Tag Archives: fine dining

Le Cinq, Four Seasons, Paris

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Visiting a hotel as special and iconic as the Four Seasons in Paris, I tend to feel like I am flitting about in a feature film – the freshest white roses beautifying every corner, attentive and attractive staff assisting with kind, genuine smiles and music tinkling lyrically down the hall. We cancelled our evening plans to enjoy the heavenly hotel facilities and eat at Le Cinq, the Michelin starred eatery in the palatial dining room.

Entering the elaborate banqueting hall, we had no idea of the fourteen course feast we were about to experience. Despite attempting to dress for the occasion we both immediately felt out of place… this is the type of restaurant where ballgowns ARE appropriate attire for supper. Girls can get away with a simple silk dress but my poor date was asked to wear a suit jacket (which the restaurant have at the ready in their wardrobe for unkempt guests!) Apparently though one size fits all and his slim frame was engulfed in a 50 inch cloak of a coat which he then had to sit draped in for the whole meal. This presented two problems: he was ridiculously overheated and felt terribly awkward (sorry I don’t have a photo), but the situation also provoked in me hysterical and irrepressible giggles for at least the first 30 minutes of the evening.

Once I’d recovered from the hilarity (Le Cinq staff definitely didn’t get the joke) we could commence the meal. Service is exemplary at Le Cinq, every fork is placed to exact specifications, water refilled in moments and the table is set out with such care, it is fit for a King. This precision frightened me a little… all very traditional and smart – I found it difficult to relax. The food was all absolutely beautiful, just as I would expect from French fine dining. There are various menus on offer, we chose from the main menu though our decisions were strongly swayed by the persuasive waiter, obviously the chef wanted us to try very particular dishes.

Bread and miniature amuse bouches were brought every five minutes, delicate little mouthfuls of carefully concocted ingredients… all very light but full of flavour. Starters arrived as a series of intriguing plates and bowls. The chef insisted on us both trying each dish so everything came as a double, amongst all the posh eating implements crowding the table it was all a bit of a squeeze. Girolles Mushrooms and Apricot with fresh almonds and Red Mediterranean Tuna Belly. I am not a fan of fish but found the tuna was remarkably nice, soft but meaty, intensely flavoured with caviar tartar, green apple jelly and wasabi. A tangy vegetable escabeche also arrived which nicely accompanied the fish. The mushroom option came as a total of four separate plates, of which we favoured the warm and comforting broth. Stylishly presented with gold leaf floating on the surface and with a sweet onion and tarragon ravioli within the soup, it was a lovely and inventive recipe.

Our main course was spectacular. We ordered the Milk-fed Lamb Shoulder from the Aveyron Region braised with spices and fresh harissa for 17 hours, with vegetable and coriander tajine. This was a star dish served for two people and was very rustic compared to the rest of the refined dinner. The meat was utterly divine, super soft and tender and deeply flavoured with subtle spices and seasoned beautifully. The meat was carved at the table by our expert waiter and presented to us with fresh vegetables. I found the meat a little fatty for my taste but the flavour truly was sublime and it felt very special.

After the lamb the rest is rather a blur, a cheese course, a glass of the purest water in Europe – particularly interesting and refreshing! And then the series of sweets and desserts. Amaretto Souffle and Jordan Almond was an impressive pudding, generous in size with vibrant ginger and apricot marmalade, almond granita with apricot sorbet, a unique mix of flavours and textures. The pastry chef avoided making the recipe too sweet, which I was very grateful for. Souffle is certainly not an easy recipe to master, unsurprisingly Le Cinq had perfected it and the texture was airy and light, the ideal dessert after a large rich meal. George V style Fraisier was a clever interpretation on the classic tart, served with strawberry granita, sour ewe’s milk sorbet with olive oil. The assortment of ingredients sounds odd, but miraculously combined to create a pretty and well balanced dessert. Saving the best till last it was finally our turn to pick from the sweet trolley. An exciting array of colourful cakes, chocolates and long fat marshmallows, a fun end to the serious meal.

Le Cinq offers fine French cuisine in an exquisite setting, providing all the elements for a memorable and magnificent meal. I recommend staying in the hotel afterwards, trust me after fourteen courses you will need one of their luxurious beds.

