Kaspar’s Seafood Bar and Grill at The Savoy is their glamorous 1920s style restaurant. Retaining the Art Deco style of the hotel, it offers a more informal dining experience.
As soon as we entered Kaspar’s we were struck by its impressive and stylish Art Deco design. Black, white and silver, with highlights of turquoise and cut-glass mirrors, it was very Great Gatsby, and we loved the opulent 1920s style. As we were escorted to our table the atmosphere was lively and relaxed, and we couldn´t fail to notice the restaurant´s central, circular bar with huge, blown glass light fittings suspended above it, a real highlight of the decor.
We were handed menus and found ourselves spoilt for choice. There was a fantastic range of seafood in all its forms, Malaysian seafood curry, Lemon sole fish and chips, the catch of the day, not to mention a wide range of fish available from the grill. We toyed with the idea of the cured and smoked fish for a starter, but decided on the West Mersea rock oysters, as Kaspar´s seemed the perfect place to indulge. Our mains were a more difficult choice, but in the end we chose the pan-roasted sea bream with spicy fennel orange salad, and on our waiter’s recommendation, the yellowfin tuna steak with parsley beurre noisette. Our oysters arrived quickly on a bed of ice accompanied by lemon, vinegar and the tiniest bottle of Tabasco. They were subtly flavoured and delicious, and a truly decadent start to the meal. Our mains arrived shortly after, and both the sea bream and the tuna were cooked perfectly, the sea bream was soft with a crispy skin, and the very generous portion of tuna was melt in the mouth. The spicy fennel orange salad was fresh and light and a perfect accompaniment for the light sea bream. For the tuna we had ordered garlic chilli fried sprouting broccoli and sweet potato fries. The broccoli’s chilli flavour was warm rather than hot, the perfect level of spice, and the sweet potato chips were crispy and well-seasoned. We couldn´t resist dessert and after some deliberation ordered the mango, passion fruit and meringue, and the chocolate finger mousse. We were hoping for something more densely chocolate in the mousse, something more indulgent, but the meringue was refreshing and well suited to end our light meal.
The service had been impeccable throughout the evening, and we had felt well looked after and very relaxed in the more informal, but yet still glamorous setting. We didn´t want the night to end just yet, so we headed upstairs with just enough room to try a cocktail from The Savoy’s famous American bar, and to enjoy some Art Deco opulence for just a little bit longer.
For reservations go to www.kaspars.co.uk or www.fairmont.com