The Best Western Hotel on Portman Square is a surprising location for one of the most talked about new restaurants in London. Make no mistake though Texture is a sophisticated venue. High ceilings and white walls create a spacious feel with soft lighting and subtle modern artwork. The understated décor provides a good backdrop for a restaurant that clearly puts food and drink first.

Texture is the brainchild of chef Agnar Sverrisson and sommelier Xavier Rousset who met whilst working under Raymond Blanc at La Manoir. Their vision? - A restaurant where light, healthy food and exquisite wines would have equal importance.

To get the full Texture experience it is worth arriving early for a glass of Champagne in their elegant bar. As well as being a fine dining establishment Texture is also an incredibly well stocked Champagne Bar. Prices range from £8.95 a glass for a modest Henriot Brut Souverain to £1000 for a bottle of 1995 Clos du Mesnil.

Deciding to put ourselves into the hands of experts both my guest and I decided to go for the tasting menus. I thought I’d try the fish menu and my guest went for the vegetarian option. At £55 per person, the price is pretty reasonable for what is essentially fine dining.

As you would expect, Texture has a wine and Champagne list as long as your arm, including some rare and expensive vintages. However, there is also a good selection of affordable wines including several that are available by the glass. You can trust the Sommelier here, just tell him your tastes and price range and then sit back and enjoy. Alternatively, if you order the tasting menu you can pay an extra £60 per person to have specially selected wines and Champagnes to complement 5 of your 7 courses.

Parmesan wafers, curled slivers of toasted baguette, roasted cod skin, served alongside some wasabi emulsion and a yoghurt and herb dip acts as a fine appetiser and strong hint that a first Michelin is not too far on the horizon.

Other highlights include;

Scottish scallops with cauliflower textures. This is a truly great dish! The scallops were bursting with flavour and perfectly complimented with slivers and purées of cauliflower. I have been disappointed with bland scallops in the past but these had a true depth of flavour.

Pan-roasted Icelandic Cod with avocado purée, coco beans and sauce vierge – delicious!

The vegetarian main course of English Cauliflower & Fregula, pickled Asian Mushrooms and cauliflower couscous. Full in intricate flavours, this is a prime example of imaginative vegetarian cuisine, which is sadly lacking in many fine dining restaurants.

Finally, for desert - sugar spun fennel and cardamom ice cream and extra virgin olive oil adds an unusual but intriguing twist to the chocolate Valrhona.

If you like your food simple and to look like food then Texture might leave you a little cold but lets face it so will any fine dining restaurant. Each dish is a work of art and it almost seems a shame to damage it with your knife and fork. However, not to taste these perfectly executed morsels would be an even bigger shame because the true art is in the flavours and textures of these culinary masterpieces.

Tim Hirschmann