The DeVille restaurant is situated in The Mandeville Hotel in Marylebone. It is an upscale restaurant, catering for the refined diner who enjoys a la carte. The surroundings are sumptuous, with rich colours, thick fabrics, crisp linen, and a hushed elegance throughout.
The welcome, and the excellent service, are what makes the DeVille stand out. We were greeted with a smile and escorted to our table where we were handed over to our waiter. He then continued to introduce the specials and offer suggestions when prompted. It made us feel welcome.
We couldn’t wait to eat, so we ordered a duck terrine and beetroot tor for our starter. The terrine was grain fed duck liver and wood pigeon, and was gamey but utterly divine. The beetroot tor had goats cheese in it which offset the sharpness of the beetroot perfectly.
Our main course consisted of pollock and venison, with a side of savoy cabbage. The Pollock isn’t the most salubrious fish, but was served with a flair, and tasted great. The meat fell off the bone, and every mouthful brought more depth to the flavour.
The venison was served with sage rosti, and hibiscus and blackcurrant jus. The venison was cooked to perfection. There wasn’t enough of it on the plate for our taste, but it was great. I’m always suspicious of “jus” but this one was light and tart at the same time. It set off the richness of the meat perfectly.
Dessert was rhubarb crumble and chocolate fondant. I love that English classics are still around, so it was only right that we ordered a rhubarb crumble for dessert. The crumble was sweet, crunchy and soaked up the tartness of the rhubarb perfectly. The black chocolate fondant was served with marshmallows and was a decadent finish to a delicious meal.
We did have wine with our meal, a La Flor rose, which was a fruity glass with a light bouquet. The perfect accompaniment to our meal.
The DeVille is a high-class restaurant that delivers on every count. The service was excellent and the food superb. It certainly lives up to its promises.
The Bill: £62 per head
