Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos
You are here: Home / Restaurants / London restaurants / Review: Tredwell’s from Marcus Wareing

Review: Tredwell’s from Marcus Wareing

by Jeanne Horak on June 26, 2015 8 Comments in London restaurants

TredwellsTitle

Click on Marcus Wareing’s entry in Wikipedia and it reads like London restaurant-themed miniseries.  There are restaurant openings, restaurant closures, legal battles, celebrity chef appearances, television appearances,  long-standing feuds (with Gordon Ramsay, no less) and a flurry of Michelin stars.  In fact, move over The 100 Foot Journey – this is a racy foodie movie waiting to happen. You’d think that with all these distractions going on, the food might be playing a supporting role – but you’d be wrong.  Testimony to just how seriously he takes food is the fact that Wareing still holds two Michelin stars at Marcus at the Berkley Hotel, but in recent years he has also branched out into less formal dining venues including the Gilbert Scott at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel and most recently, Tredwell’s in Covent Garden’s Seven Dials.

Named after the butler in Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery, Tredwells is spread across three floors, with a bar area on the ground floor and restaurant seating in the basement and on the first floor.  Although he was involved in the menu, Wareing himself is not in the kitchen here – he leaves the cooking to accomplished head chef Andrew Ward – and the food is described as “modern London cooking with an emphasis on sharing”.  As you enter, you are greeted by the impressive sight of a massive clock face made entirely of vintage cutlery, mounted on the double-height wall between the ground and first floors.  The room is dark and masculine, all exposed brickwork and filament bulbs, and I found the staff to be impressively friendly and helpful. Having settled ourselves at our upstairs table, we had a visit from the barman to talk us through the cocktail menu.  In the end we settled on Down The Apples & Pears, a delightfully subtle combination of Belvedere vodka, apple juice, pear juice, elderflower and thyme.  It was just how I like a cocktail to be – fruity and aromatic, without being too sweet, and I loved that the thyme came in the form of a whiff from the sprig atop the glass each time you sipped, rather than a mouthful of thyme.

 

TredwellsMenu

 

TredwellsRoom

 

TredwellsApplesAndPears

 

Our next challenge was to choose our food from a menu where everything sounds delicious, and where almost any food allergy is catered for.  There is a massively expanded key to allergens at the back of the menu, which makes a welcome change from restaurants where one still struggles to get accurate information on whether a dish contains nuts/gluten/dairy.  In the end I chose the confit salmon with cauliflower couscous, bonito flakes and coriander (£8.00) while Rosana had the prawns, white polenta and roasted garlic in chicken broth (£9.50). Rosana’s dish was pure decadent comfort food, with a mound of fluffy polenta under a generous helping of plump prawns. My dish was OK, if not stellar.  The salmon itself was just fabulous: succulent, pink and flaking; and the bright freshness of the coriander leaves was a delight – but I was not convinced by serving it all in an (admittedly tasty) broth which left the very-of-the-moment cauliflower couscous floating on top like debris from a shipwreck.

 

TredwellsPrawns

 

TredwellsSalmon

 

All was forgiven when my main course arrived though:  a spectacularly Flintstones-esque Rhug Estate smoked slow cooked beef short rib (£29.00), simply served with its own jus.  This was just spectacular – smoky, fork-tender and deeply flavoursome as only beef on the bone can be.  Paired with some extraordinarly good polenta chips (crisp exterior, fluffy interior, perfect!), this kept me very happy indeed.  Rosana was also happy with her slow-cooked pork belly and check with juniper and fennel (£16.00), although if you are expecting cracking, look elsewhere – this has not been crisped up in the pan after slow-cooking.  We also shared some sprouting broccoli with toasted almonds, which were pleasant.

 

TredwellsBeefRib

 

© J Horak-Druiff 2015

 

TredwellsPorkBelly

 

The highlight of the meal for me was dessert – which is saying a lot as I am not generally a dessert person. We ordered two desserts to share, and the waiter suggested we try a third – their homemade “virtuous” chocolate brownie (£5.00) containing no wheat, dairy, eggs or refined sugar .  Sounds like no fun at all?  Well, prepare to be surprised. This arrived as a seriously dense, rich and cocoa-y slice with a blob of moreish coconut yogurt that surprised us both with its deliciousness and lack of discernible virtue. I do think, though, that would be even better received if it were called a chocolate slice or similar because a brownie it ain’t! But a good alternative for those on special diets, it certainly is. Our two chosen desserts were both glorious.  Chocolate cornflakes (£6.00)consisted of crumbled chocolate cake/brownies, chocolate-coated cornflakes and salted caramel sauce -it was like every childhood dessert dream fulfilled and packed with sweetness, saltiness, softness and crunch. Bliss.  But the total highlight was the house-made salted caramel soft-serve with honeycomb (£5.00), served in a cup as if you were at a proper ice-cream shop.  The ice-cream has a deep, rich flavour of caramel as well as a proper salty kick (something that I often find lacking in “salted” caramel desserts) – and the wonderful crunch of honeycomb completed the nostalgic mouthful of childhood. One of the best desserts I have had in ages.  And because I don’t think a meal is complete unless it ends with a sneaky espresso,  that was my final order of the night.  It was served, to our delight, with a generous jar of house-made fudge and some bamboo skewers to spear the rich, dense little squares.

