Magdalen Awards

Magdalen Restaurant Review:

Dark wood paneling, aubergine-colored walls, mirrors and extravagant flower arrangements greet you at this restaurant that champions British cuisine. The first-rate cooking lifts this place a notch above the rest. Starters range from cuttlefish braised in its ink with peas and pickled lemon to smoked eel with warm potato pancake and horseradish. For mains, the likes of braised kid with barley, nettles and Pecorino, and a rich fish stew show well-chosen ingredients precisely cooked. Desserts might include steamed Mandarin pudding with custard and rhubarb crumble tart with crème fraîche, or go for good English cheeses. The wine list is more French than new-world; the service professional. Set lunch Monday to Friday 2 courses £16.50, 3 courses £19.50.