Reviews—
27/30
“Delightful” deem devotees of this “high-quality”, “unpretentious” Modern European that’s “worth seeking out” when nearby Borough Market whets your appetite for “great ingredients”; the “thoughtfully executed”, “decent-value” dishes are complemented by an “excellent wine list”, and “attentive but not intrusive” staff add to the “lovely”, “warm” atmosphere. Read more
Zagat Guide 2011
I can’t tell you how much it pleases me to pass on the news about Magdalen, which comes very close indeed to my blueprint for the ideal restaurant. Read more
Fay Maschier - Evening Standard
9/10
From the outside, it looks like you dream a restaurant will: small, hugging a corner, glowing on the dark street like a lantern. One is drawn to it as lost travellers once were to the amber glow of a cottage glimpsed deep in a cold forest. Read more
Giles Coren - The Times
We started with a skate, chicory and caper salad and a rabbit terrine, both impeccably well made – particularly the terrine, which could have gone on a lecture tour to inspire lesser pâtés. It was a minutely judged combination of taste and texture and solid meaty beauty… Read more
AA Gill – The Sunday Times
8.75/10
…we began with two very different but equally superb dishes. Hot foie gras with caramelised blood oranges “My God, this is awesome. It’s like a silky, buttery mousse – and what a combination with the oranges. Perfect balance.” Read more
Matthew Norman - The Guardian
The changing menu here has references to Middlewhite pork and Longhorn beef. But British food, though sodden with virtues of its own, never tasted as good as this… Read more
Jay Rayner - The Observer
Magdalen is a good example of what happens when enthusiasm meets a damn fine pedigree. Breeding, as they say, will out. Read more
Marina O'Loughlin - Metro
I’m used to meals failing at this stage but amazingly my next dish outdid both my starters. On the menu it appears as “Thinly sliced pig’s head, pickled red cabbage and fried potatoes”. What actually happens is that the chef has cooked the pig’s head (yes, at the restaurant), removed and combined all the good bits and pressed them. The whole is then very thinly sliced and served warm with a beautifully judged pickled red cabbage. Oh and the fried potatoes are not an afterthought – I got even, crisp, small pieced of sauteed potato sprinkle with parsley. This dish was just brilliant in terms of taste, balance and execution. Read more
Majbros Dos Hermanos
What is most impressive about Magdalen is that nothing jars. Its menu is in keeping with its low-key interior; the focus of the investment has obviously been on the food… Read more
Nicholas Lander - The Financial Times
Good things include a finely flavoured starter of smoked eel with apple & celeriac remoulade, to follow, a really superb dish of confit duck leg that has the perfect balance of tender, rich-tasting meat & crisp skin & is accompanied by nutty, emerald-green Brussels sprout leaves & a creamy mustard sauce.” Read more
Square Meal