German Gymnasium, London

Corbin and King, restaurant group of The Wolseley and The Delaunay, has long had the monopoly in grand European brasseries in London, but it looks like there's a new challenger to the crown. D&D London has launched its first German-inspired restaurant in what was formerly a building in King's Cross purpose built for German Gymnastics Society in 1865. With a £5m investment in remodelling and 447 covers, the project is ambitious in size and scale, and marks another rung in the ladder of the area's rebirth. 

The tripartite venue consists of a Meister Bar where guests can enjoy snacks and accomplished mixology, a Grand Café on the lower floor that serves an all-day menu with everything from breakfast fare to late night dinners; and a Restaurant that tends toward fine dining. Not to be outshone, it also features a patisserie counter and one of the largest al fresco terraces in King's Cross. 

We opted to eat in the upstairs where German chef Bjoern Wassmuth works his gustatory magic. As kitchen director of the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg, he has a deep wealth of experience to draw from in creating Mittel-European dishes, however the food isn't strictly German - there are nuances of French and English cuisine spread throughout. 

Our meal commenced with a glass of sparkling Schloss Vaux Brut from the Rheingau which had some interesting hoppy notes and was a flavoursome foil to the food. To start, we had a few spheres of liver dumplings immersed in a beer broth with shaved truffles. The soup was subtle but saline, with a nutty earthiness coming through from the offal and truffles. A native lobster salad, on the other hand, was an exemplar of freshness. Underpinned with avocado, Marie Rose sauce and verbena, the salad was light and delicious, a great start to dinner. 

For mains, if you are a fan of Wiener schnitzel, the veal cutlet at German Gymnasium is not one to miss. Served atop potato salad with a lingonberry compote on the side that really ties everything together, the crisp breaded schnitzel would satisfy the most insatiable appetite. A substantial 42 day aged, 300g Scotch ribeye even looked a bit small in comparison. Each charcoal-kissed mouthful offered a deep bovine savour. To round things off, we enjoyed an apple strudel with a creamy vanilla sauce, which was quite the coup de grace.