You certainly can’t fault the ambition of Adam Handling. The Scottish chef trained at the famous Gleneagles hotel, made it to the finals of MasterChef: The Professionals in 2013 and oversees a group of venues that includes a highly sustainable Cornish cafe and a pub and restaurant with rooms in Berkshire.
Frog by Adam Handling is his flagship site and despite being a stone’s throw from Covent Garden’s busy central square, is anything but a tourist trap. The aim here is for fine dining without a stuffy atmosphere, and Frog ably achieves this, having benefitted from a makeover at the start of 2023 that has breathed fresh life into the dining room, with new bespoke artwork and furniture.
Handling’s menu is focused on creative British dishes with international influences, and presentation ranges from elegant to more theatrical. A tasting menu (and a vegetarian version) is available with the option of three wine pairings. There are also a number of supplements, including a signature dish of waffle, sour cream and caviar, and when truffle season is in full swing the restaurant also goes to town.
The downstairs Eve Bar is a darkened drinking den serving up a menu of hugely creative cocktails that befit The Frog’s close attention to detail in everything it does.
