Lunch at CORD on Fleet Street

There is something rather fitting about eating lunch at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu on Fleet Street, and it felt even more so as I sat down with my son, who knows this part of London well and spent years working in hospitality nearby. As we looked out over the street, he remarked how good it was to see it beginning to come back to life. For a long time, particularly after Covid emptied offices and thinned out the daily crowds, this stretch had felt noticeably quieter. It is, after all, a place that for generations has been tied to newspapers, law chambers and the sort of professions where a proper lunch once formed part of the working day rather than an indulgence.

The former Reuters building now provides an equally appropriate setting for a restaurant linked to Le Cordon Bleu, long regarded as one of the world’s leading cookery schools, and its presence is quietly felt throughout.

Unusually, I found myself reviewing the lunch menu here rather than the evening service, and it made a genuinely welcome change. I had eaten in this building before when it housed Lutyens, and while the bones of the room remain, CORD feels warmer now, helped in no small part by a more attentive and involved team on the floor.

It is a large space, easily capable of hosting bigger groups, but it works just as comfortably for a table for two. From our seats, we had a full view into the kitchen, where the chefs, in crisp whites, moved with a calm sense of purpose, prepping, cleaning and assembling what would turn out to be one of the most enjoyable tasting menus I’ve had in quite some time.

Lunch suits CORD. There is something particularly satisfying about being served food of this calibre while Fleet Street carries on just beyond the windows.

We began with canapés and a basket of breads baked by the Le Cordon Bleu Master Chefs. It would have been easy to overlook them, but they set the tone immediately and rather decisively. The black cracked pepper baguette was especially good, light but full of flavour, with a deeply coloured crust. Served warm with miso butter and citrus butter, it was one of those opening courses that requires a little discipline if you are not to get carried away too early.

The first dish, a slow-poached hen’s egg with truffle, asparagus and sweetcorn, looked simple but delivered much more. The yolk, once broken, worked its way through the plate, bringing everything together. The crisp potato skins added texture, the asparagus gave a welcome freshness, and the sweetcorn a gentle sweetness. It was a particularly well-judged dish, full of flavour and interest, but never overpowered by the truffle, which is not always the case.

The Isle of Skye scallop tartare followed, paired with oyster, Oscietra caviar and kaffir lime. The citrus gave it a lift that balanced the saltiness of the caviar. Then came the moment I remember most clearly. A dill and white chocolate sauce was poured at the table. I have to admit I was slightly perplexed as to how this would work. It sounded improbable. It turned out to be genuinely inspired, the sweetness softening the sharper notes and bringing everything into balance.

Our sommelier, Jiachen Lu, clearly took pleasure in the pairings, and that enthusiasm carried through. When she suggested a Riesling, I thought it a safe and sensible choice. What I wasn’t expecting was for it to come from Kanaan Winery in Ningxia, China, grown on the foothills of the Helan Mountains. It was instantly recognisable as Riesling, elegant and citrus-led, and a perfect match for the dish.

Jiachen mentioned she had recently returned from the 16th Cyprus Wine Competition, where she had been judging, which made the next pairing feel all the more considered.

The main course, salt marsh lamb rack with morels, sweetbreads, peas and mint, arrived beautifully presented, almost like a small spring landscape set on stone and surrounded by foliage. The lamb was pink, tender and very confidently handled. Peas and mint brought freshness, lifting the richness of the jus, while the morels and sweetbreads added depth and texture without overwhelming the dish.

Jiachen paired this with a 2016 Maratheftiko from Cyprus, a deeper, slightly oaky red with cherry and spice, which worked particularly well with the lamb.

It is the sort of control and restraint that you recognise in some of the better modern British kitchens across London, particularly in restaurants where the cooking is confident enough to let the ingredients speak for themselves, as seen in the approach taken at 74 Charlotte Street.

Dessert was a refined Black Forest, with kirsch mousse, white chocolate and Amarena cherries, alongside a morello sorbet that brought a necessary sharpness to balance the sweetness. A glass of Malvasia Vin Liastos from Greece followed, rich, concentrated and unmistakably caramel in character.

What impressed me most about CORD was not simply the technical skill, though there is plenty of that. It was the sense that everything had been thought through in service of flavour. The combinations were imaginative, but never contrived. The presentation was elegant, but never at the expense of the food itself.

The lunch tasting menu is priced at £75, with the wine pairing at £70. In the context of London fine dining, and given the level of cooking, service and setting, it feels entirely fair, and quietly impressive. If anything, I would suggest going with the pairing. You won’t regret it.

CORD shows how classical training can feel relaxed rather than formal. In the right hands, it produces food that is thoughtful, confident and, at moments, genuinely impressive.

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