Time for a restaurant review of Tredwells in London. From exciting menus and delicious dishes, to the service and ambience, find out all about my experience.
I think it’s getting harder and harder to find a restaurant in central London with great food and a buzzy ambience, where you can actually book in advance. As a huge queue snaked around the block at Dishoom, we smugly walked towards the chic, glass-fronted facade of Tredwells, close to Covent Garden. Within moments our coats had been checked and we were sitting at a table with a cocktail in hand, looking out at the chilly crowds across the road.
Tredwells is a restaurant I’d wanted to visit for a long time. It’s one of Marcus Wareing’s London establishments, overseen by talented Chef Patron, Chantelle Nicholson. It may not have the Michelin stars of some of his other restaurants, but it offers a more casual dining experience with all the quality you’d expect from chefs of that calibre. The menu showcases British seasonal produce, with plenty of stories connecting the ingredients to the dishes.
With a belated four-year anniversary to celebrate, and a great deal as part of Bookatable’s Star Deals, I had a feeling it was going to be a lovely evening. I’ll admit it was hard to pick where to go, as Bookatable have a lot of great festive and Christmas restaurant offers at the moment!
The menu I booked included three courses and a cocktail for just £29 per person – great value when you consider just going out for a pizza and a couple of drinks in London could easily add up to a similar amount.
Tredwells Restaurant Review
Tredwells – The Restaurant
The restaurant is set across three floors, with a mezzanine level that you can see from the ground floor. I liked the mix of cosy booths and central tables, with a long sweeping bar to one side. As soon as we walked through the door I commented on the enticing scent in the air. It turned out to be one of the restaurant’s signature fragrances – a candle with a festive aroma of orange and spice.
There is an Art Deco theme, with gold geometric patterns on the bar and a rather fabulous giant clock visible from each level, made from crockery.
Tredwells is in an incredible location, moments from Covent Garden and Soho, making it an easy option for any occasion. It’s a particular favourite with pre-theatre diners, and while it feels upmarket, it’s not remotely stuffy.
Bookatable Star Deal At Tredwells
While I’d passed Tredwells before, I hadn’t realised the restaurant offered such affordable set menus. Along with a standard tasting menu, there’s a special vegan tasting menu and even one designed for kids. What a great way to introduce little ones to high end cuisine from an early age!
The star deal was great value, with three courses and a cocktail for £28. The menus change regularly, and during my visit it was a special ‘consider(eat) menu’ – created in conjunction with the World Food Program to show how you can cut down on food waste. Many of the dishes featured ingredients that are often underused. There were four choices for each course, with a vegetarian option on each.
I thought the concept was excellent, and couldn’t wait to start working my way through the menu.
Starters At Tredwells
The cocktail included a ‘Farmer’s Friend’ cocktail – a tangy pineapple and gin concoction. After a few sips our starters arrived.
I went for the chargrilled prawns which were served with Jerusalem artichoke and clementine. It was a wonderful start to the meal. There was a silky smooth Jerusalem artichoke puree in the bottom of the bowl, topped with delicately charred prawns and roasted Jerusalem artichokes. Then there were a few sprigs of a sea vegetable with a tangy citrus flavour, which cut through the richness of the artichoke. Topped with a few crisps to add texture, it was a delightful first dish.
My fiancé started with cure mackerel, which came with a type of bean (Black Badger pea) that neither of us had seen before. Trying underused ingredients like these are exactly what the menu concept was all about.
Main Course At Tredwells
To accompany our main courses, we ordered a carafe of wine. I’m always pleased to see carafes on the menu. After a cocktail, ordering a bottle of wine on a school night feels a bit excessive, but it’s nice to share a few glasses over the course of the evening! The wine list was varied, with house specialities, and prices starting at just £14 for a carafe.
For our main course we both chose the Cornish hake. It’s not a fish I eat often, so it was nice to try something different. It was accompanied with yellow split peas, crispy kale and a salsa verde.
The hake flaked away nicely and had a super fishy flavour. It had that real seaside freshness, with bold flavours. The split peas had a delicious daal-like taste; a lovely concoction of curry spices, cumin and cardamom.
While it didn’t look enormous, I found this dish really filling. We ordered a side of chargrilled broccoli, as it sounded like we might need some vegetables to complete the dish.
I’ve never seen anything like it! Two enormous stems of broccoli arrived in a dish, like miniature trees, covered in almonds and capers. While a little underdone in the middle, it was a fun, yet simple way to present a simple vegetable.
Desserts At Tredwells
After a little break for a natter and to digest the previous two courses, our desserts arrived. Being an ambassador for salted caramel (all desserts taste better with it don’t they?!) I couldn’t resist the salted caramel soft serve with honeycomb. Would it be a Mr Whippy with a twist?
Sure enough, it was! A perfect curly tower of salted caramel ice cream, topped with shards and shavings of honeycomb. But wow was it salty. We actually wondered if they’d mistaken salt for sugar when they were making it! Even the waiter agreed it was saltier than usual. Such a shame but I’m assuming it was one bad batch.
My fiancé enjoyed went for the ‘chouxnut’ – a fried choux pastry creation, served with a tart apple sauce, candied walnuts and ice cream. We also ended up trying a third dessert, the warm pear and ginger cake, which I have to say was the winner! If only I could see beyond the words ‘salted caramel’ on a menu… next time maybe I will!
Service At Tredwells
I thought the service at Tredwells was top notch. While you may not be paying high-end restaurant prices, the waiters were attentive and friendly. Having coats checked in, being shown to the best table available and lots of advice on what to choose made the experience feel extra special.
Overall Thoughts On Dinner At Tredwells
Tredwells was a great place to celebrate our four year anniversary. It has that wonderful buzz which makes dining out in the capital feel extra special. Plus the waste-free menu concept made for a more interesting meal than I’d expected. I thought the menu was great value, and while I can’t say every course hit the mark, there were enough positives to make me a) recommend the restaurant and b) want to return again soon!
Our meal for two (2 x set menus, a few sides and a carafe of wine) came to £90.50.
Find out more about the offer I booked at Tredwells via Bookatable here. Don’t forget, if you’re looking for a restaurant to visit on Christmas Day itself, be sure to check out these great offers.
Big thanks to Bookatable for inviting me to visit Tredwells. As always, all opinions are my own.