<a target="_blank" href="https://trinityrestaurant.co.uk/">Trinity</a>4 The Polygon

London SW4 0JG

BY NEAL MARTIN | AUGUST 29, 2025

The Food:

Tuna ceviche, apple marigold, radish and tomato water

Agnolotti of Scottish girolles, confit rabbit and tarragon

T-bone of Cumbrian lamb, romesco, green olive and labneh

Trinity chocolate tart with ice cream

The Wines:

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>2006 Dom Pérignon P2</td>
 <td>96</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2014 Domaine Colin-Deléger Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru</td>
 <td>94</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2020 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chenevottes 1er
Cru&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
 <td>92</td>
 </tr><tr>
 <td>2005 Maison Louis Jadot Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru</td>
 <td>91</td>
 </tr><tr>
 <td>2018 Beau Paysage Tsugane Le Feu</td>
 <td>75?</td>
 </tr><tr>
 <td>1986 de Fieuzal</td>
 <td>93</td>
 </tr></tbody></table>

 Around 21 years ago, I gathered some friends for dinner in deepest,
darkest Clapham, which, for those living north of the Thames, is located on the
“wrong side” of the river. Somebody recommended a local restaurant called Thyme.
I booked a table without any real expectations and was more focused on what
bottles to bring. However…

The dishes blew me away. 

I had not anticipated such a memorable meal. I was bowled over by the
ingenuity of the ingredients and novel combinations. This meal expanded my
horizons of what was culinarily possible. I had not heard of Chef Adam Byatt,
who co-ran Thyme with Adam Oates. Over the following days, I raved about the meal
to anyone within earshot, but I never returned. A short time later, life was turned upside down by the
news of impending fatherhood. In hindsight, Thyme might have been my last
blowout before changing nappies and sleepless nights.

Many years later, having relocated out of the capital and sprogs fully grown,
I began to frequent another Clapham restaurant called Trinity, a favoured haunt
of the wine trade. Somehow, I never connected the two restaurants, and it was
only returning in June that I realised that back in 2004, I had stumbled upon
one of London’s most talented chefs at the dawn of his career. I was about to experience
Adam Byatt’s cooking once again. 

Trinity is an exemplar of a Michelin-starred restaurant, having earned
its star in 2017. It delivers all the finesse and service you expect, without
losing Byatt’s individual flair. Trinity is a smart restaurant with a casual
atmosphere that seems to manifest more in restaurants south of the river than
north. 

<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1756484694909-trinity+kitchen_VT.jpg">The kitchen at Trinity. 

Trinity offers a four-course menu at £140 per person, which is more or
less the going rate these days. The quality absolutely delivers for that price
and explains why Trinity’s popularity has never waned over almost two decades. The
two-floor restaurant overlooks a small triangular square that offers a sense of
spaciousness, with a few trees enhancing that suburban atmosphere. You are in
London, but outside its frenetic core. The rear of the ground floor looks
directly upon the large open kitchen, so you feel as if guests and staff alike
are in the same room. The ambiance classy, but as I say, no need to wear a tie.

<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1756484712125-tuna_VT.jpg">Tuna ceviche, apple marigold, radish and tomato water.

I begin with a tuna ceviche with apple marigold, radish and one of my
favorites, tomato water. This is a perfect opener, so vibrant and fresh, the
tuna and tomato ideal bedfellows, beautifully balanced and beautiful to look at
too. The flavours are bold yet perfectly married.

<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1756484734170-agnolotti_VT.jpg">Agnolotti of Scottish girolles, confit rabbit and tarragon. 

The agnolotti of Scottish girolles with confit rabbit and tarragon
follows the Italian rule of keeping it simple. The ingredients shine, and the
fungi are some of the best I have eaten in the U.K. It’s an unseasonal autumnal
taste, but like the previous dish, there is a lightness of touch that I really
appreciate.

I have a confession to make. The T-bone of Cumbrian lamb with romesco
purée, green olive tapenade and labneh (a hung yoghurt from the Middle East)
was so mouthwatering that halfway through, I realised I had forgotten to take a
photo. You’ll just have to imagine how delicious it tasted, the lamb cooked to
absolute perfection and combining wonderfully with the sweetness of the labneh.


<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1756484752183-chocolate+tart_VT.jpg">Trinity chocolate tart with ice cream. 

Finally, the Trinity chocolate tart with ice cream was off the charts.
There’s no need for further verbiage. It was heaven in triangular, chocolatey
form. &nbsp;

Oenophiles should take note that Trinity has an impressive 450-bin list
that covers most wine regions with particular emphasis on Bordeaux and Burgundy.
Mark-ups are reasonable for the capital, which is why Trinity has attracted
wine lovers over many years. The sommelier team has always been professional
and on this occasion served the bottles at perfect temperatures with correct
decanting. I had arranged corkage in advance. Refreshingly, Trinity’s website
makes the terms clear, but as I always say, top it up with a bottle (or two)
from the list. 

