Kettner's

29 Romilly Street
London
W1D 5HP

A Toptable deal for 50% off food seemed like a good opportunity to try out Kettner's, now that it's been revamped, so P, N and B came along with me to catch up over wine and some dinner. This place is a bit of an institution so I was curious as to whether the food would be any good, and surprisingly enough, I thought it was. I started with a bowl of steamed Cornish mussels in creamy broth, which were fresh and tasty, though a tad oversalted. For a main, I chose the duck confit with sarladaise potatoes, which were beautifully presented. Again, I thought the dish was just slightly saltier than it needed to be, and there was an unannounced bed of spinach that came with the dish, making my side order of rocket salad a bit extraneous. Still, it's hard to go wrong with crispy, tender duck. The food bill was very reasonable, but we drank quite a bit of wine, pushing our bill up - so a good place to go with the Toptable deal, but I expect it could be quite a pricey night out without the discount. I would also note that it was incredibly loud and noisy in the restaurant - all glass surfaces and mirrors inside made it impossible to hear people without shouting. So keep that in mind, if you're going for dinner in order to have a conversation.