3BM Eats : Picture Restaurant...

The matrimony of friends and food in my opinion is a marriage made in heaven and that's exactly what Mini, myself and our good pals from school do every month. We each take it in turn to select a restaurant of our choice from a newbie that everyone is itching to get a reservation at to an oldie that we've been meaning to try forever. It offers us the perfect excuse to catch up SATC style and eat til our hearts content! 

 

April's restaurant of choice was Picture Restaurant selected my none other than the beautiful and hilarious Holman...

 

Tucked away on Great Portland street and a stone throw away from The Riding House Cafe, a firm favourite of ours. It's been open for nearly a year now so we're rather late to the party but hey good food is good food. Co-created by uber talented trio - chefs Alan Christie and Colin Kelly and manager Tom Slegg, all of whom have previously worked at restaurants in the Arbutus and Wild Honey group. On that knowledge, I think we're in for a goody...

 

I arrived first, which NEVER happens may I add and so I took this very unusual opportunity to get ahead of the game and happily snap away, capturing details of the restaurant's interior and ambiance to share with you all. Also because my friends tend to lose patience with me very quickly when I'm in pap mode!!!

First thing to note is the restaurant aesthetics are raw and low-key... uneven looking plaster walls with school-like chairs and tables. If you look closer however, the little thoughtful details do stand out like the statement over-hanging lighting and the book shelf packed with random odds and ends...

 

 

Photos done but the girls were still nowhere to be seen, so I took the opportunity to have a little natter with the restaurant manager, Tom. Thoroughly nice chap, out for one objective only... for you to have a smashing time and leave well fed, both of which our group whole heartily achieved - more on that later!

Shortly after, I was joined by the gorgeous girls - hooray!

 

The service and staff were as nice as pie. They couldn't do enough for us - super attentive making sure our wine glasses were always topped up (an essential) and bubbling with passion and knowledge about every single dish on the menu. Our waitress, Katy was particularly super - the way she described and explained the course creations had us mesmerised from the word go. Picture is best know for small plate grazing but after Katy sweet talked us, we were very quickly ordering up the 6-course tasting menu so as to ensure that we got to sample as many of the dishes as possible! 

Each perfectly proportioned plate of heaven arrived at a leisurely yet timely pace, allowing ample chatter in and around the next special! So what was on the menu then? Well, I'll let my snaps do the talking...

 

To start the feast the cutest little mini sourdough baguettes were placed in front of us and yes we all cooed on cue...

 

First taster - the sweet pepper and roast garlic soup...

 

Next up - grilled tenderstem broccoli, slow baked aubergine, Indian spices...

 

 

Then crisp pork cheek, celery, apple and hazelnuts...

 

 

The majority opted for the squid, provencal vegetables and smoked paprika but a few of us swapped it for the salmon or cod - i've included pics of all three options to make you drool just a little bit more!

 

 

 

 

Last of the savoury dishes - the 28 day aged beef, heritage carrots, swiss chard, cumin...

 

 

For puds - the chocolate mousse, banana, peanut butter cream...

 

All that for just £35 per person - a snip in my opinion. They apparently change the menu each season so I'm eagerly anticipating the new tasting menu already...

Picture Restaurant

110 Great Portland Street

London

W1W 6PQ

020 7637 7892