. Smoky, rich and creamy, even if slightly awkward to spread on the bread (perhaps we were supposed to dunk?! It was unclear).

Mains

The pan-fried gurnard had crisp skin, though the flesh was slightly over for my liking. The saffron bisque was creamy, rich and well seasoned. The peeled roasted cherry tomatoes were the highlight, bringing small bursts of sweetness that lifted the plate. The braised salsify was well cooked with a little bite. The dried tomato crisp was slightly chewy and didn’t add much. A very tasty dish, but not especially memorable.

The beef course was stronger: fillet with braised cheek, potato rosti and cavolo nero. Both cuts were well executed, tender and flavourful, with a rich, silky jus. The rosti was perfectly crisp. The mash was smooth and comforting, though if described as ‘duck fat mash’ I would have liked a deeper duck fat flavour and slightly richer mouthfeel.

The side of grilled calçot onions with romesco felt unnecessary. The romesco was sharp and slightly jarring against the richness of the beef, and we didn’t finish it. There was already cavolo nero on the plate, so the extra vegetable felt redundant and skewed our perception of an otherwise delicious main. I would happily have taken a second rosti instead.

Wines

There wasn’t a full wine pairing for the early menu, but there were recommended wines by the glass alongside certain dishes. We started with an English sparkling (£18) and chose the recommended red with the beef (£12). Both were excellent, and the red paired particularly well with the richness of the jus. I appreciated that the suggested wines weren’t prohibitively priced.

Dessert

Dessert was an apple crumble tart with vanilla ice cream and hazelnut custard. Technically well executed and balanced, with a strong hazelnut flavour that worked beautifully. The combination of flavours reminded me of a really good, fruity granola. Delicious and satisfying, though again, not a surprising combination of flavours.

To finish, petit fours of madeleines and caramel chocolates were served. The madeleines were buttery and the chocolates rich and well made. A simple but welcome addition.

Service

Service was relaxed but prompt, friendly and attentive. Explanations were fairly brief and not especially personal, but everything ran smoothly.

Value

Technically, this is very good cooking. Sauces are well made, proteins are handled confidently, and the structure of each dish makes sense. There were no major missteps, and with the added amuse bouche and petit fours you’re getting closer to 5/6 courses in total.

But overall, it felt slightly flat. There were no flavour combinations that surprised me or shifted something familiar. It felt streamlined and safe. I left impressed by the competence rather than excited by the creativity. That may be the nature of their pre-theatre format, but it didn’t leave me rushing back to try the full tasting menu.

Final verdict

If you want calm, technically assured Michelin-starred cooking in central London, Portland delivers. If you’re looking for boldness or discovery, this particular menu may leave you wanting a little more.