The Cavendish Pub Marylebone review: The hidden gem gastropub where flair meets flavour
“The whole plate is harmonious, texturally complex, and makes me wants seconds.”
Tucked just a short walk from Marylebone High Street, The Cavendish is the kind of place that you might stroll past without realising it’s serving up some of the most unique summer plates in central London right now.
This weekend, I was invited to try the new summer menu at The Cavendish, helmed by Head Chef Laura de Filippis, the newly launched Summer Menu leans into seasonal ingredients, elevated plating, and innovative cocktail offering that makes it feel more Soho House than pub grub.
My partner started with the “harmonious” Caesar salad which opened as a masterclass in texture: slightly charred leaves, finely grated parmesan cheese, zingy Caesar dressing, and house-smoked chicken paired with bacon crumble.
The real star(ter) of the show for me was the seared tuna, served beautifully and rich with flavour, this is one of those dishes that feels as much a feast for the eyes as the palate.
Every bite was soft, the tuna so finely seared, and the Granny Smith apples on top only served to compliment the soy-citrus emulsion that is the sauce to the point where even my partner, who doesn’t like seafood, found the dish lingering in his memory long after the last bite.
For the main course I chose the duck breast that comes with fresh cherries, burnt baby onions, sweetcorn cream, and lamb jus which tasted its best when you get a bit of everything for each bite.
However, we both found the main courses to be a step down from the starters. They were quite pricey at £28 for the duck and £20 for the sea bream, and less filling than the starters. We also felt additional seasoning was needed.
For dessert, I opted for the peach mousse with black sesame crumble and it might just become of the best sweet plates I’ve had this year with its soft, luxurious, and borderline addictive texture that closes the meal with real flair.
One of the standouts for me was the excellent customer service, especially Zeena in particular, who from entry made us feel welcomed and added to our experience by giving her recommendations, asking us for our thoughts on the food after every course, and even going as far as to surprise my partner with a cocktail for a blind taste test.
Cocktail-wise, the Strawberry Fields Milk Punch and Yuzu & Plum Spritz were standouts.
They’re not heavy pours, instead they’re refreshing and clean, a smart companion to the dishes on offer and considering the location and the fact that they’re workshopped in-house, the £14 price point is far from unfair.