Roux Parliament Square Re-Visited

This is my second visit to Roux Parliament Square in as many months.  Last time we ate here we were dining with chums, and we wanted to come back on our own to try the latest seasonal menu. I also wanted to make a trip up to the fabulous bar, as it had somehow passed me by before!

Upstairs we had a lovely glass of fizz, and some little bar snacks including some excellent gordal olives, some honeyed cashew nuts, and a home-made seed mixture with fennel and pumpkin seeds - it smelt absolutely amazing.

dines at Roux at Parliament Square...

We all know the Roux family - you'd have to be living in a culinary vacuum not to have heard of Le Gavroche and the Waterside Inn - but how often do you hear people talking about Roux at Parliament Square?  Unlike Le Gavroche, which I find far too twee, in terms of decor, Parliament Square has a clean, modern interior, and the food is a balance of fine French cooking and modern molecular techniques.  The Head Chef, Toby Stuart, has worked in some great kitchens, including Cliveden, Orrery, The Square, Richard Neat (in Cannes), and Galvin at Windows.  Toby is joined by Steve Groves, the winner of Masterchef: The Professionals in 2009.  I'd originally booked a table for two, but at the last minute we were joined by Kristen and Alan who live in New York and are very keen diners themselves.