Nestled in Liverpool Street, the James Cochran restaurant provides the perfect spot for a memorable dinner in the heart of busy London. When you first enter, you encounter the bar area filled with young professionals eager to unwind after a hard days work, and the James Cochran restaurant provides the perfect place to do so. The staff are friendly and inviting, whilst the atmosphere is relaxed. The restaurant is filled with pictures relating to James’ past. The dining area and bar are one continuous space, allowing for the lively atmosphere to pass through without disturbing the diners.
James Cochran formerly worked at the renowned two Michelin star restaurant, The Ledbury. This certainly comes through in his dishes. The seven course tasting menu provides a feast of flavours, many of which are throwbacks to the chef’s heritage and roots. An unusual fusion of Scottish and Jamaican influences prepared from fresh British produce, with menus changing daily. The dishes are prepared meticulously and are as much a feast for the eyes as the palate. There are some unusual flavour combinations, including strong Asian-British fusion flavours such as the pan fried gnocchi with pickled shimeji and even Cornish cod bathed in a lemongrass and ginger sauce.
These unusual combination of flavours and textures are slightly unexpected, but surprisingly they worked. For mains, we couldn’t get enough of the braised shoulder of pork, which melts in the mouth and is packed full of flavour.
For those who are vegetarian, or have allergen needs, the staff were particularly accommodating in adapting the dishes, and we found that the vegetarian dishes were just as decadent.
A refreshing fruit sorbet served with mint chutney was served as a cooling palate cleanser.
All the courses were amazing, but arguably the best was saved until last with dessert. The sticky toffee pudding was totally divine. This rich, buttery dessert packed with walnuts was the absolute star of the show. It took us straight to dessert heaven and we couldn’t get enough.
James Cochran is the perfect place for any celebration and we can’t wait to go back.
*Disclaimer: Concierge Angel were complementary guests of the restaurant, however all reviews are unbiased.
