Cornerstone

It’s always a pleasure to visit Cornerstone where you get the opportunity to enjoy some amazing fish dishes and this occasion was to prove even more delightful. On our previous two visits we definitely thought the bar had been raised to the next level and this was easily maintained here today. The food was fantastic and matched by excellent friendly service which all in all made for a fabulous dining experience.

We arrived on saturday after taking a nice stroll through the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to the restaurant. As we entered there was Francesca to give us a nice friendly greeting before escorting us to our table. This was followed with a complimentary glass of champagne as a welcome back from the team. We then browsed our way through the menu which is a small plates menu designed for sharing. After a little discussion between ourselves we decided to share virtually the whole menu. After enjoying fabulous Cod Roe Gougeres followed by bread with Miso & Paprika butter we started with a Raw Oyster with green tomato & hot sauce that was delicious.

Before the arrival of our first course we chose a Cabernet Franc 2020 Le Pianure a fabulous light and fruity red wine from Italy which was a delightful pairing for the food.

So now onto the first course and a bit of a favourite. The Sea Bream Tartare with egg yolk & soy is an absolute treat. This was followed by a fantastic Raw Scallops with almond , ajo blanco , grape & celery that was to die for. Next to arrive was the fabulous Cured Gurnard with beetroot , sour cream & hazelnut. Then we couldn’t possibly leave out the Mackerel Pate with cider & treacle bread my absolute favourite mackerel dish.

What was to follow next absolutely blew us away and we were so happy that we decided to have one each. It was of course the famous Crab Crumpet which on this occasion came with rarebit , pickled walnuts , artichoke and was without doubt their best crumpet yet. You wonder how you could follow this and then the Hake Kiev appears with a mussel butter , cockles and a heavenly parsley hollondaise. We finished this section with a nice christmas season dish of Pollock with a roscoff onion and a pork & chestnut stuffing.

Now it was time to enjoy the delights of pastry chef Kelly and she didn’t disappoint in the slightest. We started with an amazing Cheese Course which was probably her best so far. The Wiltshire Truffle Baron Bigod with truffle honey and brown butter waffle was absolutely stunning. We followed this with a Calvados Baba with blackberry & tarragon that I loved. Then a nice little surprise as she sent over a complimentary Yoghurt Ice Cream Sandwich with quince & almond. We then finished in chocolate heaven with a Chocolate Mousse Cake , salted caramel . pecan & banana ice cream with a happy birthday message for my wife’s upcoming big day. Thank You Kelly the cheese and desserts were amazing.

This brought to an end to another fabulous visit to Cornerstone and one we’ll definitely look to repeat in the new year. If you really love your fish then a visit here is a must. You will also be given the friendliest service led by Francesca and all the team. A massive thank you to Tom who at the end came over for a nice chat and hoped we had a fantastic lunch and his talented team of chefs. So thank you all for a fabulous dining experience and look forward to seeing you all again soon.