Restaurant Review of "Banyan on the River at the Hotel Rafayel" by Terence Jolley?

BANYAN on the THAMES at the HOTEL RAFAYEL

Falcon Wharf, 34 Lombard Road, London SW11 3RF

One might not at first think of Battersea when looking for a fine restaurant or fine fayre,but take heed

Dear Readers,

for there is an amazing hidden gem of the SW11 area that I urge you to visit.

At the recently opened Hotel Rafayel at Falcon Wharf stands the delightful Banyan On the Thames.

This waterfront restaurant,as part of the Hotel complex is amazing,with delightful views over the Thames,Chelsea Harbour and the general riparian scene.

The venue comprises a fantastic bar for pre-dinner drinks and amazingly every table is a river view table.

The service is extremely good,My guest and I were looked after all evening by the wonderful Kristian

who amazed us by taking our quite complex order by memory and not a notebook in sight-Impressive or what?

Mr Lafit the owner,explained that he chose the menu based on the most top-10 popular dishes chosen

by customers purchasing meals at Harrods to create a popular gastronomy with something for everyone and indeed there is!

After choosing a delightful wine being guided by the splendid helpful Kristian,we plumped for a full bodied,rich Australian red “Tintarra Horseshoe Row,Shiraz 2006”,at a very reasonable ￡21.95 per bottle

My guest and I then moved onto choose a starter-there is an amazing choice of tempting and taste-bud tingling delights coming in at about an average of a very reasonable ￡8.

Choosing from a selection of Caramelized Quail to Smoked Salmon or Seekh Kebab,my guest for Dinner opted for “Banyan Style Chicken Tikka” It was amazing,the chicken was tender,beautifully and delicately marinaded in Indian spices and Yoghurt.It arrived hot and fresh from the Tandoor Oven and was served with a delicious colourful salad.

As the sunset broke over Battersea and enjoying our river view,I opted for the “Cromer Crab,Mango and King Prawn served with a Chilli,Mango and Lime Dressing”

The entire course complemented each other the Crab was delicate and fresh and contrasted amazingly with the zestiness of the lime and the delicate sweetness and fragrance of the Mango.

It was presented beautifully almost like a colourful work of art with the colours and textures on the plate.



For the main course,My guest opted for Mongolian warriors Lamb Hot Pot with Basmati Rice.(￡12.50)

Luscious,tender pieces of Lamb,just cooked to perfection with a beautifully spicy taste,not overpowering,just right.

Served with a huge bowl of Basmati Rice.

For our side dishes we chose French Fries at ￡3.75 which were golden and crisp with a deliciously fluffy light inner,not at all greasy and a joy to eat. we also chose Buttered Asparagus at ￡3.95 which was delicious,not overcooked,just crisp and enjoyable.

I chose for my Main Course,a delicious Rack of Kentish Lamb served with a pistachio crust with sweat Gratin Potatoes,Red Pepper Coulis and a White Onion and Fresh Mint Sauce (￡18.95)

The lamb was outstanding,medium rare,tender,beautiful-The texture of the pistachio and the taste of nuttiness and meat was splendid,an unexpected combination that worked amazingly. The coulis,potato and mint sauce all made the dish perfect.

My guest and I were both delighted by the meal and indeed the service was second to none.

When my guest used her spoon to serve the side dish it was replaced clean without the waiter requiring prompting and

everything was splendidly correct,My female guest was served first throughout,which in some restaurants is not always the case.But here the staff are of the highest standard and attention to detail is everything.Indeed when I dropped my napkin another one was brought fresh almost before the descending one had hit the floor!

Amazing service.



After our very filling main course,which we thoroughly enjoyed,

My guest chose Chocolate Bailey's Cream Cup

which was deliciously creamy,with a splendid and generous Bailey's taste. I plumped for Cheese Mousse with Cinnamon Crumble and a Whisky Toffee Sauce.

Superb choice,a very creamy cheesecake-like mousse with the Crumb served separately and a

very pleasant Whisky toffee sauce.It was amazing.

The Banyan on the Thames at The Hotel Rafayel is superb,I highly commend it on service and on food.

I know readers will think twice about Battersea not being the heart of the City,but it is a mere 10 minute

bus ride from Victoria on the 170 that stops directly outside.

It also is,given its location,a gem-Who wants to cram into a Central London 2squash and a squeeze where one can't hear oneself think"-Come along to The Banyan and you can have a delightfully peaceful business lunch,evening dinner,a conversation with friends or a romantic night observing the Waterfront and Thames at Dusk.

For the romantics wanting a room for the night post Dinner,The Hotel Rafayel adjacent offers ambience,excellence,luxury and opulence from as little as ￡120.

So why not stay the night!

5/5 Absolute excellence-"A hidden Restaurant Review of "Banyan on the River at the Hotel Rafayel" by Terence Jolley?
Sounds like an 'advert-review' that's used as a paid ad with a plethora of adjectives and adverbs and I'm always quite suspicious of such jewell-box perfection.

When I read a review I'm looking for a point of view and an opinion. NOT a gushing rave!

.