More information for Le Cinq here.

http://www.fourseasons.com/paris/dining/

Dabbous, Bloomsbury

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Obtaining a table at Dabbous is like winning the lottery, random and overwhelmingly exciting. The morning for my visit finally arrived, my stomach whirled, it felt like a combination of Christmas and my birthday rolled together. Whenever I have a special restaurant booked I get nervous beforehand, terrified that I’ll suddenly come down with flu, or something will happen to jeopardise my long awaited meal! I had already had to cancel my first gold-dust booking, when I was told that I HAD to work that day… I almost cried down the phone to the poor reservations girl who kindly and miraculously managed to fit me in a few days later. All plans were dropped, my dad was called and we marched off towards Goodge Street ready to be impressed.

11.55 am would usually be a little early for cocktails, even for me, but eager to try the concoctions on offer at Oskar’s Bar (downstairs at Dabbous) I succumbed. Simple innovative drinks are made expertly behind the bar, we waited while chatting to the sociable waiter. The drinks are stylish and cool, served in misted glasses and ice cold. First I tried the ‘Dillusion’ (Bombay Sapphire gin, elderflower cordial, cucumber, dill, lemon and sugar) – a simple sophisticated drink of the palest green, adorned with a tiny sprig of dill. It was perfectly mixed and deliciously subtly flavoured. The ‘Disco Rhubarb’ (Skane akvavit, homemade rhubarb syrup and apple juice) was a fun second cocktail, served long over crushed ice – a curiously fruity and refreshing drink.

Upstairs the waiters are dressed to impress and hover ready to pounce on any empty plates or glasses. Plump green olives were brought to our table and the menu explained. They recommend you choose four or more dishes each from the varied a la carte menu, or if you’d prefer there is a set lunch and a tasting menu available. We opted for the set lunch with one substitution for me, omitting the fish and adding in Iberico pork.

Warm nutty wholemeal bread arrived in branded brown bags, with a dollop of yellow creamy butter. I won course number one hands down with my gloriously summery ‘Peas with Mint’ a glass filled with a garden of creamy pea mousse, tiny purple petals and minty granita. The combination of the hot and cold textures was intriguing, but utterly delicious… I could tell my dad was jealous as his Mixed Alliums in a Pine Infusion was stunning in presentation but not as exciting in taste.

Next came my magnificent Barbecued Iberico pork with Savoury Acorn Praline, turnip tops and apple vinegar. The sticky, caramelised and richly favoured meat was accompanied by a satisfyingly nutty caramel praline, weird by wonderful. The Braised Ling with Coastal Herbs was almost too lovely looking to eat, tantalizingly soft fish with specks of bright pink and a pale creamy sauce.

Neither of us could resist the Barbequed Lamb shoulder with runner beans and lesser calamint (a fern-like member of the mint family). It was the best course yet, divinely tender meat paired with yummy beans and soft white cheese, a dreamy mix of ingredients.

For desserts the options are modest: Ripe peach in its Own Juice and Artisanal Cheese from the British Isles with baked apple and toasted sourdough. We chose one of each. The peach was perfectly simple, sweet and juicy with an alluring hint of vanilla. The cheese was beautifully presented with a delicious caramel apple and ultra thin bread crisps, my dad really enjoyed it.

After my healthy peach pudding, I was craving a mouthful of something sugary… right on cue two tiny little cakes were delivered with liqueur soaked cherries on top: a mouthful of heaven to accompany our coffees.

For such divinely delicate and pretty food, it seems a great shame that the venue is quite the opposite in style. A harsh industrial room, it doesn’t suit the elegant cuisine at all, even the front door is an oppressive heavy gateway. Aside from this minor criticism our trip to Dabbous was as sublime as hoped and Mr Oliver Dabbous is deserving of the overwhelming interest he has received.

Dabbous is very reasonable with the Set Lunch menu costing £26 for four courses and the Tasting Menu priced at £54. Enquire now and you may just get a table in 2013.

Visit the Dabbous website here for more information.

http://dabbous.co.uk/

 

Gordon Ramsay, Royal Hospital Road

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I never tire of food – being a blogger I eat out far more than I should and yet the excitement of a new fine dining experience always brings a new wave of anticipation, desire and hunger.

When my grandparents invited me to Gordon Ramsay on Royal Hospital Road, yes the restaurant with the highest accolade, three Michelin stars, I knew it would be a memorable meal. The pressure of looking forward to a meal of this calibre occupied my mind for days before, I couldn’t help but boast to everyone I spoke to.

The restaurant is simple and smart as you might expect, nothing distracts from the food. The atmosphere avoids any stuffiness with personable, genuine staff who enjoy making every guest’s visit perfect. As regulars at the restaurant, my grandparents introduced me to the friendly head waiter Jean-Claude, a warm and enthusiastic character who kindly assisted us at every stage of our meal.

