Caxton Grill

It’s been five years since I last visited Caxton Grill at the St. Ermin’s Hotel in Westminster and I was excited to see what had changed.

Arriving a little early, I enjoyed a St. Ermin’s Gin & Tonic in the adjacent cosy bar while I waited for my guest. The friendly barman will happily mix you a refreshing well-crafted drink of your choice, accompanied with some tasty nibbles.

For those of you interested in a little bit of history, the St Ermin’s Hotel and the building next to it was used by officers of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6 as it is better known today) during the 1930s. Throughout the Second World War the building was used as an annex by SIS and the Caxton Bar was popular amongst SIS, MI5 and Naval Intelligence Division case officers, where they would sometimes meet their agents.

The 72-cover restaurant still has that rustic and cosy ambience that I remembered, with wooden flooring and bare wooden topped tables, very much in keeping with the fact that it is a modern British grill restaurant.

Once seated at our table by the window overlooking the hotel’s courtyard garden, we perused the straightforward and well laid out seasonal menu which is designed around the freshest of ingredients, offering diners a well-balanced range of sustainable dishes from the land, sea and hotel’s working roof garden which opened back in 2011 as part of a £30 million renovation project. Today the roof garden and greenhouse provide the hotel and restaurant with fresh tomatoes, pumpkins, spring onions, French beans, potatoes and olives as well as apples, blackberries, raspberries, plums and clementines. Sadly, the two beehives had to be moved to another location, which was home to 350,000 Buckfest honeybees.

The restaurant’s chefs work closely with local suppliers where they source the 28 day dry-aged British beef and sustainably caught fresh, both of which are cooked fast in the extremely high temperature of the Josper oven, helping retain the meat’s moisture and goodness and adding that great smoky taste you tend to get from a barbeque.

With this in mind, I had already decided on having a steak and chose the Grass-Fed Aberdeen Angus 28 day dry-aged Rib-Eye (£50) which was perfectly pink and succulent, accompanied by some al dente Tenderstem broccoli and Truffle Mac & Cheese for us to share, while my guest opted for the lighter freshly caught Grilled Whole Dover Sole with a samphire and lemon butter sauce (£50), which the chef very kindly de-boned for her. I tried a bit and must say it was superb. The other fresh fish of the day was a Grilled Hake with girolle, served with broad beans. And if you are feeling really indulgent, then how about a Whole Native Lobster (£50) or their Freedown Hill Wagyu Steak Burger (£24). As well the Ribeye, there is also a Sirloin or Onglet Steak or if you’re really hungry, a large 1.1kg Aberdeen Angus Tomahawk Steak to share.

But I have got ahead of myself and must give a mention to the varied selection of Starters which include a delicious Burrata with tomatoes, radish, a pistachio and pea pesto and balsamic pearls (£14), Seared Scottish Scallops (£20), a Tuna Crudo (£18), Braised Fennel (£12), a Carrot Soup (£12) or superb St. Ermin’s Spiced Rum Cured Salmon with a dill pollen mayo, salmon crème fraiche, dill mustard apple emulsion and caviar (£16) which we both chose and thoroughly enjoyed. It also paired extremely well with a glass of lovely buttery and oaky Californian Chardonnay from Santa Barbara (£14) which I know is not to everyone’s taste, but I am a sucker for oaky Chardonnays.

Speaking of which, Caxton have a very nice selection of well-chosen wines that should suit most tastes, from home grown sparkling wines to French Champagnes, starting at £14.50 a glass.

You will also find some zesty and light white wines from Spain, Portugal, France and here in Kent, as well as some aromatic and elegant whites including a surprisingly good Gruner Veltliner from Austria (£14 a glass) which is the country’s signature white grape and offers a refreshing citrus and green apple flavour and signature note of white pepper spice. My Californian Chardonnay comes under the “rich” umbrella as does the French Bourgogne Blanc and Pouilly-Fuissé. There are also three rosés from France and Italy to choose from.

When it comes to the reds, you’ve got a choice of some light and bright wines from France and Spain, as well as some medium and textured labels from Argentina, New Zealand, France and Italy and then some full and rich wines from Spain, France and the USA. But it was a vibrant 2023 Roaring Meg Pinot Noir from New Zealand (£14) I chose to go with my steak which I was extremely happy with, thanks to its rich raspberry and cherry flavours and light oak spice, giving a well-balanced finish.

Do make sure you leave some room for one of their naughty but nice and rather indulgent desserts (all priced at £9.50). Whether it be the White Chocolate Basil Mousse which my guest had, the Raspberry Lychee Rose Cake, the Sheep’s Milk Mousse or fabulous Chocolate Cheesecake with mango mascarpone cream and candied rice crispies, which was my choice. They also have a selection of ice cream and sorbets and artisan British cheese, served with chutney, grapes and crackers, something I would probably have at lunchtime with a coffee.

As well as separate lunch and dinner menus, there is also a Children’s Menu that’s available at lunch and dinner with a choice of three starters, three mains and two desserts. And if you are heading to an evening performance at the theatre, then the pre-theatre menu offers good value with a two course meal costing £30 or three courses for just £38 with a choice of three starters, three mains and three desserts, all taken from the main dinner menu.

There are some lovely little touches too, like the fish-shaped water jugs and the very British “Weekday Specials” such as the Cottage Pie on a Monday, Toad in the Hole on a Thursday and Friday’s Fish Pie.

Caxton Grill is the perfect spot for a relaxed lunch with friends, a more intimate dinner or late evening drinks, with a diverse seasonal menu and impeccable service from the delightful, friendly staff, and I will certainly not leave it another five years before my next visit!

The Details

Caxton Grill, St Ermin’s Hotel, 2 Caxton Street, Westminster, London, SW1H 0QW, England.

Tel: +44 (0)207 227 7777

Website: www.caxtongrill.co.uk

Caxton Grill is less than a minute’s walk from St. James’s Park Tube Station on the District and Circle lines. It is located inside the St. Ermin’s Hotel with separate entrances on Broadway and the entrance to the hotel. The restaurant is open for lunch Monday to Friday from midday to 2:30pm and for dinner Monday to Sunday from 5:00pm to 10:00pm. The Bar is open Monday to Friday from midday to midnight and at the weekend from 1:00pm to midnight.

Type of Restaurant: Modern British Fine Dining Restaurant & Bar

Price Band: Medium to High

Insider Tip: Try and book a table by the window overlooking the garden and courtyard at the front of the hotel if you can. And if the weather is nice, arrive a little earlier and have a glass of wine or cocktail up on the first floor terrace, otherwise have a pre-dinner cocktail in the adjacent bar.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9/10

Author Bio:

Simon Burrell is a UK-based travel and motoring journalist and editor, a former member of The British Guild of Travel Writers and professional photographer.

Photographs courtesy of the St. Ermin’s Hotel/Caxton Grill