The Ninth

The Ninth has been operating in Charlotte Street for a decade now. It opened in 2015, the home of chef and owner Jun Tanaka, who had worked previously at Pearl, Le Gavroche and Restaurant Marco Pierre White. I wrote previously about the wine list here.

Venison ragù strozzapreti pasta (£15) came with cavolo nero (aka Tuscan kale) and butternut squash. Strozzapreti (“priest strangler” as it resembles a clerical collar) originates from Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. This had good texture, and the kale provided some greenery to balance the ragu sauce. The ragu itself for me could have had deeper flavour, and perhaps also slightly bolder seasoning (14/20).

Whole sea bass (£39) came with puntarelle alla Romana. Puntarelle is a bitter green, in this case with an anchovy and garlic dressing.  The fish was char-grilled and served in its skin, so a little light filleting was required. I liked this quite simple dish, as the fish was very accurately cooked, and the slight bitterness of the leaves was a good balance for the rich dressing and the natural flavour of the fish (15/20). On the side were very good crisp Agria potatoes (a floury variety) with tomato aioli (£12). These had excellent crisp outside and light fluffy insides, with a punchy aioli to lift the flavour (15/20).

Pain perdu (French toast) was served with tonka bean ice cream (15/20). The French toast was warm and comforting, and the tonka bean flavour was complementary. This was a rich dish, but an enjoyable one on a chilly autumn day. Service was friendly and capable, and the bill was £143 per person, with just a couple of glasses of wine each. The Ninth is a reliable, excellent restaurant, serving good food at fair prices.

Further reviews: 27th Mar 2023 | 11th Sep 2020 | 15th Jan 2016