We ended up going to Le Gavroche again after Ella, who is one half of a couple of foodie mates, wanted to surprise Ross with a meal at a restaurant he’d not been to before. Meeting at the Connaught Bar for cocktails (tough life!), Ross arrived to find us waiting before we took a taxi onto the mysterious destination. To say that Ross was pleased with this turn of events was a bit of an understatement!

After opting for the nine-course Menu Exceptionnel with Les Vin (£158) We started with a selection of amuse-bouche, of which I can only remember the ham and celeriac remoulade and not the creamy number at the back. We started with one of the signature dishes, a Cheese Souffle Cooked on Double Cream. This dish was well executed but I find it very hard to get excited about a souffle due to my previously mentioned aversion to egg. Still a winner with the rest of the table.

Next up was the Classic Lobster Salad, Marie-Rose Flavoured with Brandy and Truffles. Now Ross doesn’t like Marie-Rose sauce at all but I love the stuff. In fact, I’m pretty sure my next dinner party might be a homage to kitsch dinner party classics like this. The one thing I didn’t like about this dish was the truffle stuck around the edge of the class, it just seemed a waste and didn’t add anything to the dish.

The Pressed Terrine of Cassoulet, Smoked Sausage and Foie Gras with Confit Chicken Wing followed. I found the cold terrine to be overwhelming rich but I loved the confit chicken wing. It was like deep-fried chicken done well and I probably could have polished off a handful of these. 

Another two seafood dishes followed, first was Scallops and Squid Ink Tapioca, Parsley and Lemon Zest and then Gurnard with Artichoke, Cep Mushrooms, Aged Basque Ham, Cumin and Tarragon. Although I loved the meaty scallop and combined with the fresh parsley sauce, I didn’t like the addition of either the tapioca or squid ink. I find the black residue to be rather off-putting when eating. The honey-comb shaping crunchy crisp that sat atop the gurnard looked wonderful and the fish combined brilliantly with the slightly charred ham. The only minor flaw was that the cumin was a touch overpowering.

The main meat course of the evening was Roasted Lamb from The Pyrenees, Potatoes Garlic and Thyme Jus. This would have to be one of the best pieces of lamb I’ve ever eaten. The meat was so tender and just melted in your mouth yet it still retained that little bit of crispiness on the outside. When they serve the lamb, they usually cut off the first end which is lovely and crispy and Ross requested whether he could have the end. They misunderstood the request and gave him the whole leg, which you can see him tucking into below. 

The lamb easily was the highlight of the meal and the accompaniments it was served with were spot on. 

Onto Le Gavroche’s famed cheese trolley for a Selection of French and British Farmhouse Cheese. It took me two photos to capture the entire thing that is how much cheese they have on offer. 

I can’t remember the particular cheeses that I had on the evening but they were all very good quality as you would expect. The selection of accompaniments consisted of crunchy flatbreads, chutney and celery sticks. Some crispy oatcakes wouldn’t have gone astray but I’m just nitpicking.

One of the problems of multi-course tasting menus and matching wines is that you get to the end of the meal and you are often rather worse for wear. Especially so if you have had a couple of glasses of champagne before you have even started eating. By the time we got to the dessert, I was, to put it delicately, hammered, as you can see from the picture above. Oops. As such, the Rich Amedei Chocolate Truffle, Puffed Rice, Praline Biscuit Rumy Jelly and Bitter Chocolate Sorbet doesn’t seem to register in my mind. It’s a shame because it sounds delicious and I’m pretty sure it was delicious but I can barely remember it. 

After our dessert, we had coffee and a selection of Petit Fours, plus some Chocolate-covered Oranges and Nougat. No visit from Micheal Roux Junior either which was a shame but probably for the best, given our state by then. The bill was around £185 a head including food, drinks and service. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the meal, I felt that tasting menu was a little hit and miss in places and enjoyed the food more on our visit where we ordered from the a la carte. 

Le Gavroche
43 Upper Brook Street
London W1K 7QR
Phone: +44(0)02074080881
http://www.le-gavroche.co.uk/

I can’t quite believe how long it’s been since we visited Viajante. Way back in early March this year, we went with some friends for dinner. We had a drink in the bar, which was quite busy given the early hour. I opted for a Bermuda Porter (£8) which according to their menu was “a twist on a rum ration…Goslings rum, fresh lemon juice, sugar, shaken and given a hefty dose of St. Peters Porter beer foam”. It came in a small beer mug and tasted like a sweet beer with cinnamon and mixed spice. 

We were ushered into the Viajante dining room for our meal. It does have something of the Swedish about it — sparse, blonde wood and soft blue upholstery. We plumped for the 6 Course Tasting Menu (£65) and the matching Beverage Pairing (£50). One of the best things about Viajante is that you don’t get the menu until after you have eaten and I really enjoyed the anticipation of each dish as it came out of the kitchen.  

