UPDATE: Feb 2023. Aster restaurant is closed and is now The Palm House which is,

‘Reviving the vibrant spirit of Miami’s iconic 1930s clubhouse scene with a dash of Cuban cool for the modern city we invite you to celebrate the good life in effortless style with tropical cocktails, ice cold beers and a menu of delicious plates inspired by the best of Biscayne Bay.’

DandDLondon will be opening the nordic style Aster somewhere else TBA.

The Palm House is part of the group that owns Pergola Paddington so we expect a young clientele. We’re visitingThe Palm House on 7th March and will update on access and style. We’re looking to party!!…….For more information on its (previous) access see below and we give them an unaudited 2.5 BBS Ticks.

The Palm House Has a Seated Restaurant Upstairs Accessed via Lift

The Bar Downstairs, There is Low Seating Somewhere……

But Not Here. Well Lit and some Hard Surfaces So Likely to be Noisy When Crowded

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Aster is the latest venue from DandDLondon. We’ve reviewed nearly all their restaurants so we thought we should visit and appraise. We went last friday and it didn’t disappoint unlike my cab driver who did! Victoria is undergoing a transformation with huge building works around the station. Aster restaurant is in one of the new buildings opposite the station however, stopping outside is difficult because part of the street is blocked off but you can park diagonally opposite and reach the other side via a crossing – the cab driver just didn’t want to help but I forced him as I arrived alone.

1st Floor Restaurant Accessed by Lift. Champagne Bar is up a Couple of Steps – Unfortunately For Me!

Downstairs Bar Played Cool Music Giving a Club Like Vibe

Cafe Serves Breakfast, Lunch & Snacks

So back to Aster, the pavements outside are new and extremely smooth and easy to roll/walk along and the entrance to Aster is flat where all the floors are smooth. There’s a bar, deli and cafe on the ground floor and the restaurant is on the first accessed via a lift to where there’s a champagne bar. A well fitted disabled loo is on the ground floor near the entrance. It’s the latest in a number of hot spots in Victoria, M Victoria being one we’ve reviewed and Jason Atherton’s Hai Cenato , (now closed after Covid) to be reviewed when we can get a table!

The food features Nordic and French cuisine which sounds odd but works. The menu is not too large and we had small but very sweet scallops with celeriac, sea buckthorn & liquorice, followed by Arctic char (tastes like trout), Greenland prawns, aubergine caviar & dill. All very good and accompanied by a great wine (Treixadura, Ailalá-Ailalelo, Ribeiro ) recommended by a very knowledgable sommelier. They serve food all day with breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner menus. The service is very efficient and friendly. The lighting was on the dark side and the acoustics were good, although it wasn’t that busy when we visited.

Timeout said that…..

“elegant presentation and simply-prepared ingredients chosen over complex assemblies…….Above all people will flock here because it’s a sexy site, a slick operation and — well — it’s right opposite the station.”

It’s definitely a cool ‘nordic’ place to go for a buzzy atmosphere and good food. Following our visit we give Aster 2.5 BBS Ticks.