Hidden away in a quiet corner just off London’s famous and bustling Fleet Street, CORD opened its doors in 2022 as the first Le Cordon Bleu restaurant in the UK.

Born out of a desire to create an environment where quality and excellence are second-to-none, the heart of CORD’s dining experience is its 9-course tasting menu. A symphony of small, artfully composed courses, the menu showcases both classical techniques and innovative interpretations of French cuisine. I was pleased to see it offers an equally innovative and exciting plant-based tasting menu, so naturally I had to go along to try it out for myself.

Before I dive into the evening itself, it is easy for me to confirm that CORD delivers an experience that embodies the pinnacle of fine dining with the unmatched pedigree of the prestigious culinary school behind it, all wrapped in the ethos of sustainability and seasonality. Championing locality and working with trusted local farms and producers to source vegetables and seasonal ingredients, not only does CORD support British agriculture, but the team prioritises reducing the environmental impact of long-distance transport.

So let’s feast our way through an evening at CORD:

Enter into what feels like a hotel-lobby-style reception and it’s immediately evident that precision and attention to detail is the focus here. Everything feels intentional yet unpretentious – from the clean lines of contemporary design that are softened by dimly lit chandelier bulb lighting hanging from the ceiling, to the crisp white linen table cloths and striking blue furniture.

What I loved most was the open-style kitchen where you can watch the incredible chefs at work no matter where you are sitting in the restaurant. Our table was directly in front of the kitchen, the best seat in the house where I was mesmerised by how in tune the chefs were with one another, creating beautiful art right in front of our eyes, in keeping with the performance that unfolded on our plates.

While there is an à la carte menu, the star of the evening is of course the tasting menu. Catering to carnivores, vegetarians, vegans and gluten-free, the restaurant is perfectly prepared to ensure every guest can have the best experience, no matter your dietary requirements or preferences.

As someone who tries to eat plant-based, I opted for the plant-based tasting menu, whilst my friend delighted in the standard tasting menu. Some may think plant-based menus would be much less exciting. But this menu is far from a secondary thought; it’s a carefully crafted culinary experience that rivals the traditional menu in complexity and satisfaction.

Both menus, brought to life by the restaurant’s world-class chefs, consist of multiple small courses, reading like a love letter to seasonal ingredients and meticulous technique. The innovation of the team is further showcased by their commitment to minimising food waste, and crafting dishes where the entire ingredient is utilised. Whether it is the vegetable trimmings in stocks or integrating different cuts of meat, CORD respects each ingredient in its totality.

Each dish is more than just food—it is a narrative, a creative expression of the chef’s vision, paying homage to the art of gastronomy while staying true to the restaurant’s classical roots.

A dining experience at CORD wouldn’t be complete without the perfect wine pairing. We put our trust in the hands of Jiachen Lu, the restaurant’s exceptional sommelier (recently listed at number 36 in the 2024 Top 100 Sommeliers list from Sommelier Edit). Not only were her picks exciting and unique, but her knowledge was unparalleled, something not to be overlooked in the vast world of wine. The curated wine list included a welcome glass of Gosset Grand Reserve, from one of the oldest wine houses in Champagne, whose wines are characterised by their purity and expressiveness. A bottle of perfectly light champagne to accompany our starting dishes. Others included a white blend from Vergelegen in South Africa – herbaceousness and acidity in the wine matched what was in the dishes they accompanied, as well as Graham’s 20-Year-Old Tawny Port to finish with our dessert – the perfect bouquet of nutty and fruity on the nose, with a rich and warming balance on the palate.

Now for the main event:

First up for the food was an amuse-bouche – a bite-sized introduction designed to awaken the palate. At CORD, these prelude dishes are nothing short of theatrical. For me, a delightful arrangement of balsamic marinated beetroot with horseradish, cashew nuts and shimeji mushrooms on a ‘soil’ made from almond meal mixed with charcoal, and for my friend, a delicate concoction of Cornish crab meat, parsley and line, wrapped in a dainty squid ‘roll’. Both are accompanied by our very own ‘cornetto cone’ – mine with cucumber and my friend’s with chalk stream trout, both with pickled kombu, cayenne pepper and citrus. I was incredibly impressed with the flavour that could be packed into every bite, all working perfectly together.

Next was a dish so beautiful I almost couldn’t bring myself to try it. Showcasing the beauty of seasonal produce, this dish was all about the classic tomato. An assortment of different varieties of Isle of Wight tomatoes, chosen for their vibrant colours and varied flavours, such as sweet, tangy and slightly acidic notes. The plate consisted of a tomato stuffed with tomato chutney (plant-based) or creamy burrata alongside another tomato stuffed with tomato tartare, and mustard sorbet, with focaccia bread on the side topped with tomato chutney, all alongside a green zebra tomato gazpacho to cleanse our palates along the way. The wholegrain mustard sorbet was a complete revelation, a small amount taken with every bite of tomato. The dish was a masterpiece, a testament to the restaurant’s ability to elevate humble ingredients into an unforgettable fine dining experience.

A real showstopper dish – the ‘black truffle’ comprised ingredients all shaped and coated to look like a whole black truffle. But breaking into the casing, inside exploded with a ‘pate-like’ mix of shiitake mushrooms, sourdough crumbs and black garlic. This was to be spread on a slice of crisp sourdough toast which was topped with pickled mushrooms, pickled olive oil and black pepper. An incredibly innovative and umami-rich dish, focusing on layering earthy flavours with different textures, elevating simple ingredients into a complex, sophisticated experience.

For me, the next course was an ode to a true hero of the vegetable season – the globe artichoke. Paired with watercress, tarragon and mustard seeds, it’s a perfect reflection of autumn’s bounty. Alongside the dish was deep-fried artichoke ‘meat’ accompanied by a beautiful dipping sauce of tarragon and mustard. For my friend, a symphony of flavours with crisp and meaty BBQ monkfish alongside creamy avocado, date molasses and fresh basil.

We didn’t think it could get much more creative, but once again the next course left us letting out another gasp of excitement and awe. For me, a celebration of celeriac – as this vegetable was worked in different ways – celeriac puree topped with roasted celeriac, thinly sliced celeriac in a floral pattern, finished off with a vegetable jus and chestnut puree. My friend’s showstopper was a mouth-watering dish of Highland venison en croute, cooking in front of us on hot stones, with a venison jus, cabbage, bacon, morel and pear. Venison tea accompanies this incredibly innovative take on a meat course.

The closing dessert courses made sure we ended the evening on a sensationally sweet note. From a palate cleansing ‘gin and tonic’ done 3 ways (yes, you heard that right!) to an incredibly indulgent black forest kirsch mousse with white chocolate and amarena cherries, we polished off every last bite feeling unbelievably full and sensationally satisfied.

Closing thoughts?

For those seeking a dining experience that’s more than just a meal, CORD is a must-visit. While the experience is undeniably luxurious, the emphasis is always on taste and technique. It’s a place where food becomes art, service becomes an integral part of the authentic performance, and every course feels like a new chapter in a culinary masterpiece.

A must-visit for any occasion, big or small – make sure to add CORD to your list.

Book here

Written by Emma Blunt for Luxuria Lifestyle International