The table was dressed stylishly and we admired the surroundings while sipping superior chilled Rose and nibbling at fresh crusty bread. The preliminaries delighted me… unexpected mouthfuls of joy, created seasonally by the chef to excite and cleanse the palate. We were treated to more than our fair share, warm cheesy choux pastry bites and an adorable ‘English garden’ in a glass which was particularly pretty and pleasing, a lovely pea mousse with soft mild cheese topped with tiny edible purple petals. We cooed as we marvelled over our little dishes, they were far too attractive to touch or eat!

Head Chef Clare Smyth is a magician in the kitchen and what followed was a whirlwind of sensational food, exceptional presentation and exemplary service. The waiters and waitresses must be trained and rehearsed much like a performing cast, as they dance fluidly round the restaurant in a perfectly choreographed routine: replacing, refreshing and replenishing any condiment or extra needed. It sounds strange but the service here is quite beautiful to watch.

The a la carte menu is priced at £95, the daily lunch menu at a reasonable £45, both for three courses. Everything sounded divine so we all chose to stick to the lunch menu – the less choice the better otherwise my indecision gets the better of me, and anyway at a restaurant like this every dish is ‘the best dish’. Sweet smells wafted from nearby tables and my stomach whirled in excitement for the plates to come. The waiters arrived with the most stunning culinary arrangements I have ever seen… no effort is spared here. To start I ate the heavenly Smoked potato and poached hen’s egg ravioli with pak choi, roast chicken jus and leek veloute. It was a striking dish, one plump piece of pasta filled with an egg that burst to reveal a gorgeous silky orange yolk. A light sweet but salty sauce accompanied the softly flavoured ravioli, combined with the mild leek soup, it was a lovely light first course. The Salad of Szechuan pork, tiger prawn, chargrilled, pickled and marinated vegetables, Asian herbs and daikon dressing was a work of art, so delicate and colourful, it looked and tasted spectacular, a genius balancing of flavours with an oriental twist.

For main I debated long and hard between the Roasted rabbit loin with Bayonne ham, confit tomato, marjoram, broad beans, grelots and chargrilled charlotte potatoes and the Spiced free range Devon duck with Swiss chard, beetroot and grilled onions. My grandparents both ordered the Rabbit so it seemed appropriate that I try the other option. Although lean, my duck preserved every drop of flavour, tender and meaty subtly spiced to enhance the flavour of the duck and cooked with sweet onions, beetroot and refreshing pak choi. The Rabbit, from the mouthful I tasted, was faultless – a unique and imaginative dish that was full flavoured without feeling too rich. Each ingredient served its role without any element stealing too much attention, a delicious composition.

Ensuring our puddings were memorable, Jean-Claude specially adapted the menu to bring us each our dream dessert. First though, a passionfruit and coconut soup cocktail served in a tall glass flute with a fragile straw, a comforting thick liquid with a hint of lemongrass. I opted for the Roasted pineapple with coriander financiers, coconut sorbet and vanilla cream for dessert, a dainty dish with caramelised fruit and various spicy and sweet accompaniments. The soft pineapple paired perfectly with the refreshing sorbet and cream and the slightly bitter coriander cakes gave an unusual kick. The chocolate dessert looked epic, a cylinder filled with a creamy, melt in the mouth, sweet interior… it was very rich and the portion size perhaps a little too generous. The cheese trolley was quite a titillating experience, every variety and speciality was on offer, to pick only a few was almost impossible.

The Petits Fours arriving suggested the sad realisation that the meal was coming to an end: rich buttery chocolate truffles, very odd and slightly disappointing jelly like Turkish Delight (that seemed to be elderflower flavoured) and best of all, ice cold strawberry ice cream coated in thin jagged white chocolate and served in a puff of dry ice. These chocolates were so good I would like to finish every meal with one! We popped into the kitchen on the way out, to see a radiant Clare exhausted after lunch service… and her workstation where all the thrilling cooking happens… it was hard to imagine just how much energy goes into every single plate that leaves this room.

We are lucky to have many exceptional Michelin starred restaurants in our city, but there are only a few restaurants that really come this close to perfection. Temperamental and talented, Gordon Ramsay goes in and out of fashion but Clare Smyth’s supreme cooking ensures that his restaurant on Royal Hospital Road will always provide one of London’s finest dining experiences.

More information and book here.

http://www.gordonramsay.com/index2.html