It’s not often that when I sit down to post a review on SM I can so vividly remember what the food was that I had without having to crib from the restaurants web site, so suffice to say the food was outstanding.
I started with restaurant’s signature Fois Gras Crème Brulee, rich Fois Gras pate topped with a sweet caramelised crunchy top. The only gripe would be that it is a large portion and you want to eat it all not leaving room for main!
The Osso Buco of Monkfish (I had to ask, served on the bone) with shellfish broth, was superb, the fish moist and succulent and the broth would of made a lovely soup starter on it own.
Then desert it only got better, the Chocolate Assiette, rich chocolate ice cream and mouse, a mini chocolate fondant with chocolate oozing from it’s core, a white chocolate Mille-feuille, passion fruit twille and a large chocolate disc. Was a delightful way to finish the meal, just pushing you over the sated barrier.
That was the food, as for the rest of the experience… the service was pleasant enough, efficient with out been overly fussy. The tables are so close I’m not sure how one would manage to get out for the lavatory during the meal, I had to ask twice that the adjacent table be move more than the allowed 3 inches from our table.
I think the sommelier missed that his new venture is a bistro with starters of around £12 and mains of around £24, rather than the Michelin stared Le Gavroche, there was a couple (literally) reasonably priced bottles on the menu but quickly got into the 60/70s and hundreds, even thousands. In fact there were more £1000+ bottles to choose from than <£50 bottles. It is all horses for courses, if I go to a bistro I expect good value wine to go with my good valued meal, if I want high end I’ll go Michelin.
The bill came to £370 for the four of us, with two £71 bottles of wine making up a substantial part of it. For me it was lovely food, but the rest of the gripes would deter me from returning.