Roganic review: London restaurant offers glimpses of fantasy
Capital’s newest gateway to the freshest produce available in the city

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Chef Simon Rogan has almost been here before. Roganic spent two years as a pop-up a little bit further along Blandford Street in Marylebone before re-emerging as Fera in a far grander location at Claridge’s. Despite being a critical success, it failed to win the hearts of the international clientele and so Rogan departed after three years and is nearly back where he started. It is the second time he has opened in a grand hotel and then closed – the first time was at The French in Manchester’s Midland Hotel.
The Rogan approach is in the same tradition as Michel Bras in central France or Magnus Nilsson in Faviken, northern Sweden – extraordinary seasonal produce, sometimes foraged and usually served with no more than three items on the plate. The ingredients are bold and heart-stoppingly pure and frequently come from Rogan’s farm near Cartmel in Cumbria, home of L’Enclume, his Michelin-starred flagship.
Rogan’s London operation is far more suited to its modest shop front north of Oxford St as this is food for foodies rather than an haute cuisine outpost for wealthy gourmands. The kitchen staff and front of house crew have all been with Simon Rogan for years and have an easy familiarity that exudes friendliness and attention to detail. The tasting menu comprises 18 separate dishes, so inevitably they are usually capable of consumption in one bite.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The first dish to grab my attention was simply called “raw beef and kohlrabi”. It resembled a steamed dim sum with a spear of pak choi cress stuck in the top like a flag. The genius of this and many of the other dishes is the intensity and balance of the flavours which are harmonious but at the same time individually identifiable – which is no mean feat. Then there were was the pork, eel, and hay cream dish – tiny prickly balls with a dab of cream on top but with an intensity that reduced me to silence.
The most memorable fish dish was flamed cod, leek and smoked roe with wafers on top of the leeks looking like miniature helipads. Next, a chef appeared carrying a whole duck breast resting in a frying pan filled with grass but this was just a tease before it went back into the kitchen to be prepared. It returned as a rectangular portion with perfectly crispy skin adorned with herbs and edible flowers. There is hardly space to do justice to all of the dishes, which progressed over a three-hour period.
Before the puddings began, there was a yellow beetroot sorbet, which was a fascinating taste as well as a perfect palate cleanser. Caramelised apple with Douglas Fir was a tiny circular apple tart with a tear dropped ice cream next to it while coffee was served with a trio of different chocolates each in their own stylish container.
Some food critics have complained about how otherworldly and fiddly the entire experience is – maybe, but there must be space in our lives to be offered glimpses of fantasy, especially when it provides so many extraordinary natural flavours and textures. Because such simplicity takes an enormous amount of preparation and skill, my only concern is if Simon Rogan’s chefs can pull it off when he is not in the kitchen. Any excuse to return.
Roganic, 5 Blandford St, London, W1U 3DB; +44 203 370 626; www.roganic.uk
Menus from £40 to £115
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
A Guide to San Diego
From surfing to sunbathing, it's all on the agenda in this Southern California paradise
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Stanley's Chelsea review: al fresco fine dining in west London
A botanically blessed restaurant to visit at any time of the year
By Dominic Kocur Published
-
Osteria del Macellaio review: ‘nose-to-tail’ carnivorous Italian dining
The Week Recommends The concept may take some convincing, but the roster of Italian classics are delicious nonetheless
By Kieran Ahuja Published
-
Da Terra review: high-end elaborate dining in London’s East End
The Week Recommends Each dish at this two-Michelin-starred restaurant requires evident toil, but the resulting flavours appear effortless
By Arion McNicoll Published
-
TikTok chef Thomas Straker sparks hospitality diversity row
Speed Read Restaurant owner apologises after fierce criticism of pictures showing his all white male kitchen team
By Julia O'Driscoll Published
-
Fish & Forest review: a modern foodie’s delight in historic York
The Week Recommends Restaurant prides itself on its sustainable credentials and ingredients
By Kate Samuelson Published
-
Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall review: a Michelin-starred taste of home
The Week Recommends Cooking is spectacular and the overall experience is faultless
By Neil Davey Published
-
Cavo London review: rooftop dining at the Outernet
The Week Recommends West End’s new entertainment development has a Mediterranean-inspired eyrie
By Alexandra Zagalsky Published