Row on 5

Discreetly signed and elegantly self-contained, with semi-opaque screening on large windows making it hard to see inside, it’s easy to walk past the below-street-level entrance to Row on 5. But when you leave, you may well think that the move to bespoke premises on Savile Row has given Jason Atherton and executive chef Spencer Metzger greater scope to take on the first division of international dining.

Detailing throughout is exquisite. It all starts in a gorgeous marble-floored bar surrounded by stunning glass-walled wine rooms (with over 4,000 bins, possibly the largest wine collection in Britain). Here, a cavalcade of stage-setting snacks (the miniature work is a delight) are served before you are ushered upstairs to the dining room. Devoid of the fireworks or the ornamentation of the bar, it is exactly what it seems – a generous space devoted to the service of food in supreme comfort. Centre stage, an open kitchen takes up half the floor space where you can watch the substantial brigade of chefs as they plate up, serve and then describe individual dishes to each diner. And the food? The ‘Row’ in the restaurant’s name is an acronym for ‘refinement of work’, not a reference to Savile Row.  It's also a summation of Atherton’s experience, memory and judgement, hinting at cultures that are part of his world – namely, a restaurant empire that has taken in New York, Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, the Philippines and Singapore. 

It all comes together in a 15-course tasting menu, a roll call of prime produce executed with impeccable lightness, intricacy and balance. Suffice it to say, we have enjoyed a panoply of sensational dishes spread over several visits: a Scottish langoustine given layers of flavour with a jelly of sweet Amela tomato seasoned with calamansi, salted duck-egg sabayon, curry leaf oil and Kochi finger lime; aged turbot, lightly steamed, and served with a rich and creamy Albufera velouté enhanced with monkfish liver (an explosion of fresh sharp flavours); and sika deer, cooked over juniper and pine, seasoned with Madagascan pepper then served with crapaudine beetroot, a purée of blackcurrant and a deeply flavoured venison jus. Sweet highlights have included a Mayan Red chocolate sphere with dark chocolate mousse, miso caramel, artichoke ice cream and a coffee and Baileys sabayon. As a telling finale, there's ‘tea and cake’ – financiers made with Okinawa sugar and hazelnut, accompanied by Nicaraguan chocolate tart with sea salt and a tempered chocolate disk melting over the top. 

We enjoyed the process of moving between floors and the interaction between chefs and customers. The attention to detail is also jaw-dropping. There are so many markers of opulence throughout the meal that guests looking for this sort of experience would be very hard pushed to find anything amiss. The impressive wine list is well worth taking time over. It may be punchily priced (there are a lot more bottles over £1,000 than under £50) but wine pairings are exceptional. In short, Row on 5 has the makings of a masterpiece – an immersive experience with many moments of originality and brilliance.