goodthingsmagazine.comOUT & ABOUT29I
t’s always fun to be one of the first to try
somewhere new and have those great
social media braging rights as someone
who has their eye on the next big thing.
London is currently enjoying quite a dalliance
with Nordic dining, and a hot new contender
for the jewel in the crown could very well be
Aster in Victoria.The venue
Aster takes the form of a stylish restaurant,
bar, café and food shop spread across two
floors at the swanky new Nova development- 10,000 sq of restaurants and bars close
to Victoria station. It’s part of the ever-
expanding D&D Group, and is the domain of
Finnish chef Helena Puolakka (pictured le,
ex-Skylon, La Tante Claire and Htel Balzac)
who oversees a menu of trad Nordic dishes
with a nod to her French culinary training.
The food
Upstairs in the main restaurant, the mid-
priced menu combines the uncomplicated,
distinctive flavours of Scandinavia with the
vibrant produce and ubiquitous love of food
found throughout France.
Our lunch starts with a flavour-packed
Baltic shellfish broth and Aster-cured salmon
with pickled cucumber, accompanied by piles
of delicious bread and excellent buer.
Melt-in-the-mouth sea bass ‘in paper’ with
fennel, olives and tomatoes follows, along
with a succulent, perfectly pink duck breastwith spiced buckwheat. For pudding, we tuck
into skyr parfait with lemon meringue and a
dish of chocolate and smoked beetroot.
Although unusual, it’s quite one
of the best things I’ve tried so far this year.
Aster’s light, reasonably-sized dishes mean
you should have room to enjoy three full
courses which take your tastebuds on a trip
to Scandinavia via rural France. There’s also
an interesting range of wine by the glass, and
a knowledgeable and very friendly sommelier
should you fancy some advice.
If you have less time or prefer a more
informal atmosphere, the buzzing all-day café
downstairs serves a variety of lighter dishes
along the same lines – think sherry herrings
and salmon for breakfast, with open
sandwiches, wild reindeer sausages and
smorgasbords at lunchtime.150 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5LB • 020 3875 5555 •aster-restaurant.com
THE VERDICT
This really is an eaterie that has
something for everyone, from breakfast
through to dinner, spanning the spectrum
from casual to fine dining. Looking to get
your hygge on at home too? Pick up fish
roe and wild berries in the onsite deli.★ ★ ★ ★
A la carte, £100 for two. Working lunch
menu, £19 for two courses.Dispatches from the dining table
Aster
Carole Hamilton enjoys a taste of Scandinavia – and becomes the
number one fan of a rather good chocolate and beetroot puddingRestaurant_Aster_MATTZPCathyZP_v2.indd 29 01/04/2017 23:08