 

TredwellsSoftServe1

 

TredwellsChocolateCornflakes

 

Tredwellsbrownie

 

TredwellsSoftServe2

 

TredwellsCoffee

 

TredwellsFudge

 

The verdict? Despite some of the dishes being pleasant rather than memorable (the pork belly, the confit salmon), on balance there was a lot to like about Tredwell’s.  The staff were all excellent – very friendly and attentive, as well as knowledgeable, especially the uber-cool barman on the night we visited.  If you have food intolerances you are going to love the extensive information on allergens contained in the menu.   And of course those desserts… both the cornflakes and *that* soft-serve were the kind of desserts you dream about for months afterwards – so much so that I made a beeline for Tredwell’s at the recent Taste of London, just to have another of their soft-serves.  And if that isn’t an endorsement, I don’t know what is.

DISCLOSURE:  I enjoyed this meal as a guest of Tredwell’s but received no further remuneration to write this post.  I was not expected to write a positive review – all views are my own and I retain full editorial control. 

If you enjoyed this restaurant review, you might also want to have a look at my other restaurant reviews. You can also find me tweeting at @cooksisterblog, snapping away on Instagram, or pinning like a pro on Pinterest.  To keep up with my latest posts, you can subscribe to my free e-mail alerts, like Cooksister on Facebook, or follow me on Bloglovin.

Tredwell’s
4A Upper St Martin’s Lane
London
WC2H 9NY
Tel:  +44 (0)203 764 0840
E-mail: [email protected]
Closest Tube station: Leicester Square

More deliciousness for you!

  • Saturday Snapshots #162Saturday Snapshots #162
  • Wining and dining on the FrontlineWining and dining on the Frontline
  • Fennel and blood orange salad with toasted pistachiosFennel and blood orange salad with toasted pistachios
  • Saturday Snapshots #287Saturday Snapshots #287

Never miss a Cooksister post

If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address here to receive a FREE e-mail update when a new post appears on Cooksister

I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!

« Venicefoto 2014 workshop – creativity flowing on the Strada del Prosecco
Dukley Beach Lounge, Montenegro »

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Rosana, Hot&Chilli Food and Travel Blog says

    June 26, 2015 at 9:15 pm

    That was a nice meal. I agree the salted caramel was the highlight I did also like your slow cooked beef short rib and my starter. The Sunday lunch menu looked good too. Thanks for introducing me to Tredwell’s. Rxxx

    Reply
  2. Sally - My Custard Pie says

    June 27, 2015 at 10:19 am

    Sounds like a pleasant experience rather than an exceptional one. No crackling? seems like someone doesn’t taste the food enough. Interesting though – what do you have to do to open a good mid-priced restaurant in London that stands out….. apart from have MW over the door.

    Reply
  3. Herschelian says

    June 27, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    That Rhug beef short-rib looks so appetising! I also love the idea of a Cockney Rhyming Slang named cocktail.

    Reply
  4. Emily @amummytoo says

    June 27, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    That soft-serve sells it for me! Looks wonderful.

    Reply
  5. Elizabeth says

    June 28, 2015 at 10:28 am

    I absolutely love reading your reviews – your writing makes me feel like I am right there with you visiting places I could only ever dream about! Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  6. Simone says

    July 2, 2015 at 7:24 pm

    Ok, I just have to come to London soon and spend all my time eating my way around the city. There’s just too many restaurants I would love to try. And this one… I think I’d just go straight for the desserts. if you say the dessert was your favorite – not being a dessert person – than someone like me – who looooooves desserts – would be in heaven right? On the list!

    Reply
  7. Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet.com says

    July 4, 2015 at 9:17 pm

    Love the look of that beef short rib! First heard of Marcus Wareing on Great British Menu; he seems to be a man on a mission…

    Reply
  8. Andrew says

    July 5, 2015 at 12:21 pm

    I could live off dessert and cocktails!

    Reply
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Get my latest recipes delivered by e-mail!

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Perfect broccoli and Stilton soup [keto, low carb, GF]
  • Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley
  • Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]
  • Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]
  • Antillean
  • Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
  • Rustic blood orange and pistachio galettes

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Oxtail and red wine potjie
Nigella's Bakewell slices & the Big Bakewell Taste-off
Gem squash 101: how to find them, how to grow them, how to eat them!
Jan Ellis pudding - a classic South African dessert
My big, fat South African potato bake

Featured on

Also available on

The wonderful Museum of the Moon installation - a The wonderful Museum of the Moon installation - a 7 metre diameter scale model of the moon suspended in the Painted Hall at the  @oldroyalnavalcollege in Greenwich this week, by @lukejerramartist. A surreal and fabulous sight!
Do you enjoy free art installations? Then you need Do you enjoy free art installations? Then you need to get down to @canarywharflondon between now and Saturday 28 Jan to catch the free Winter Lights 2023 event, back for the seventh year.

