THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
64 Eastcastle Street, London, W1W 8NQ
Nothing beats the magic of fire and smoke. At Arros QD, it permeates everything. The décor, the drinks, the food… magic!
The QD stands for Quique Dacosta, the Patron Chef. He holds so many Michelin stars, he must be a constellation by now. Arros QD marks his first venture in London. I pray it won’t be his last! His protégé, Executive Chef Eduardo Idrobo was also, astonishingly, our server. His innate understanding of hospitality made our evening unforgettable.
The interior, designed by Lázaro Rosa-Violán is a marvel, embodying the very essence of fire and smoke. High-relief charcoal tiles create a stunning background for the grand staircase. Fiery colors and the open fire kitchen emphasize the theme.
We began in the Fuego (fire in Spanish) bar. I’m surprised we ever left. The superb bartender mixed me a Camino Verde (£15) – oregano-infused Eminente Rum, Green chilli-infused Ancho Reyes Verde liqueur, lime juice and sugar syrup. Eduardo then brought us cheese stones (£6.50). Looking exactly like shiny black pebbles, I feared I would break a tooth. The shell, made from flavorless cacao, cracked perfectly into a filling of creamy manchego with parmesan and a touch of truffle. Truffle bombs (£7) were aptly named - crisp potato parcels, filled with egg yolk, pancetta and more truffle. Honestly, I would have stayed right where I was and filled up on bar snacks, but we moved to the elegant dining room.
It might be difficult to get excited about kale salad (£16), but when it’s mixed with Valencian citrus, kumquat, and candied cashew nuts, and tossed in tomato jelly and tamarillo (tree tomato) dressing, it’s hard to beat. Fresh, complex and full of flavor. Your 5 a day never tasted so good.
Hen of the wood (£22) brought more delicious nutrition to the table. Grilled maitake mushrooms in a miso jus with black sesame mayo and crispy kale had me doing an anaerobic happy dance.
Arros QD is Dacosta’s homage to paella, Arros meaning rice in Spanish. The restaurant even offers masterclasses in preparing the most famous dish of Valencia. As much as I was dying to try it, I ultimately chose a fideua for the main course. Fideua is basically paella with noodles instead of rice. With Shetland langoustine and Atlantic monkfish (£34 pp) it’s a real showstopper. The short, thin noodles don’t achieve the same socarrat (crispy crust) that rice does, but they caramelize beautifully in the intense seafood broth. The langoustines were just licked with fire and the taste of smoke. I wanted more than the 3 small bites each of monkfish, otherwise, the dish was perfection.
I sampled 2 glasses of excellent Garnacha. The wine list offers a wonderful selection of primarily Spanish wines.
For dessert, a deconstructed mille fueille (£12) of caramelized puffed pastry with pumpkin seeds, pumpkin and mandarin crémeux, pistachio and pumpkin ice cream and mandarin sorbet was a sweet, tart, creamy, crunchy delight.
I’ll be back for the paella!
