Ikea, eat your heart out

It will come as no surprise that my birthday still hasn't gone away, even a month later. Today, I enjoyed another, and one of the finer, presents I received, a lunch at the magnificent central London Swedish restaurant, Aquavit. Pay attention because this is a glowing review and you may find yourself booking in based on what I'm about to tell you.   What hits you from the moment you walk in is the stunning space. It's elegant, timeless, sophisticated but not ostentatious, so it still manages to be welcoming which is more than a lot of fine dining establishments I can think of. Wait, it's a Scandinavian place so why wouldn't the design be excellent?   I had been bought a set lunch for two, which is three courses accompanied by a shot of aquavit, a potent and aromatic spirit. You can see all three courses above. I started with herring, pickled three ways, all delicious and it seemed like a big enough serving to be a main but I soldiered on. Next up was liquorice roasted duck breast with carrots and wild garlic. I think I was a bit lucky with my choice because my accomplice had the Swedish meatballs which came with a lot more trimmings, so I still had a spot of room for dessert.   It's worth mentioning that the meatballs were out of this world. I don't need to tell you that I find it very easy to resist Ikea's offering. I dread to think what carbon based life form theirs are comprised of but they are a poor facsimile of the real thing as presented to us today with smooth, creamy mash, pickled cucumber, mushrooms, lingonberries and a sublime sauce.   The house speciality was a rhubarb crumble with hay ice cream. It was clear from the waitresses expression that this was the best choice and it didn't dissappoint. I've not eaten enough hay to tell if the flavour was accurate but it was delicious and just the right amount to finish off the meal. When I think about the charming service, relaxed ambience and great food which we enjoyed over an exceptionally leisurely two hours, the thirty five pounds each was remarkable value and I'd happily return. Aquavit 1 Carlton Street London SW1 Kirk out Chefsebastian.com