Farewell lunch at The Square

It is the season when people are finishing their studies and moving out of London, and this afternoon, I took two friends to The Square for a farewell lunch. This was my first visit in quite a few months and the first Michelin-starred restaurant experience for my friends, so we were really looking forward to what they had to offer. We went for the 3-course set lunch, and covered all the options between us.

Amuse-bouche: a mixture of egg whites, spring onions and red onions, served in a lightly curried mayonnaise, with a watercress garnish.

This reminded me of classic potato & egg mayonnaise salad - pleasant if somewhat unspectacular. The curry flavour was present but a tad weak for our taste; fortunately, helped somewhat by the peppery twig of watercress. No potatoes used here, but the mix of hard boiled chunks of egg white with crunchy and aromatic chopped onions, in a creamy sauce, was comforting.

Starter 1: home cured bresoala with artichoke, beetroot and horseradish cream, topped with a rocket and chive garnish.

The bresoala or beef ham, a traditional delicacy of Italy's Lombardy region, and cured in-house in the restaurant's cellar over a few weeks (so we were told), had a very interesting flavour - like most premium hams, it was not overly salty, and had a very rich taste which I can't quite put in words. It was also very lean and tender. Its savoury flavours were well matched by the sweet and juicy chunks of artichoke and beetroot, and the lashings of spicy horseradish cream and peppery rocket leaf garnish gave the palate a refreshing kick.

Starter 2: marinated aubergine with sweet peppers, goat's curd, crushed black olives, deep fried red onion rings and chopped caramelised red onions, basil, and an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.

Ain't no ordinary extra-virgin olive oil...

This was my friend's dish and she was initially concerned that it might not be entirely to her taste because she doesn't take aubergine a lot, but I believe this dish changed her mind about this vegetable. Its naturally creamy texture and sweet taste were most delightful, and extremely well matched with the juicy peppers, and fruity olive oil from Provence in France (an excellent olive oil does wonders for any dish, as restaurant manager Cesar told us). The onions added a nice crunch and appealing aromas, while the rich goat's curd and crushed black olives gave the dish an appealing savoury depth and touch of luxury. I could not imagine a salad more wholesome and delicious than this.

Main 1: glazed short rib and rump of White Park beef, with smoked creamed potato, spinach, caramelised baby carrot and red onion, red wine sauce.

The first thing that struck me about this dish was the tenderness of the meat and that unmistakeable melt-in-the-mouth feeling one gets from cooking sous-vide over extended hours. The creamed potato had an incredibly smooth consistency, and the sauce was a completely apt pairing for the luxurious meat. The portion was also generous and left one feeling extremely satisfied.

Main 2: fillet of sea trout with buttered summer vegetables (cabbage, baby carrots and radishes, peppers, fava beans, white and green asparagus), herb gnocchi and sorrel.

Another excellent main. This nicely pan-seared cut of fish had a light crispy top which I totally love, while the rest of the flesh remained moist and flaked effortlessly. The accompanying vegetables were fresh and sweet, and contained my favourite seasonal asparagus! The surrounding soup tasted quite nice too - sweet and slightly buttery, but I found it a tad too watery. A thicker/creamier texture would have been more appropriate to match the rich flavour of the fish.

Dessert 1: crème fraîche tart with sour cherries and crème fraîche ice cream.

This looks incredibly rich but was actually very refreshing. The English translation of the original French name, 'fresh cream', would be a misnomer: this is actually a type of sour cream with lower viscosity but higher fat content, which is perfect for making desserts that feel indulgent yet very light. It is also not too acidic, and easy on the palate. The tart filling had an amazingly fragile wobbly texture to it beneath the burnt glaze and looked exactly like an excellent crème brûlée, but actually tasted more of lemon curd (I'm pretty sure lemon was in the mix, unless the cream used was of an exceptional variety); on the other hand, the ice-cream felt more like thickened natural yoghurt, true to the taste one expects from a bacterially-soured cream. The preserved cherries were mouth-wateringly large and juicy. On the whole, a most enjoyable dessert.

Dessert 2: gooseberry fool with gooseberry jelly and vanilla panna cotta, with a sprinkling of biscuit crumbs.

A quintessentially English summer dessert, the word 'fool' is derived from the French fouler (to press), for the sourish seasonal fruits (in this case gooseberry) that are mixed into thick sweet cream (imagine a more indulgent version of strawberries and cream). It did look like a lumpy mess but its taste was exceptional. The thick top layer of cream was generously studded with large and juicy gooseberries. In the middle was a thin layer of gooseberry jelly, supported by rich vanilla panna cotta at the bottom, with intense flavours coming from real crushed vanilla pods within the panna cotta. The amount of cream could have been overwhelming but the natural acidity of gooseberry kept the dessert nicely in check.

To finish off the pleasant afternoon, we were offered the usual petit fours of nougat and salted chocolate truffles. We had all enjoyed the food immensely and service as usual was welcoming and friendly (especially from Cesar, and a new Italian waiter with a thick French accent - admittedly he was quite difficult to understand but he did his best!), and my friends were put at ease very quickly. I will be back!