Blandford Comptoir
Mediterranean
1 Blandford Street, Marylebone, W1U 3DA
££
Blandford Comptoir has been on my list of places to try for a long time. Despite the fact it is situated just off the beautiful Marylebone High Street, it wasn't a place I frequently found myself, therefore hadn't really ever had the opportunity to try it. That all changed, however, when I started my new job this week, situated just off Marylebone High Street and a mere 5 minute walk away.
It was a warm, sunny evening, so we chose to sit outside in-between some trendy and expensive Europeans, and some businessmen who looked surprisingly relaxed in their suits. This, I soon noticed, was the overall vibe of the place: elegance without opulence, and an air of luxury without the showiness many small-plates destinations have in London. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive, advising us on which wine to choose (the second cheapest - which made a nice change), and talking us through the menu, which was split into Snacks, Starters, Mains and Sides.
To start, we ordered the Beef Tartare with Confit Egg Yolk (£8), along with the Burrata with Crushed Peas and Tarragon Oil (£9). Both arrived with some still-warm fresh bread, and that whipped creamy butter you wish you could eat every day but only get in the most indulgent establishments. The Steak Tartare was beautifully presented and had undertones of onion and capers. The meat itself was excellent quality, if not a little overdressed with Worcestershire sauce, which kind of masked the beautiful flavours which could have naturally come through. The Burrata was a creamy as ever, and was served on a bed of peas which were just a tad too cold (like straight from fridge sort of cold). Despite the fact that Burrata is of the best things to happen to humankind, this particular pairing was slightly on the bland side, and could have done with a stronger contrast of flavour, in my opinion...
To follow, we ordered the Homemade Tagliolini, with Crab and Chilli Sauce (£16), and the Pork Belly, Garlic Soubise & Piperade (£15). The Tagliolini was tasty enough, but wasn't anything special by any means, and the small portion coupled with the distinctive lack of crab left me a tad underwhelmed. Whats more, the pasta though homemade, didn't have that fresh taste to it that the likes of Padella gets so right. The Pork Belly was another small portion; placed on a splashing of mashed potato and surrounded by a few roast red peppers. The flavours here were great, however, for the price the dish could have done with more substance, especially considering a good quarter of the meat was purely fat which we didn't eat.
For dessert we got a Vanilla Cheesecake with Raspberry Ice Cream (£8) which was tasty, although I found the pairing a little off and I'm not entirely sure the two went together all that well. The whole meal was washed down with 3 carafe's of Red (a friend came to join us for a few), and came to a total of £127 - not bad, really, for three courses and a hefty amount of vino.
Overall, the service at Blandford Comptoir was great, it's in a beautiful location and the inside is intimate and finely decorated. The food is sophisticated and tasty, however, it's not a show-stopper, and I would potentially advise getting the most of your money through ordering more starters instead of fishing out for the main's which are just as small.
OVERALL RATING: ***
https://blandford-comptoir.co.uk/
