Scoff and Banter - Oxford Street

On a cold and drizzly winter evening, we were delighted to discover the warmth and comfort of Scoff & Banter. As its quirky name suggests, this is somewhere you can truly relax and partake in a good old natter with friends whilst enjoying some of the best food and drink that South Kensington has to offer.

We were pleased to discover that, whilst the venue has been finished in a thoroughly contemporary fashion, it hasn't lost any of its Georgian splendour. Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the wide variety of tempting dishes and fine wines, we called on our waitress and were thoroughly impressed by her knowledge of the menu. Following her recommendation, I ordered the seared scallops, which were beautifully silky and perfectly complemented by thin and crispy coriander toast and a rich kedgeree emulsion, while my companion tucked into sumptuous goose liver and free-range chicken pressing, accompanied by crispy skin and preserved plums. These were followed by two impressive mains: juicy pink veal chop topped with a fried duck egg and served with black truffle butter and chunky duck fat-chips for me, and beautifully flaky pan-seared sea bass with langoustine and crab, a sweet cider emulsion and warm mustard dressing for my companion. For dessert, we shared a trio of English desserts, which included bread and butter pudding, Manchester tart and Eton Mess. Both were served with lashings of vanilla custard and offered just the right amount of sweetness to finish a perfectly balanced meal. A bottle of medium bodied South African Pinotage proved a decent match for all three courses.

After an exhausting day of exploring the city by foot, we couldn't have asked for a more relaxing venue in which to spend our evening. Open for informal lunches, sophisticated dinners and casual drinks, Scoff & Banter is perfect for every occasion