Off the beaten path of Fleet Street, you’ll find CORD, a fine dining restaurant and café born out of the leading culinary arts and hospitality institute – Le Cordon Bleu. The debut dining concept launched in London last summer, offering gourmet set menus and an á la carte offering for lunch and dinner. Under one roof, the property provides their vast fine dining concept, a daytime café, and an outpost to the London Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute that offers short courses for gourmets and wine lovers taught by Le Cordon Bleu Master Chefs.
Executive Chef Christophe Marleix has a wealth of experience in the fine dining industry, including executive head chef roles at The Grill at the Dorchester and Foile. Marleix’s menu is inspired by seasonal ingredients, shifting throughout the year to accommodate the finest ingredients. Christophe is a busy man. On April 6th and 7th 2023, the St Regis Maldives Vommuli will welcome Chef Marleix, who will present a special one-time signature menu for lunch and dinner for hotel guests. Chef Christophe will curate a delectable 6-course menu featuring local produce and meticulously chosen ingredients.
CORD’s daytime café makes up the restaurant’s façade, with signs pointing to the main restaurant’s large wooden door looming around the corner. Le Cordon Bleu’s signature French blue splashes across the seating and décor upon entry. The open kitchen provides transparent views of the uniformed chefs working in a pristine silver kitchen dotted with tubs of fresh ingredients and loaves of bread accompanied by hefty pats of butter.
We sat at a table facing the kitchen and could not help but observe the busy chefs effortlessly crafting and plating each meal before us. After trying and agreeing on a glass of rosé, one of our several waiters brought a surprise amuse bouche to our table – two crescents of crispy fried potato, tweezed with herbs and edible petals. The crunchy exterior gave way to the melt-in-your-mouth starchy interior. By the time I finished my quick bite, warm bread and butter cleansed my palate.
I feigned a studious look through of the á la carte menu to disguise that I had memorised its entirety in preparation for this review. After I closed the booklet to simulate a spontaneous choice, I declared the beef tartare for my starter and the seared sea bass for my main dish. My friend who accompanied me ordered the crab ravioli and mushroom risotto. We, of course, ordered with the planned intention of taking bites from each of our four plates.
The beef tartare was excellent, wrapped in beef carpaccio and served with an impossibly thin crisp cracker and a side of pickled beats – a pleasant sour note to contrast the salted beef. The crab ravioli was unexpected – a puck of crab salad topped with a disk of pasta dough to simulate the ideal bite of the dish.
Once my sea bass arrived at the table, our waiter expertly poured a delicious savoury glaze in the centre. I soaked up the sauce with the tender fish and surrounding grilled vegetables. My friend’s mushroom risotto arrived with a very creamy, yet vegan mushroom sauce. We also ordered a cheeky side of garlic parmesan fries because we are always in search of the perfect fry, and this delicately crispy side delivered.
For dessert, I opted for the gingerbread cake. It was less of a cake and more of a ginger cracker topped with apple and ginger sorbets with spiced vinaigrette. My friend’s choice was an indulgent 70% dark chocolate tart with a scoop of Bailey’s ice cream. After clearing the table, we were welcomed with petit fours of tart fruit gels and bites of hazelnut tart.
The menu is designed to pair any starter, main, and dessert effortlessly together. The attentive waiters made sure to make our experience as happy as possible. It is clear, with the view of the diligent chefs and staff, that Le Cordon Bleu implements its high hospitality standards in all aspects of the dining experience.
We also attended a hot-cross bun-making class just in time for the Easter holiday. The class comes with glasses of champagne and canapés in-hand. These buns are made with a twist – studded with plump vine fruits which have been macerated in Earl Grey tea, orange, and bergamot oil infusion.
To discover more, visit: cordrestaurant.com
View this post on Instagram
All imagery courtesy of CORD by Le Cordon Bleu.