Theo Randall
The chef at the InterContinental London Park Lane gourmet restaurant
Photos, biography, review, dinner
Article added on March 7, 2012 at 14:30 London time
  
A dinner at Theo Randall at the InterContinental London Park Lane
Reviewed by Silvia and Louis

London's culinary scene has dramatically improved over the past decades. Among the capital's recommendable chefs is Theo Randall (*1967). Opened in November 2006, just after multi-million pound refurbishment of the luxury hotel situated opposite Hyde Park Corner, Theo Randall at the InterContinental is the chefs first own restaurant.

We enjoyed Theo's food at a very busy Saturday night. The restaurant stroke us as both elegant and unpretentious. The food emphasized less is more. The ingredient was key.

With the meal, we enjoyed a glass of Champagne and a Swiss Heida white wine. As Antipasti we chose Cape Sante, Scottish scallops with chili, parsley, cima di rape and lentils di Castelluccio as well as a Mozzarella di Bufala with marinated artichokes, spinach, roasted yellow peppers, Taggiasche olives from Liguria and crostini. It was a light and pleasant Mediterranean start.

As Primi we opted for tagliatelle con porcini and pomodoro, handmade pasta with a bite, served with tomatoes, porcini and thyme, to which we added plenty of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. The other dish was a risotto di castagne, chestnut, pancetta and a parmesan risotto with butter, served with slow cooked fennel, spinach and Swiss chard.

We also could not resist to taste razor-thin Ravioli di erbette, mixed winter green ravioli with Swiss chard, rocket, cima di rape, sheep's ricotta, butter and sage. The Lady opted instead for a classic Secondo which is always on the menu: Limousin veal chop, 400 grams on the bone.

As a dessert, we had a delicious chocolate cake with Mascarpone cream and a blood orange sorbet. Theo Randall at the InterContinental is a place to go back too!

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Biography of Theo Randall

Born in Kingston, London in 1967, Theo Randall is the son of an architect and an artist. In an interview with me, he fondly remembered the bred homemade by his parents, who also introduced him to Italian cuisine. As a child, he traveled with his parents in their Citroën DS once a year to Venice, Verona, Florence, the Cinque Terre or Rome. The trips made him a true Italophile and inspire his cuisine until today.

As an other inspiration for his cooking, Theo mentioned to me the classic cookbooks of the 1950s and 1960 by British cookery writer Elizabeth David (1913-1992; her books at Amazon.co.uk and  Amazon.com).

In his early twenties, after a four year apprenticeship started in 1986 with Max Magarian of Chez Max in Surbiton, Theo Randall found a place at the River Café near Hammersmith Bridge, featuring Italian cuisine.

In the Bay Area outside of San Francisco in 1991 and 1992, Theo Randall worked at the restaurant Chez Panisse with Alice Waters, who had revolutionized the U.S. cuisine. She had founded Chez Panisse in 1971 and climbed culinary mountains. Theo told me that Alice Waters had emphasized simplicity, the quality of the produce and was inspired by the nearby Napa Valley.

Back to London from California, Theo Randall began to work again at River Café in 1992. Rose and Ruth made him their Head Chef and Partner. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 1997. Theo stayed at River Café until March 2006.

He spent the summer of 2006 in Italy and France, sourcing the countries best suppliers in preparation for the opening of his first own restaurant Theo Randall at the InterContinental at the InterContinental London Park Lane in November 2006.

For his first menu, Theo and his sommelier tasted some 300 wines to come up with a wine list of 160 positions, which were 60% Italian and 25% French. For his new restaurant, Theo chose the olive oil by award winning wine maker Alberto Antonini from his Poggiotondo estate in Ceretto Guidi.

In November 2008, Theo Randall at the InterContinental received its first accolade as “Italian Restaurant of the Year” at the London Restaurant Awards. - Theo Randall books at Amazon.co.uk.

View of the restaurant Theo Randall at the InterContinental. Photos Copyright © InterContinental London Park Lane. Theo Randall books at Amazon.co.uk.


View of the restaurant Theo Randall at the InterContinental. Photos Copyright © InterContinental London Park Lane. Theo Randall books at Amazon.co.uk.


The chef Theo Randall. Photo Copyright © InterContinental London Park Lane.
Theo Randall books at Amazon.co.uk.