Frog by Adam Handling, Covent Garden – Review

Last updated: 29 July 2023

Frog by Adam Handling in Covent Garden opened in 2017 hot on the heels of the success from his initial ventures in hip East London.  Handling is known for his innovative and contemporary cuisine and, as you can imagine, I was delighted to be invited to review the latest addition from one of Britain’s young and celebrated chefs of the day.

Nestled into Southampton Street in London’s West End, lies the flagship restaurant of celebrated young chef, Adam Handling.  Barely into his 30s, the Scottish chef has made quite a name for himself with several London restaurants under his belt, and a stint on TV as a finalist of MasterChef: The Professionals in 2013.

The Frog dining room can accommodate up to 50 covers with the large street-level windows allowing plenty of natural light to bounce off the predominantly neutral decor, with additional light from the oversize nostalgic globes dropped from the ceiling. The feature wall of Piccadilly Circus is a reminder of one’s central London location. 

For those wanting a front row seat of the action, there are eight seats overlooking the open kitchen, on the pass under on-trend copper heat lamps.  

Alongside white walls, and vintage filament globes, the restaurant design has reclaimed timber flooring, dark marble tables – sans tablecloths, delicate glassware, and very comfortable padded dining chairs. With a generous distance between tables, Frog by Adam Handling would make a great date night, pre/post theatre, or a destination onto itself. The vibe is certainly blurred between fine dining with a casual twist.  

Handling has a recognisable style. Adventurous, combining technical savvy with the fresh seasonal produce much of which is home grown in West Sussex on the family farming estate. 

He has a few signature dishes which I was delighted to see make an appearance on the five course tasting menu (£75), and even more available on the larger 8 course, Adam’s signature tasting menu (£125). Both tasting menus offer a vegetarian alternative, which are priced accordingly. 

Unlike many restaurants, Handling uses chef/server style staff, meaning chatty chefs will serve diners at their table, explaining each dish with a strong sense of pride in their work.  It’s not a model everyone likes, but I for one, just love it. 

Diners have a choice of three menus.  A compact a la cart, with four options of each course, and two tasting menus. The tasting menus are ever-evolving; the smaller consists of five courses and was the preference for my visit, although there is also Adam’s signature tasting menu which is eight courses, plus snacks and surprises in between. As you would expect from a venue of this caliber, there are exquisite wine pairings from the in-house sommelier also available for both tasting menus at additional expense. 

If diners aren’t already in a food coma after dining at Frog by Adam Handling, those seeking an aperitif before dinner, or have the energy to kick the night on, be sure to head downstairs where you will find Eve bar. The subterranean venue for night time temptation and indulgence.  Dimly lit, adorned with quirky stained glass and, if you can find it, there’s even a private room tucked away with a ceiling of crawling ivy. 

5 course Tasting Menu at Frog by Adam Handling

One way to open your stomach in anticipation of the delights ahead is with a glass of sparkling.  We opted for Champagne Lallier from Ay, France grand reserve grand cru comprising of Pinot noir (65%), and chardonnay (35%).

Diners on the tasting menu start with a selection of snacks. These are also available individually on the a la carte menu.  

• Egg shell filled with creamy mashed potato, hay infused beurre blanc, chives and caviar.
• A savoury donut filled with mornay sauce, topped with parmesan and black Périgord truffle
• Wonton wrappers filled wagyu beef tartare and black truffles and flowers containing smoked cod emulsion and caviar

Up next is one of Adam’s signature dishes; the iconic chicken butter served with in-house made IPA sourdough.  The butter is whipped with nori, and chicken jus and topped with crispy chicken skin. Delicious and entirely moreish.  Do remind yourself you have numerous courses to follow! 

The Mother dish, named in honour of Adam’s mother, is a baked celeriac based vegetarian dish, with creamy cheese and egg yolk confit filling, figs and limes. Paired with this was an organic and biodynamic Sepp Moser Grüner Veltliner von den Terrassen from 2018. The fresh citrus acidity finish really complimented the apple flavours and umami from Ceps powder and black truffle. 

Up next was a squid ink mushroom agnolotti, accompanied with a black garlic puree, garlic foam and parsley emulsion, finished with chive oil. 

Paired with a complex Hungarian Monopole Blues Kékfrankos (2016) with notes of red fruit like plum and cherry as well as dark chocolate. 

An addition, not in the standard five course degustation, but is offered as a course in Adam’s Signature 8-course tasting menu. Lobster tail cooked in the wagyu fat and finished on the Japanese grill. Delicate and deliciously tender is the best way to describe this seemingly simple dish.

Cod, paired with a spiced carrot puree which was finished at the table with chefs adding a lemongrass creme.  Paired with Cape Coral 2019 Mourvèdre, a pale-coloured Rosé with crisp acidity and aromas of pomegranates and raspberries from Stellenbosch in South Africa. 

Himalayan salt cured duck, with a Szechuan pepper and Earl Grey tea crust.  Accompanied by a quince terrine which flavours transported me to Christmas time. Paired with an intense and full bodied 2014 Dao Sul Casa de Santar Reserva from Portugal.  The French oak aged wine was a perfect accompaniment to the duck providing a silky finish. 

A surprise for us was the pre-dessert. A very tart blackcurrant sorbet and champagne foam, I’ll freely admit I could have called it a night after that. Simply piquant.

The tasting menu offers a choice of two desserts. Neither overly sweet,  we order one of each to share.  

Cucumber, celeriac and dill are not normally ingredients I would associate with dessert.  Very savoury in the mouth, freshness from the cucumber sorbet features strongly and more than dominates the dish.  While it’s a good combination of textures and crunch it’s not my go-to. I could see these flavours being combined with a summery punch cocktail like Pimms. 

The alternative was a chamomile, apple and beetroot dish with a honey crunch for texture.  

Both dishes are paired with The Rude Mechanicals ‘Suck-It-And-See’ Frizzante from the Barossa Valley, a wine-producing region northeast of Adelaide, in South Australia. 

The grapes are harvested from 43 year old Frontignac vines which are then complimented by 35 year old Gewurztraminer vines. The grapes are picked relatively young which helps retain a zesty freshness along with aromatic characteristics of peach and rose. 

Our dining extravaganza is complete with coffee and petit fours, featuring a plum tea cake, nougat and a grainy housemade fudge which is topped with bitingly zesty yuzu. 

Already bursting at the seams by this point, the crew at Frog by Adam Handling kindly provided a doggy bag.  A decadent chocolate brownie was wrapped up in a very charming box to take home and promptly devoured by Russ when I got home.  

Verdict?

What I Liked:

The staff were fabulous. The attentive, yet not persistently at your side, style approach works really well. I love the open kitchen with proud and knowledgeable chefs serving and finishing meals table-side.   

The food and ingredients are classy, yet relatable without being overly ostentatious. The layout of the restaurant is good, not too noisy especially given the open kitchen, but loud enough to be lively.  

Improvements Required:

None! I really loved the whole experience from start to finish. I personally love detailed menus where I know what I can expect, however I do understand the ‘surprise’ element of keeping menus brief. 

The square tables for two are perhaps a little snug especially when there are numerous plates on the table such as the Snacks, if possible, opt for a larger table for more space.

Overall

Overall, Frog by Adam Handling passes the family & friends test with flying colours, and I will return.

The Essentials

Frog by Adam Handling

Where:34-35 Southampton St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7HG

Nearest Train Station: Charing Cross 6 min walk

Nearest Tube Station: Embankment (Circle, District, Northern & Bakerloo lines) 7 min walk

Price Point: 5 course degustation or three course a la carte is roughly £75 pp plus drinks