Review: Lunch at Indigo at One Aldwych, London (gluten free)

Last Friday, I was lucky enough to be treated to a three-course meal at Indigo at One Aldwych by my husband for my birthday. It was so delicious that I thought I would do a short write-up of our meal (with apologies for the photos, which were just snapped on my phone), particularly because it's an entirely gluten free and dairy free restaurant and so it was extra special to have the freedom to order absolutely anything from the menu.

One Aldwych is a hotel located right in the centre of London - along the Strand and a stone's throw from Covent Garden. We started the day with a stroll around the Southbank and a visit to the Hayward Gallery, before crossing the river ready for some lunch. The hotel itself looks gorgeous, a real treat of a place, with a spa on site too. There's a cocktail bar on the ground floor, with amazing floral displays, and Indigo is located above this with a balcony area (where we were seated) from which you can look down to the bar below.

We started off with some cocktails while we browsed the menu - a strawberry and basil mojito for me, and a Rob Roy for my husband who likes his cocktails a little old fashioned (read: a little less fruity!). The menu itself changes seasonally, with the ingredients sourced from the British Isles. It was a really difficult choice! When we had chosen our starters and main courses, we were brought some freshly-made gluten free bread with a little bottle of rapeseed oil to dip the bread into. Oh that bread. It was still warm and seasoned with fresh herbs, and like no bread I've eaten at any hotel I've been to recently. In fact, it was particularly sweet as the memory of a hotel we stayed at after a wedding last weekend was still fresh in my mind - where they brought me three slices of burnt stale bread at breakfast, two of which were the ends of the loaf. Bread this good is a life-changing experience for a coeliac!

I opted for the cured Loch Duart salmon to start, which was served with grapefruit, coriander and puréed avocado. It was absolutely beautiful - so fresh and light. We both opted for fish to start, with my husband choosing the seared Orkney scallops served with sweetcorn, apple and truffle.

Although I was tempted by the fish and chips because I'm aaaalways tempted by fish and chips, based entirely on the fact that I was going to have a glass of red wine I opted for the Bavette steak instead with hand cut chips. It's not often that a coeliac can have those kinds of chips in a restaurant because they're usually wheaty (for no good reason!) so that was another major factor in the reasoning behind my decision. It was amazing - so tender and accompanied by a salsa verde that added a whole new layer of flavour to the dish. I inhaled it and only then remembered that I should have snapped a photo (hence that's the only one missing here!)

After much deliberation, my husband chose the Brixham plaice, served with Scottish langoustine, preserved lemon and fennel, with some Cornish new potatoes on the side. He was as happy with his choice as I was with mine - the plaice itself was particularly delicious, which I can attest to having snaffled an eager mouthful. 

The courses weren't overwhelmingly huge, which meant that we comfortably had room for dessert and after much deliberation, I choose the strawberries and custard with a digestive biscuit. I was really not picturing what arrived, which was more like a strawberry and custard tart. One taste of it brought me back to holidays in France when I was small and the strawberry tarts I used to love there - a taste I really thought I'd never get to experience again. My husband selected the custard tart with pear and, having experienced a great amount of really unfortunate gluten free pastry, he polished this off. Gluten free dining has come a long long way in recent years but this was another level altogether.  

We finished the meal with coffees, which arrived with petits fours. Somehow, we managed to fit them in and were very happily full as we walked back to the station through a very sunny London. 

If it wasn't clear from the above, I would wholeheartedly recommend a visit to Indigo. It's not cheap but for a special occasion, it's a real treat. The staff were lovely and you don't feel rushed in the slightest. I loved every moment. Bearing in mind its location, it would be perfect for a pre-theatre meal and there were so many groups enjoying afternoon teas too (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-themed, with some impressive candy floss!).

Do let me know if you've visited One Aldwych or if you're planning to go after reading this! Bon appétit!

♥

One Aldwych

1 Aldwych

London

WC2B 4BZ