The Island Restaurant & Bar

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8th February 2007

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(Please note - 50% off the total food bill to a maximum of 6 people per Taste Card)

Island Restaurant & Bar is a stylish contemporary split-level space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Hyde Park.

Offering the best of Modern British cuisine, Island´s menu focuses on the freshest seasonal produce sourced from the British Isles with sumptuous dishes such as: lasagne of Cornish crab; South Coast scallops with tomato and ginger; breast of Mallard with savoury bread pudding and greengage compôte; Isle of Skye oysters with spiced sausages or ballotine of chicken with herb brioche dumplings.

Puddings include: English strawberries with goats cheese ice-cream and balsamic caramel or warm gooseberry charlotte custard. British cheeses such as Cornish Yarg, Celtic Promise and Exmore Blue complete the feast.

Even the cocktails proudly include British ingredients and the wine list features bins from English vineyards.

Island´s stylish contemporary interior was designed by the celebrated team, Stiff + Trevillion, designers of Wagamama, Fakheldine and Satsuma. The smallest area is the cocktail bar with a fabulous range of acclaimed signature cocktails while the restaurant´s dark wood tables against lightwood with banquette seating is dramatically flooded at night with stunning coloured back-lit ceiling panels.

The open kitchen gives diners a view of Head Chef Leigh Diggins and his brigade in action as they create tempting dishes using fresh British seasonal produce, simply cooked to bring out the natural flavours.

Leigh sources his ingredients on a day-by-day basis so the menu is continually varying to some extent.

What the press say:

'chef Leigh Diggins proves he knows his dandelion from his samphire. You get fab crab, nicely spiced black pudding with a perfectly poached egg, and a soundly, roundly roasted sea trout with deep-fried sprats. We think he´s a first-class chef, so far relatively unsung, and Island is a bright, new agreeably bland space.'

Tatler Magazine

'The interior is sleek and chic. The black pudding with poached duck egg was tops and the desserts (including goat´s cheese ice cream) are absolutely stonking.'

Fabric Magazine

'The new super-chic Island Restaurant & Bar…..is a sophisticated and stylish venue …..beautifully prepared modern British cuisine.'

The Londoner

'Newcomer Island fills the gap with considerable aplomb thanks to a combination of modern good looks, charming service &, most importantly, spot-on cooking. Chef Leigh diggings uses well-sourced seasonal British ingredients….'

Square Meal

'It´s all very chic and modern, just right for this newly fashionable area. The menu offers fresh modern cooking from Leigh Diggins (ex-Sonny´s), such as lobster, orange, borlotti beans and black olives…'

Harpers & Queen Magazine

'… the interior by Stiff + Trevillion (the architects who designed the original Wagamama) is refreshingly modern ……. While giving a grandstand view of Hyde Park. Excellent cocktails are made using premium brand: we rated the Margarita and Bramble.

Time Out

'You can´t have too much of a good thing, as I found when I recently reviewed Island, the new British restaurant next to the Royal Lancaster Hotel overlooking Hyde Park and by Lancaster Gate Underground station. I thought this would be just the thing for Sunday lunch and it proved to b e a great success'.

What´s on in London

This split-level 90 seat eatery oozes sophistication from every ultra-sleek wood , glass and slate minimalist surface. Executive Chef Leigh Diggins´ wide-ranging Modern British menu focuses on seasonal produce, making the best of everything this land has to offer. There´s line-caught Cornish cod, Isle of Skye oysters………Cornish crab starter with artichoke and ginger…….. Puds were innovative and tempting; we tried baked quince charlotte with chestnut ice-cream. Just the best.'

The Hill Magazine

'Island Restaurant & Bar, a super-chic dining space overlooking Hyde Park, makes the most of the view with a series of dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows. The wide-ranging menu focuses on seasonal British ingredients.'

Olive Magazine