Dine out under the Northern Lights… in Marylebone

A trip to see the spectacular Northern Lights is on the bucket list of many travellers — but now time-pressed Londoners need go no further than Marylebone.

Next month restaurant Texture is hosting a series of events at which diners can enjoy its Michelin-starred Scandinavian-inspired cuisine under the bright lights of the Aurora Borealis.

For its Sense-ation Series, the venue has invested £35,000 in technology that projects the flickering, colour-shifting Northern Lights onto the ceiling of its private dining room, which seats just 16 people. A menu of Icelandic cuisine is served.

Guests sit at a long table made from Icelandic oak while sheep furs cover chairs, volcanic rock is strewn around the room, birch trees surround the table and live moss covers the walls.

The sounds of the Icelandic countryside can be heard and the tables are adorned with bowls containing water from the island’s famous naturally heated Blue Lagoon. The bowls also hold volcanic rock and dry ice simulates the steam that rises from the lake.

Chef patron Agnar Sverrisson, who opened Texture a decade ago with sommelier Xavier Rousset, said the menu celebrated his home country and its culinary excellence.

“This is about Iceland, yes,” he said. “All of this food is stuff from my childhood and is very typical. The Icelandic delicatessen to start is all foods that I ate when I was young.

“There are a lot of challenges getting produce from Iceland to the table here in London but it is worth it to celebrate my country and its cuisine.”

Diners first enjoy an “Uggi” cocktail, made from powerful Icelandic aquavit Brennivín, lemon juice, sugar, Saint Germain liqueur, seaweed powder and egg white. They then tuck into a five-course menu starting with the delicatessen and followed by dishes including langoustines on a bed of seaweed served on dry ice, and reindeer with chocolate sauce, served on a charcoal barbecue. For dessert, skyr — a fat-free yoghurt — and blueberries are served in traditional bowls made by Icelandic artist Ólafur Sveinsson. And to finish there is a surprise that “will challenge any adventurous diner to their limits”.

Texture, in Portman Street, was awarded a Michelin star in 2010. The Sense-ation Dinner costs £300 per person. The event has been created in partnership with Blue Lagoon and Visit Iceland and at the end guests receive a goodie bag of lava salt, skyr and beauty gifts from the lagoon.

@LizzieEdmo

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