Elegant and refined, this restaurant is a great place for a nice classy dinner. Although nothing was particularly wrong about my meal, there were a couple of small things that I did not expect here.
The food was generally good. We tried the tempura rock shrimp, lobster tagliatelle, and some oysters, all of which were delicious, particularly the rock shrimp - the crispy exterior and tanginess of the chipotle-yuzu aioli were a great combination.
For my main course I opted for the dover sole, which was a bit disappointing. The fillet was roasted well, but overall the dish was too one-dimensional. Presentation was also not up to par, with the sole on one plate and the fingerling potatoes and beets in a separate bowl. Reflecting that, the dish did not feel cohesive or balanced and I felt a little let down given McEwan's reputation. The Sauvignon Blanc that my server recommended was quite good though.
Dessert was fine; the apple crostata could have been a bit warmer and more crispy though.
Service was friendly and decently attentive. There were a few times when my water glass did get dangerously close to empty, and I also seemed to end up with a huge amount of ice in my glass as well.
Ambience is cozy and elegant, yet not overly stuffy or crowded. For fine dining North 44 is a good choice, although I feel like there are more innovative and creative places out there.