Apero is located inside the Ampersand Hotel in South Kensington. Not your typical hotel restaurant, Apero is a sharing-based restaurant, encouraging guests to choose two or three dishes for each course to share with the table. On our visit to the restaurant we began our meal with a selection of cocktails.
The first of our cocktails was called the Frescbaldi and was a gin based drink with limoncello and fino cherry. Although very strong, the flavours balanced the alcohol to create a warm but fresh tasting drink. The second, named The Seasons, was vodka based and included Kamm & Sons Ginseng spirit, lemon juice, cucumber syrup, pressed apple and ginger ale. This unusually flavoured cocktail was very enjoyable and the summer and winter ingredients highlighted the cocktails name, featuring flavours from all year round.
"The impressive cooking highlighted the high quality of the ingredients.”
The third cocktail we sampled was called the Hanbury Cup, which included Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula Cognac, pressed pineapple, apricot brandy, velvet falernum and orgeat. A very floral cocktail, the fragrant ingredients create an extremely unusual but nevertheless delicious drink. We followed this with our fourth and final cocktail, the L’oiseau de Feu. Very fruity and with a citrus base, this cocktail included Ketel One citroen vodka, orange curacao, fresh basil, pink grapefruit, Campari and Peychaud’s bitters. The fresh ingredients used throughout were noticeable and
Embracing the sharing theme, we ordered a number of dishes to share with the table. To begin, we tried the focaccia bread and two small dishes of gnocchi with white crab meat, watercress and lardo, and plaice goujons with basil mayonnaise. All three dishes were enjoyable and the fresh ingredients were obvious through the quality of the flavours. The gnocchi was particularly delicious and the crab meat was of a very high quality. The plaice goujons were simple but well prepared and obviously made with care.
We also ordered marsh fed lamb cutlets with borletti beans. The lamb was delicious and very tender, expertly cooked by the Apero chef. This was served with a dish of rib-eye steak with onions and artichokes, also expertly cooked and perfectly presented for sharing. The impressive cooking highlighted the high quality of the ingredients.
To accompany our dishes we chose three side dishes of potato puree, steamed asparagus with Amalfi lemon and beetroot risotto. All of the side dishes were as enjoyable as the mains, bursting with flavour and well prepared by the chefs. The beetroot risotto was a particular favourite, though, thanks to it’s unusual but successful combination of flavours.
The Bill: £318 per night