<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1756486380265-trinity+wines_VT.jpg">We began in style with a bottle of 2006 Dom Pérignon P2. This is
razor sharp on the nose, much more malic than I was expecting, much more
primal. It brought to mind dew-speckled Granny Smiths with crushed limestone
and a touch of petrichor. The palate is bright, vivid and does not hold back. It’s
tensile with a thread of acidity that some might find shrill, but nevertheless,
I loved the intensity and drive on the finish. Perhaps on its own, the 2006
comes across a bit raw, though it mellows with aeration and loses some of its
cut-glass edge. I would afford it another couple of years. 

It was mainly a Burgundy theme this evening, commencing with two whites.
The 2014 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru from Domaine Colin-Deléger
impresses in terms of purity on the nose, although after more than a decade,
there remains a patina of oak that needs to be subsumed. Hints of fennel and
freshly baked brioche join the citrus fruit with time. The palate is powerful
with superb grip, just a little honeyed in texture. It delivers the complexity
and mineralité you expect from this noble vineyard, and its persistence
deserves applause. The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chenevottes 1er Cru from
Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard was not about to be outshone. Taut and fresh on
the nose, this sports a deft reduction that does not obscure the mineralité
that derives from this lieu-dit. The palate is bright and lively with yuzu,
lemon zest and lime, the acidity quite pronounced for such a warm vintage. This
showed better than the bottle I originally tasted at the property and deserves
a higher score. The 2005 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru from Maison Louis
Jadot is a cuvée no longer produced since the fermage expired. It
offers dark plummy fruit mixed with pain d’épices on the youthful nose,
though it does not quite deliver the nuance of Griotte’s finest exponents. The
palate has structure and grip, layered with dark berry fruit laced with tar,
dark chocolate and graphite. It coheres nicely towards the finish and delivers
the precision that I wish the nose expressed. Still, a decent showing for a 20-year-old
wine. 

Change of scene. The most controversial wine was the 2018 Tsugane Le
Feu from Beau Paysage. Readers may remember that I was struck by the
outstanding 2009 Merlot served blind in Tokyo that was duly published as a <a target="_blank" href="https://v1.vinous.com/articles/cellar-favorite-2009-beau-paysage-tsugane-la-montagne-oct-2023">Cellar Favorite</a>. That article elicited a response from several readers familiar with
Japanese winemaker Eishi Okamoto and the cult following surrounding his
expensive and elusive wines. This bottle of Le Feu had been acquired in Japan
and was served blind. It was…weird. 

The nose is flat as a pancake run over by a steamroller. It brings to
mind some kind of hybrid grape variety rather than its noble Bordeaux grapes. Over
time, an undeniable mousy character cannot be ignored. The palate is simple, or
rather one-dimensional, with an overpowering and rather vulgar menthol
component. One guest remarked that it tasted like the blackcurrant drink,
Ribena. This bottle epitomises the problem with Japanese wines that are
woefully inconsistent. Regrettably too few professional writers want to point
this out so that producers can remedy the problem. You never know how a bottle
will perform. Due to the preponderance in Japan of natural wines with minimal
sulfur, a disproportionately higher number do not seem to travel well. I scored
this wine according to how it tasted, with a question mark acknowledging that another
might be completely different. 

However, consistency is Bordeaux’s strength. I had picked up a bottle of
1986 Château de Fieuzal in France for something like 20 euros, a
fraction of any of the other wines poured this evening and boy, it delivered. Gorgeous
black olive and sage notes enhance the precise and poised aromatics, just the
lightest touch of mint emerging with time. So much character blossoms in the
glass. The palate is quite youthful considering that the 1986 is almost four
decades in age. It’s very smooth, and its plushness is more like a 1985 than a
1986. There is real density on the mulberry- and black pepper-tinged finish. This
is a wonderful, mature Pessac-Léognan. After the misfiring Japanese wine, I
breathed a sigh of relief. 

Readers who want to experience Michelin-level cuisine with the personal
touch of a talented and experienced chef should put Trinity high on their list.
London is one of the most dynamic culinary cities in the world at the moment,
but the latest hot place to eat should not mean you overlook the long-term
incumbents. There is a reason why Trinity has succeeded when others have fallen
by the wayside, and it is there on the plate, in the service and sheer
enjoyment provided.

Thinking back to Thyme, I would love to know what exactly I ate all
those years ago, as those dishes made such a deep impression. All I know is
that the food is just as delicious now as it was then. © 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

&nbsp;

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social