Decimo, the Mexican restaurant on the 10th floor of The Standard hotel in King's Cross, offers a dining experience that is uneven across the course of the meal, according to a review by Lauren O'Neill.
The entrance to Decimo involves a curved glass lift that feels space-age, with Plantasia-style music playing overhead, leading to a penthouse bar area with cane furniture and Santal 33 scent. However, the restaurant itself does not always inspire the same wonder, particularly given the high price of cocktails.
Menu changes under new chef
Decimo underwent considerable change this year. Mexico City-born chef Paola Arenas took over from Peter Sanchez-Iglesias after he left London to run Gwen for Gareth Ward in rural Wales. Arenas, a seasoned hotel chef who has worked with Park Hyatt, Sheraton and Mandarin Oriental, arrived at Decimo to reshape the menu about six months before her premiership began.
Where the restaurant previously dealt in Spanish-Mexican fusion, Arenas now focuses on Mexican cuisine. She says her food is rooted in “nostalgia and tradition”, with special nods to the cuisine of Milpa Alta, a region just outside Mexico City. However, as a hotel restaurant, there is a necessary sense of needing to play to the crowd, which accounts for some of the unevenness that emerges across the meal.
Starters underwhelm, mains impress
The menu opens with drinks and small plates to share. A common margarita starts at £16.50, while a glass of house white costs £14; a michelada is £10. Starters are described as underwhelming. Trout aguachile with guajillo and orange looks art gallery-worthy on the plate but is forgettable, with the delicate fish feeling bullied by other ingredients. A Baja cod taco at £10 for one is fine but quite wet, and the reviewer notes there are several places in London where better and more substantial tacos can be found for much cheaper.
Mains fare much better. Iberico pork served on a large bone with salsa morita is described as a little short of fabulous, with soft meat and a decadent strip of fat rendered so expertly that the word “chewy” temporarily leaves the vocabulary. It is paired with fried potatoes and a fiery aioli. A plate of marinated tomatoes has sweet flavour coaxed out by sensitive seasoning and olive oil.
Desserts end on a sweet note
For dessert, tres leches is airy and spiked with rum to avoid cloying, while a dish referred to only as “piña” is a refreshing combo of grilled pineapple and pineapple sorbet. The puds end proceedings on a genuinely sweet note, leaving the reviewer feeling there is patently lots to love at Decimo.
However, at central London hotel prices and with a slightly confused MO, the review concludes it is not an entirely convincing show. Meal for two is about £160.
