Gluten-Free Glee At Indigo, One Aldwych
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3 months ago
The perfect spot for Free From foodies
While London is filled with hundreds of places serving up tasty grub, the list gets noticeably shorter when narrowed down to gluten-free options. Charlie Colville, C&TH‘s resident coeliac, puts One Aldwych’s in-house restaurant, Indigo, to the test.
Review: Gluten-Free Dining At Indigo, One Aldwych
Being something of a baby coeliac (I received my diagnosis back in July), I’m still new to London’s Free From scene. But it’s become quite apparent that the options out there for those living with a gluten-free diet are pretty slim. And when restaurants do offer gluten-free options, this is often with the caveat of potential cross-contamination. So, to eat, and run the risk being glutened – or not to eat, and go hungry.
Luckily, that isn’t the question when visiting One Aldwych. Every dish at this hotel’s glossy restaurant, Indigo, is both gluten- and dairy-free, making it an ideal spot for spontaneous dining (something that can’t always be guaranteed for those with a restricted diet). But would it live up to the promise of Free From flavour?
Before my visit, I’d heard plenty of good things about Indigo. (Mostly about its fantastical afternoon tea, which you can read all about here.) The menu, which is overseen by award-winning chef Dominic Teague, is a love letter to British flavour, with dishes held aloft by British ingredients and a flair for performance. Food here also changes with the seasons, although it keeps to Teague’s core inspirations: his childhood, the great outdoors and his travels.
Teague made the decision to cut gluten and dairy from the menu all the way back in 2012, and since then has been refining Indigo’s dishes so that guests can enjoy great food without worrying what’s on their plates. And now, the Covent Garden restaurant is fondly framed as a foodie jewel in the neighbourhood’s culinary crown. So, belly empty and expectations high, I set off for a gluten-free meal in the city.
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As mentioned, Indigo sits in the heart of London’s West End, and from our table inside we can spot both Mamma Mia and The Lion King. These make a lively background for dinner (perfect for people-watching), as we sat on a balcony overlooking the hotel’s swanky bar. It’s from said bar that our experience began, with a selection of vibrant cocktails. Our drinks came courtesy of the Gallery Menu, which featured drinks inspired by the hotel’s very own art collection. Out tipples of choice were the Morello Cherry Mai Tai, a sweet blend of Caribbean and West Country flavours, and the Garden Swizzle, a fresh and spicy concoction topped with pretty purple flowers.
And while the cocktails were indeed delicious, my wandering eye was constantly caught by the plates of food leaving the kitchen. Fish and chips, beetroot wellington, steak topped in decadent sauces – it all looked delicious, and way too good to really be gluten-free.
But that’s the beauty of Indigo. Everything here is perfectly fine and gluten-free. The fresh-baked rolls, the battered fish and even the delicate little cakes.
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It was therefore with relish that we tucked into our starters. With British fare the restaurant’s focus, don’t be surprised to find that the highlights include buttery, seared scallop, Norfolk quail and Isle of Wight tomatoes. Being local to the UK, all of this produce comes in and is cooked incredibly fresh, setting the bar high for the evening.
Choosing a main was a trickier task – mostly because I wanted to try everything. (In hindsight, the tasting menu might have been a sound choice.) While the fish and chips was outrageously tempting, my stomach was ultimately drawn to the Cotswold white chicken breast, served on girolles, peas and broad beans, and topped with gravy. Crispy and salty, it was exactly what I was craving from an elevated mid-week dinner with friends.
The same praise can be awarded to Indigo’s potato galette, which not only tasted, but looked, stunning. A potato pastry layered with baby leeks, charred aubergine and sea purslane, it showed that the humble potato could quite easily open the door to rich flavours.
Dessert, too, was nothing short of delicious. While not as difficult as choice as the main course, I could have quite happily sat there with three different bowls of dessert. Alas, restraint in good condition, I landed on Karolyn’s Brûlée. Vanilla cream, black cherries and sorbet come together in devastatingly sweet-sour combo that is offset by the contrast between soft cream, fruit and cracked sugar.
My companion chose to indulge in the Cornish bitter chocolate tart. Served with cool raspberries and peanut ice cream, I was assured this was a dessert not worth sharing – if only to keep more of it for yourself.
The Final Word
Indigo makes Free From dining look – and, most importantly, feel – easy. I’ll definitely be back for a plate of fish and chips.
BOOK
Images courtesy of Indigo