My favourites include @lukejerramartist ‘s Floating Earth; Tom Lambert’s Out of the Dark; Fluorescent Firs; Toroid by This is Loop; and the surreal and mesmerising Anima by MEATS - a tunnel filled with hundreds of thin optical fibre lights that change colour and move in the breeze 😍 

Have you been to Winter Lights? What was your favourite?
“When we look down at the Earth from space, we s “When we look down at the Earth from space, we see this amazing, indescribably beautiful planet. It looks like a living, breathing organism. But it also, at the same time, looks extremely fragile.” - International Space Station astronaut Ron Garamond

To experience the “overview effect” (a phenomenon experienced by astronauts viewing the earth from space), head down to Canary Wharf in the London docklands this week where you can see @lukejerramartist ‘s beautiful Floating Earth installation as part of the Winter Lights event. 

This giant 10m diameter installation is created using high resolution NASA images to create a floating scale model of the Earth, lit from within so that it glows from its current home on the Middle Dock, surrounded by the headquarters of international banking and finance corporations.

The artist hopes that viewed in this context, the installation will make visitors and the bankers working in surrounding buildings question how their money in savings and pensions is invested, and whether investments can be greener.

Aside from being a thought provoking piece, it is also mesmerising and surreally beautiful, so make sure you visit the free Winter Lights event before ends on Saturday 28 Jan.
Happy lunar new year! [Invited] To celebrate the Happy lunar new year! 

[Invited] To celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, why not head over to @mamachensdumplings currently doing a residence at the @thegantrylondon in #stratford where you can feast on prawn & chive dumplings; pork, Chinese cabbage and shiitake mushroom dumplings; pork & prawn wontons with Mama Chen’s chilli oil; vegetable dumplings; smacked cucumber salad; and spicy noodles coated in garlic and Szechuan pepper oil.

And afterwards, make sure you head up to the @unionsocialoc bar for a cocktail - I loved the Moreish Fashion with bourbon, PX sherry, chestnuts and mandarin orange bitters!
Got leftover Stilton (or any blue cheese) from Chr Got leftover Stilton (or any blue cheese) from Christmas? Turn it into this super simple and super indulgent broccoli and Stilton soup! So easy to make and soooo delicious to eat - and it is low carb and GF. What more could you want?! Click the link in my bio for the full recipe. What’s your favourite soup?
CELEBRATE. So the fireworks are over, the champag CELEBRATE.

So the fireworks are over, the champagne is finished and the leftovers are all eaten. We are one week into 2023 and I have had some time to think about what my intent is for the year. 

In 2022 my brother had a life saving kidney transplant. Since the operation, he has had a Peanuts cartoon as his WhatsApp profile pic, where Charlie Brown and Snoopy are sitting on a pier talking. Charlie says “Some day, we all die Snoopy.” And Snoopy replies: “Yes - but every other day, we will live.”

Waking up in the morning is a gift, every day, and it is so easy to forget this. The last few years have been difficult for so many people and the coming year promises its own challenges. But every day that we don’t die is a day to live, to celebrate life in some small way.

So my intention in 2023 is to celebrate. Celebrate our achievements however small. Celebrate our friends and family. Celebrate small things. Celebrate life.

Did you make any resolutions or goals for 2023? I would love to hear them in the comments! Wishing you all the very best for 2023 🥂
Happy new year, everyone! Here are some scenes fro Happy new year, everyone! Here are some scenes from last night with friends in Deptford. My deconstructed avocado ritz; @twinkleparkstephen ‘s bobitie; Giles’ Ottolenghi tomato salad; and Jean’s clementine trifle - and the London night sky ablaze with fireworks!  How did you spend your evening? 🥂🎇🎆
Merry Christmas to all those celebrating - I hope Merry Christmas to all those celebrating - I hope your day was merry and bright, filled with family, friends and love 🎄🥂. Mine was spent alone at home - my choice and the result of a combination of Covid (not mine!) and rail strikes 🤦‍♀️ but very relaxing and indulgent!
Looking for a stylish and easy Christmas starter y Looking for a stylish and easy Christmas starter you can make ahead? Look no further than my individual smoked salmon terrine! Hot smoked salmon, cream cheese and chives wrapped in cold smoked salmon in a ramekin. Still one of the most popular Christmas recipes in my blog, it looks cheffy but is soooo simple to make - and will save you time and effort on the day! Get the recipe by clicking on the link in my bio.

How is your Christmas meal prep going? Are you entertaining at home or going to friends or family? 🎄🥂🎄🥂🎄
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Bowls of broccoli and Stilton soup
Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2023 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2023 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT