With a prime position within the historic walls of the south wing of Somerset House is acclaimed Welsh chef Bryn William’s restaurant. With a setting where the building’s rich history and iconic architecture are blended with a Welsh culinary experience taken from Bryn’s roots, a contemporary interior offers a relaxed dining experience with a strong focus on fruit and vegetables.
Resuming this month is Bryn’s slow food menu: 24/7 which has been launched in parallel with Somerset House’s latest exhibition ‘A Wake-Up Call for Our Non-Stop World’ which delves into the non-stop nature of modern life and our inability to switch off from our 24/7 culture. Displaying a series of immersive works from some of today’s most exciting global artists, Bryn’s 24/7 menu turns this unrelenting pressure on its head with the curation of this new limited-edition slow food menu showcasing techniques which do not fit with our rushed modern lifestyles.
Surrounding dishes that use 24-hour slow cooking alongside 48-hour curing techniques to provide the antitheses of modern-day busy life all whilst celebrating modern British dining, quality led produce is delivered from the seasonal larder which sits firmly at the epicentre of Bryn Williams’ culinary core values. Whilst reflecting Bryn’s creative philosophy, the slow food menu features a fresh, locally sourced produce with fruit and vegetables that take centre stage alongside specially chosen ingredients known for their stress and anxiety-reducing properties – these include fatty fish, chamomile, seeds, nuts and dark chocolate.
Highlights of this slow food menu include citrus-cured salmon with crème fraiche and fennel slaw, heritage beetroot served with goat’s curd and a parsley sponge and roasted cauliflower with sweet potato puree, spiced lentils and cumin yoghurt. This also extends onto a slow-cooked feather blade with confit onion, garlic mash and caramelised carrot, meanwhile, dessert dishes include Bryn’s spiced pumpkin pie with buttermilk ice cream, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate parfait with poached cherries and toasted almonds.
To engage with the holistic calming experience are homemade concoctions of calm-momile – chamomile infused gin, limoncello, chamomile syrup and egg white or aquafaba (vegan) alternative and almond blossom – complete with vodka, Antica sambuca, lemon juice, orgeat (almond), egg white or aquafaba (vegan alternative) with sprinklings of cinnamon powder.
Bryn William’s restaurant offers contemporary and simplistic dining that bounces against the grandeur of Somerset House’s aged walls. Woven among the rooms that run along the south wing, the space is somewhat disjointed so we would recommend requesting a table in one of the larger rooms which offer more of an atmosphere for diners.
Resuming this January and priced from £25.50 per person.
Factbox
Address: Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA
Website: bryn-somersethouse.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0)207 845 4646
Email: 247@bryn-somersethouse.co.uk
