Caviar Kaspia has returned to London in an elegant townhouse tucked away in the heart of Mayfair that was once the home of the members-only Chess Club.
Founded in 1927, the Paris-based caviar institution has been steadily expanding with outposts around the world – from Paris to Los Angeles, and from New York to Dubai – while always maintaining an impeccable reputation not just for the impeccable quality of its food and drink, but for its discretion too. That’s why all its venues attract actors, artists, singers, designers, intellectuals and politicians. In general, anyone looking for privacy in a relaxed yet vibrant environment.
The lavish decoration of Caviar Kaspia’s cocktail bar showcases elements inspired by Art Deco.
Caviar Kaspia, which was previously located on Bruton Place in London, operates like a private members’ club in the English capital. An annual fee acts as credit for the restaurant, cocktail bar and boutique, and, unlike most establishments of this kind, members can invite friends to visit even if they are not there themselves. The idea is to spread the love. Owner and CEO Ramon Mac-Crohon wants to welcome everybody, to host a combination of people as eclectic as Caviar Kaspia Paris does.
Entering on street level, we were greeted by Hannah, who showed us to the boutique and cocktail bar, before leading us to the dining room on the first floor, which also features a small bar, should you fancy an aperitif before sitting down to eat. On the top floor, there is a private dining room and a members’ lounge. Created by the Portuguese interior-design studio Oitoemponto, the décor is so exuberantly evocative of turn-of-the-20th-century Paris that I could almost hear the laughter of salon soirées from that bygone era. Exotic prints combine with lavish textiles and noble materials to imbue the townhouse with an eclectic and distinctive personality. Put it this way, I don’t think you are likely to forget the place or confuse it with any other establishment in the English capital.
The dining room on the first floor showcases pieces of art that pay homage to the masters of modernism.
The menu offers a hedonistic extravaganza of pleasure and indulgence. There are five varieties of caviar to choose from, offered in several combinations, so you can either go straight for your favourite or try one of their ‘Trilogy’ dishes, if you feel incapable of settling on just one.
You could argue that any caviar restaurant will have similar options, and you wouldn’t be wrong. However, I bet you won’t find another serving a croque monsieur with Norwegian smoked salmon, Comte cheese and Baeri caviar. This is insanely good. The combination of textures works beautifully and, surprisingly, none of the flavours overpower any of the others. Another dish that I don’t think you’d find anywhere else is the Kaspia baked potato with caviar. The extra crispy skin is achieved by baking the potato for two hours and the creamy silky interior is the result of wiping its flesh with butter. On top, comes a generous helping of Imperial Baeri. In my modest opinion, one should drink only champagne with caviar, so that’s what we did, in this case, Gaston Chiquet Brut Premier Cru. We also shared an outstanding crab and crayfish salad with mixed leaves, lemon vinaigrette and radish.
Stars in the Caviar Kaspia menu include Croque Monsieur with smoked salmon and caviar, their signature baked potato covered in caviar and an exquisite pistachio Paris-Brest.
Other delicacies on the menu include Ibérico ham de bellota, king fish sashimi, Dover sole with caviar beurre blanc and the most tender beef fillet you could possibly imagine. Even the pasta dishes here feel decadent and luxurious. Just think Imperial Baeri caviar tagliolini on a champagne creamy sauce or smoked salmon fettuccine with salmon roe and vodka cream sauce.
For dessert, they surprised us with a special interpretation of Paris-Brest, the classic ring-shaped French choux pastry with hazelnut praline, which normally comes with a crème mousseline filling. At Caviar Kaspia, the cream is substituted with pistachio ice cream. After the first spoonful I was crying tears of patisserie happiness. I could eat here every day.
Caviar Kaspia
1A Chesterfield St, London W1J 5JF
Tel. 0203 869 4000. Membership enquiries HERE.
Words: Julia Pasarón
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