You have probably heard of Park Row London, maybe even heard it referred to as the ‘Batman restaurant’, which conjures up all sorts of Disneyland images and Hard Rock Café vibes. This assumption is, however, very much incorrect and must be discarded immediately, before the cringe-based fear (like I had) sets in and puts you off going completely. This preconception could not be further from the truth, and after vetting the website and running a thorough Instagram check, I quashed these thoughts because Park Row was, in fact, much more chic and glamorous than I first envisioned. But I still had one small niggling thought: I am not a Batman fan. I have never seen any of the films and find superhero movies uninteresting and a bit ‘silly’ for my tastes. Maybe I haven’t given it a chance, it is likely that these films and comics have fallen victim to the same scathing misconceptions I had about Park Row, but this still doesn’t change the fact that you really don’t have to be a Batman fan to have a beautiful evening full of wonder and joy at this stunning destination – just as I did. 

Set right in the heart of the city’s mischievous and eclectic Soho, the tone of your evening (and I do recommend you go in the evening) will already be set before you locate the unassuming doorway that acts as the portal into Gotham City itself. You will at first, question yourself if you have come to the right place – a charming old-fashioned library acts as the lobby and marks the first stage trick of what will certainly be a theatrical night. ‘Do you have a reservation?’ the cool doorman, who I can’t quite work out is an actor or not, asks, before he reveals that one of the bookcases is in fact a door leading to a dark spiral staircase. Heading down with excited trepidation, dramatic movie music and dry-ice style smoke fill the air before we push through the next door into the main event. Spilling across the basement Art Deco ballroom of what was once a grand London hotel, Park Row’s ‘Iceberg Lounge’ is made up of several impressive bars stocked to the rafters and acting as centre stage for some talented mixologists. More dry ice and an ice-sculpture style penguin (sorry Batman fans – this one was lost on me, but I appreciate it!) add more theatrics to the ambiance, which emits a hybrid mix of ultra-cool jazz bar and dance hall day glamour. Throw in an element of Soho’s naughtiness as well as some sophisticated gadgets that pour whiskey and make plates of food hover off the table and you have both a stimulating and glitzy place to dine. 

To my relief, there was no actor in a Batman costume in sight but instead, a brilliant live band that defined the music hall appeal of Park Row as well as being excellent entertainment as we ate. The discreet Gotham City undercurrent ran from the interiors into the meal itself, which we kicked off with cocktails. ‘Matches’ was a refreshing mix of Bacardi Carta Blanca, lime and London Essence roasted pineapple soda, whereas my next cocktail ‘Love Me Love My Umbrella’, was a sweeter, creamier combination of Grey Goose, elderflower, strawberry, egg white and London Essence soda. The tastiest part of the meal came in the form of the fried oysters with celeriac remoulade, honey and black truffle – exquisite little parcels of flavour. I also enjoyed the steak tartare, with confit egg yolk, fried beef tendons and Berkswell cheese. Two tasty plates to share as starters.

Moving on to the mains, we opted for the wild sea bass with razor clams, caviar, braised celery, cucumber and wasabi beurre blanc – a creamy fish dish with a great addition of fresh crunch from the greenery. My own main dish was the orange blossom honey glazed Lancashire duck breast with confit duck and smoked bacon ragout. The meat was cooked to perfection and the sweetness of the citrusy honey glaze complemented the meat deliciously.  

The theatrics of the night carry over into the serving of the food, mainly the dessert. Park Row’s most famous and heavily captured on Instagram trick, is the ‘Kiss from a Rose’ dessert. If you have not already seen, a waiter wearing white gloves dips a rose into a freezing pot which comes out smoking, he then dramatically presents it around the table and crunches the frozen petals over vanilla custard tart and lychee ice cream. This is a real crowd pleaser and very aesthetic! Another ‘extra’ trick that Park Row have up their silky sleeve, is pouring an electric blue cocktail from a hanging portrait – there is a Batman themed story behind this! (But alas, I don’t know it) Other desserts include the chocolatey ‘Ruins of Gotham City’ with calamansi sorbet and the tasty caramelised apple and hazelnut cream ‘Riddle Me This’ with apple-jack ice cream. 

Overall, Park Row is definitely a destination dining spot with Insta location tag kudos and a slick, sophisticated, remarkably plush aesthetic. It is this ‘place to go’ element combined with some entertaining theatrics that really makes the restaurant the delight it is, as well as enjoyable food. Much like The Ivy Asia and other similarly fashionable and Instagrammable restaurants, I believe you are paying for the destination over anything else when you visit, which takes priority over the food. It is in fact, more about the overall experience, a sensory trip for every sense, not just taste, plus a chance to get a great pic for Instagram. Oh, and you certainly don’t have to be a Batman fan to have a wonderful evening.