Oslo Court Restaurant, St John’s Wood, London

In the pink at Oslo Court

We can’t remember where we first heard about Oslo Court in St John’s Wood however it has stayed in our minds for a while now and on our last two trips to London we secured a table. So what is it that pulled us here? To start there is the setting, look at the wonderous 1930’s architecture, we’d love to live somewhere like this – so a trip here means we can live vicariously through the restaurant. This isn’t the only draw. Oslo Court Restaurant has a reputation as somewhere where time has stood still, the menu of the 1970s still reigns here and Emma, with her love of prawn cocktail and black forest gateaux, would surely be happy.

Oslo Court Restaurant has been operating in some form since the end of the second world war, this incarnation has been operating by the Sanchez brothers since 1982.

It was a bit like stepping into an episode of Fawlty Towers…

Food

Out came a big plate of retro looking crudites, it fitted right in with the decor. Accompanied with curled butter and melba toast.

Starters

Scallops wrapped in bacon. Properly cooked scallops with bacon slightly burnt so lots of salty, maillard flavour here.

Crab a la Rochelle, we have no idea where this dish originated or actually what is in it, it is still a mystery. A search online brings us back to Oslo Court! We think that it is crab and mushroom in a cream sauce surrounded by the least puffy puff pastry ever. The sauce was meant to be brandy sauce, however, it was suspiciously Marie Rose tasting. A weird one but hey ho, we’re here for the time travelling experience.

Main Courses

Crispy roast duck with a choice of orange, cherry or apple sauce. We chose cherry. Really tasty duck with a perfect skin. Great potatoes and heaps of veg. Really filing, well-cooked, no nonsense food.

Veal Schnitzel Holstein, with fried egg, anchovy and capers served with an abundance of vegetables. You will certainly not leave here feeling hungry.

Desserts

There is always space for dessert, although here at Oslo Court it was nearly a ‘we couldn’t possibly’ however the Dessert Waiter is not a man to take no for an answer! Legend goes that the desserts were brought out on a trolley, sadly not the case now (perhaps a Covid casualty) but I think these days should come back.

Fruit Pavlova served with a scoop of ice cream. Fresh and light, but still a big helping and just what was needed after all that food.

We also had a huge slab of apple strudel served with the advised ice cream. Yum. Crispy, flaky pastry and layers of fruit and sweetness.

Amazingly, we still had some time left for tea and petit fours. A good strong cuppa here and once again, we were overwhelmed by the selection of food on offer.

Overall verdict

Astounding. If you love homemade food, service as it used to be, great portions and a bit of time travel then you will love it here. It really is like walking into Fawlty Towers with a bit of a Barbara Cartland novel thrown in (see also La Mirage in Helmsdale – review coming soon!). We ate for lunch a couple of years ago but returned last year for dinner and it was every bit as good. It’s still the same menu but an extra tenner though you do get the addition of pink candles at your table.