POTUS restaurant review: food fit for a president

POTUS isn’t necessarily easy to find. The newly opened American fine dining restaurant is tucked away inside the equally new Crowne Plaza hotel on the Albert Embankment, whose somewhat unassuming exterior already conceals sky terrace bar-restaurant Mezemiso.

However POTUS is worth seeking out, serving up an eclectic menu crafted by executive chef Pablo Peñalosa, formerly of Mayfair’s chic Latin American restaurant MNKY HSE

Upholstered in sumptuous dark wood and leather, the dining room has a touch of Oval Office grandeur, although our waiter is far quicker to crack a smile than any secret service agent.

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A cocktail list inspired by past presidents is the jewel in the crown - or republican equivalent - of a lengthy drinks menu. I sample the Gerald Ford martini, a fresh and floral take on the classic which nonetheless retains plenty of punch.

The dining menu brims with creativity, from upmarket takes on both American classics like mac and cheese and Cajun chicken to lesser-known gems like cioppino, a fish stew created by Italian immigrants in San Francisco and rarely served this side of the Atlantic.

The butter which accompanied the bread basket - infused with sea salt and maple syrup - gives you some idea of the care and attention which has gone into even the most incidental dish.

Everything that came our way over the next two hours was delicious, including a succulent tenderloin steak thick enough to compete with a Russian novel, served with treacly black garlic and potato terrine.

However, two dishes in particular stood out. The fried soft-shell crab, served as a starter and ordered mostly out of curiosity, proved to be a triumphant twist on the humble bufflalo chicken wing. Several days later, my dining companion and I are still fondly reminiscing about the delicate crab meat swathed in piquant buffalo sauce and cream blue cheese.

At the other end of the night, I was similarly enchanted by a dessert of Bananas Foster, an elegant take on the retro classic. Caramelised bananas oozed with sugar and rum beneath a scattering of rich, buttery crumble, the intense sweetness set off by a scoop of coconut ice cream.

With the arrival of POTUS, London diners looking for all-American flavours in a truly presidential setting needn’t stray more than a few steps from the Thames.

Potus, Crowne Plaza, 10-11 Albert Embankment, SE1 7SP. Book via Opentable.