In this new column, food critic Charles Pelham writes about where to eat after Mass, from London to Lisbon.
St Patrick’s, Soho Square and Manzi’s
Consecrated in 1792, shortly after the French Revolution, St Patrick’s was probably the first church in England to be dedicated to the Patron Saint of Ireland. Its establishment was also as a direct result of the Relief Act of 1791, which sought to abolish the forbidding of the Sacraments to non-Protestants, such as the large group of very poor Irish people living around Soho Square at the time.
Led by the admirable Fr Alexander Sherbrooke, this beautiful church has wonderful architecture within and reminds one slightly of the mastery of Aleijadinho (1738-1814), the Brazilian genius designer who worked with the gold of Minas Gerais. Weekday Mass is at a convenient 12.45pm, with a one-minute walk to the new Manzi’s, situated between Frith and Greek Streets.
Londoners may remember the old Manzi’s, a famous fish restaurant near Piccadilly Circus. The Wolseley Group has now taken over this restaurant and positioned it in a previously insalubrious street in Soho (where A-listers often anonymously stay, due to its unknown hotels). They have poured money into its design, allegedly spending £7m with a strong wow factor. There is an elegant terrace for summer al fresco dining but, alas, I visited in the middle of winter.
The cloakroom resembles the entrance to a theatre or night club. A Forties decor in soothing Paris Blue welcomes you with comfortable seats everywhere, even at the bar. There are many wonderful details, like the chic 1940s glasses, the frog salt cellars (reminiscent of the Gavroche), elegant Arthur Price cutlery and beautiful fish jugs full of ice-cold water.
This Christmas, I had the slightly unfortunate task of cooking three Wellingtons (one gluten free, one vegan and one normal), so it was nice to see a Monkfish Wellington on the menu (intended for two people). I thought I’d order it next time but was intrigued to know how the chef kept the fish moist; I presumed with the Sauce Américaine alongside that I spied on another table.
Plenty of shellfish choice included oysters (a hefty £5.50 each), seafood cocktails (making a renaissance everywhere), whelks (so underrated but winkles even better), clams and three different styles of mussels. First courses were unusual, including fried violet artichokes and leeks mimosa, but where was the fish soup? I had clam chowder with smoked sweetcorn, fusing influences from Boston and Hong Kong with its crab-and-sweet-corn soup. This version had curry powder in it and not enough clams.
Main courses included soufflé suisse of haddock, which was called a soufflé suissesse by the Roux Brothers. I look forward to trying that one on return, as it should be a classic. Also a Cioppino fish stew, which owes its genesis to the Italian communities of San Francisco, so appropriate after Mass on a Friday.
As I was trying out the prix fixe (reasonable at £19.50), I had the fish pie with minted peas (no mint and too much salt). There are also two rules in fish pie: not too much mashed potato and preferably no salmon. Unfortunately, this pie did not do justice to the magnificence of the décor on both of these counts. I made a note to order à la carte next time.
The pudding, which I would have liked to share with my non-existent guest, would have been the pineapple upside-down cake. The wine list is where they are probably trying to recoup their massive investment. The most prudent choice appeared to be a glass of Crémant and then a South Australian Riesling or Pecorino.
In short, a beautiful restaurant, not the best prix fixe, but many smiling faces everywhere.
St Patrick’s Soho Square and Manzi’s, Bateman Buildings, Soho, London.
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