We had a number of good meals while in London this time, but eating at Galvin at Tottenham came down to be one of the more special ones. I kept saying the key part of the London trip was to go on the pilgrimage to the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and watch my favorite team play at the home field - not once but twice in the same week. And I went the extra mile, splurged a little and got myself a ticket at the executive club level for one of those matches.
And not only that - I made a reservation to eat at Galvin at Tottenham before the game, the restaurant opened only on match day and available exclusively to executive club ticket holders. The premium ticket already came with food at the buffet section before, during and after the match, so this is considered one of the upgrade options and cost extra. The brothers team of Chris and Jeff Galvin work both as chefs and restauranteurs in London with a number of fine-dining establishment around town, including their flagships La Chapelle and Galvin at Windows, both Michelin-starred (Galvin at Windows only lost its this year) and Galvin at Tottenham promised to replicate the same experience as eating in those places at a slightly different setting and location.
The restaurant spanned into two separate venues on either side of the stadium to accommodate visitors from East Stand or West Stand (since they weren't interconnected). I had my lunch booked at 2 hours before kick-off, and yet, the place was already packed when I arrived. The setting was stunning – as with the rest of the stadium really. One side was the high window overlooking the surroundings of the stadium – not much to see really, but it was a great day with clear blue sky the day I went. The setting was contemporary and spacious just like any other fine-dining restaurants, with the exception of the presence of TVs all around, so we didn’t miss any bit of the actions inside the stadium and elsewhere during the match-day weekend.
The menu came in five courses served in three different parts. First part was a 3-course lunch served before the game, with a choice of starter, main and dessert courses. I like the variety of choices available, from seafood to meat and a few vegetarian options. I started with the lasagne of Dorset crab, arrived well plated with a generous spoonful of Beurre Nantaise sauce and pea shoots on top. In between the layers of pasta sheet was the light and fluffy scallop and crab mousse, giving the dish an amazing texture. The sauce was creamy and rich with a hint of acidity and mixed with finely dice chives for the added herbal flavor. This sure blew any stadium food I had away by a whole mile.
I had difficulty making a choice for my main courses, between the lobster macaroni cheese and the beef fillet, but I went for the latter at the end for something more different than my starter. I was slightly wary about ordering beef when you know the kitchen was time-constrained, having to feed so many at the same time, but they delivered better than my expectation. The fillet of Scottish beef was perfectly done – a textbook example of medium rare with center just cooked and with a nice crust outside and on the side was caramelized onion – halved Roscoff onion slow-roasted, soft and sweet, buttered chard, truffle mash and with a meat jus reduction sauce.
Free flow sparkling wine was poured throughout my meal – I did enjoy a simple glass of British sparkling wines with well-balanced acidity, some brioche and citrus notes, like a good lemon posset. Dessert options created another dilemma for me, but given kick-off time was near I made a quick choice of Tarte Tatin with crème fraiche. Again, not the most creative dish but it’s delivered in high standard with the warm and sweet wedge of the tarte served with a quenelle of crème fraiche on the side.
The same table was reserved for me throughout the afternoon – at half time, I came back and enjoy the nice sausage roll along with a pint brewed at the microbrewery inside the stadium (how posh was that to have our own craft beer brewed on-site??!!) My only complaint was the half-time being too short to finish the pint. And as the final whistle blew, I was served cheese and Eccles cake. I love the Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese which was rich and flaky, reminded me more of a young Comte than a cheddar. It’s great to stay behind and chill, catch up on the match highlights and wait until the crowd was gone before hopping onto the train and back to central London with much ease.
I would say overall the quality of food, service and the experience was on par with what one would expect from a top cruise line or first-class flight; probably won't earn them another Michelin star any time soon but nonetheless top notch. The menu sounds pricey (especially this is only an add-on and when restaurants elsewhere London often offer lunch at much better value), but for the atmosphere and the once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience, for me it’s still worth a try. And to see my team win both games in rather spectacular fashion live while enjoying some decent food inside our new "home", this is something money can't buy. The chants of "Come On You Spurs!" has never been more glamorous.
When? November 30 2019
Where? Galvin at Tottenham, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 782 High Road, London, N17 0BX
Menu Highlights? Lasagne of Dorset crab, beurre Nantaise and pea shoots
Drinks:
Hattingley Valley Classic Reserve Traditional Method Brut NV
Beavertown Neck Oil Session IPA
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