I imagine that outsiders are perplexed that Oxford Street (nominally the capital’s high street) doesn’t open till at best 10:30 on a Saturday. To Londoners, a Saturday lie-in is a religious observance, while those travelling in would struggle to arrive any earlier. This leaves the tourists in nearby hotels to wander about in utter incomprehension. Which, rather childishly, makes me giggle.
And logically such a visit should begin at Oxford Circus and end at Marble Arch. There is the odd exception but the eastern leg of the street is not very well. So weary shoppers with aching backs understandably arrive at the Park Lane end in need of redemption.
This is where Lanes, the café/bar/restaurant at Marriott at Marble Arch steps in, with all day dining, afternoon tea, cocktails or all three. Accessed directly from the street (rather than hotel lobby), it has a handsome, generous interior with dark timber and mid grey upholstery. A semi-obscure glazed screen allows glimpses of the kitchen to one side and a view of Marble Arch is on another. It also features a private dining area for 8.
Approximately 60% of the hotel’s visitors are Middle Eastern, it being a short shuffle from the fabulous halal cuisine of Edgware Road. The other 40% are American, and (aside from the shoppers) they are Lanes’ primary audience.
To assume form, I launched with a Negroni (Beefeater, Antica Formula and dried orange garnish). Having been prepared using one impressively large sphere of ice, it sadly it would have benefitted from considerably more stirring before presentation, and tasted distinctly like ‘Benylin’ cough medicine. Another missed trick, the dried orange fails to match the aroma of a fresh slice.
My accomplice’s French 75, conversely, (gin, lemon juice, Taittinger champagne) was fresh, fizzy, and very good.
The all-day menu consists of sharing plates so we began with Padron peppers and warm flatbread with burrata. The peppers arrived with a bizarre chilli mayo drizzled on top which took a bit of removing. Flatbreads, however, were very good.
I am also assured that the Devon crab cakes with pickled fennel, and avocado guacamole, are very nice indeed.
What was dubbed ‘Mediterranean spiced chicken’ was more like a mild curry marinade and the tapenade aligned with it perfectly.
A beetroot salad with caramelised goat’s cheese, watercress and honey mustard is served cold, and is a wonderful combo of flavours, colours and textures.
I was drawn to the steamed hake, Spanish chorizo, chickpea ragout and dill. Although sold out, they reworked it using cod, which was cooked to perfection. Meanwhile, hearty chunks of chorizo combined well with the grit of the chick peas.
Desserts were chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and forest fruits, which was delicious whereas the apple cheesecake, while looking very pretty in a deconstructed way, didn’t quite work.
The wine of the month was ‘Two Vines’ Merlot 2019 from Washington State (close to Marriott HQ), Merlot 14.5% , which was spicy and intriguing, and equally so we were served by Duncan, who, in classic Marriott style, was attentive, charming and flawless.
So. Shop till you drop. And then when you do, make Lanes your stop.
Lanes of London is located at 140 Park Lane, London, W1K 7AA – Lanes of London
Hours for the all-day dining are daily from 12 p.m. – 10 p.m.