We were off to a promising start with a trio of Amuse-Bouche, which contained a Thai Explosion II, Crab Doughnut and Langoustine and Lardo. The crispy sandwich of chicken and quail egg mousse was a winner, as was the crab doughnut. The sugary crunchy coating gave way to a delicate crab centre. The langoustine was less of a winner, a couple of us struggled to even get it into our mouths as it slipped off the serving sticks.  

The Bread & Butter was excellent. The long crunchy bread sticks were served with two accompanying butters, topped with crispy chicken skin and black pudding respectively. I preferred the chicken skin as I didn’t really get much as flavour from the black pudding butter. 

The controversy started with the first course of Squid and Ink with Pickled Radishes and Sea Lettuce. The silky texture of the squid divided opinion, the men being in the dislike camp, Tara firmly in favour and I just couldn’t make my mind up one way or the other. It was interesting to note that Tara was the only one at the table who liked oysters, so if you like oysters, would you likely be a fan of this dish? The squid was served with a Navazos Niepoort 2009, Spain (Jerez).

Next up was a Salsify in milk with brown butter and truffle, served with a Julien Courtois “Originel” 2007, France (Loire). As you can see from the photo above it came out with just the salsify on the plate and the waiter poured over the stock. I expected to be warm but it was actually ice cold. Ed described it as “posh bovril” and it was probably the most apt description we could come up with. The consensus amongst the table was that it was nice but not amazing.

The controversy continued with the Duck Heart and Tongue with Celeriac and Pine, served with a Teruzzi & Puthod “Carmen Puthod” 2009 (Toscana). Despite all the talk about head-to-tail eating out there, a lot of people still don’t like eating offal. I relished the dish not only because I enjoyed it but because I never would have normally ordered it, whilst Ed flat out refused to finish his. I loved the refreshing pine flavours with the rich heart meat.  

Prior to this course arriving however, I had stood up to go to the bathroom. Our waiter rushed over to me as I was on my way out of the dining room and asked whether I could wait for the bathroom. I was so shocked that I slunk back to my seat and did what I was told. Having experienced waiters hovering outside the Le Gavroche toilets in order to time the arrival of the food as I return (and not whilst I am in the bathroom) I was rather unhappy about this happening. It’s a shame as the service was incredibly friendly and efficient with exception to this.

Next up was another delicate fish dish, this time Lobster and Potato with Confit Egg Yolk served with Kooyong “Clonale” Chardonnary 2008, Mornington Peninsula. One the more highly praised dishes on the menu, although I wasn’t a fan of the eggy foam. To be fair, I’m still working up a taste for all things egg. The lobster itself was brilliant and I was disappointed there wasn’t more of it.

It was interesting to note that by this point in the meal we hadn’t really been served anything that was hotter than say luke-warm which felt odd and slightly unfulfilling. I was hoping this was going to be rectified by the Roasted Squab with Beetroot and Pistachio — served with Maisonneueve-Cosse “Abstemes s’Arbetnir” 2008, France (Cahors) — but this wasn’t to be the case. The meaty squab, which is a type of pigeon, worked really well with the beetroot and crushed pistachio but it would have been so much better had it been served at a slightly warmer temperature.

Onto a pre-dessert of Frozen Maple with Shiso and Green Apple. I really loved this dish, from the quirky serving dish to the refreshingly tart green apple and rich sweet maple. Brilliant. 

Finally, we had Parsnips and Milk served with Marion Passito Bianco 2002, Veneto. I was actually a fan of the parsnips as a dessert, especially with the milky sorbet served on top. I was less keen on the tapioca that came with it but I do think this is a personal preference rather than a fault of the dish. The earthenware bowl it was served in was something else. I’m generally not a fan of restaurants who sell tat but I would totally buy some of these serving bowls. 

The Petit Fours came out, mushroom truffles and a marshmallow number I can’t quite recall, probably because I was too busy going OMFG these mushroom truffles are the best! Imagine rich chocolate ganache combined with an earthy taste and you’ve pretty much got the idea. Just amazing.

It was at this stage that I rewarded the fantastic and rather unusual wine menu by ordering a cocktail recommended by our waiter. I can’t find anything that sounds like this cocktail on the menu — I wish it was there so I could avoid it in the future — but it looked and tasted like bitter mouthwash. We were also offered an extra petit four by the kitchen, a creamy concoction which finished off the meal nicely.

As you can see we were lucky to have a great view of the kitchen, which I particularly enjoyed. The bill came to roughly £135 a head including drinks and service. It felt about right given the number of courses, matching wines and cocktails we managed to polish off. I’d definitely go back for the three course lunch, which seems like it would be good value (and perhaps showcase the best of the dishes on the menu). 

Viajante
Patriot Square
London, E2 9NF
Phone: +44(0)207871046
www.viajante.co.uk

I had looked at Sharrow Bay, when planning a trip to the Lake District with my parents a few years back. I’d ruled it out based on cost and the fact that fine dining isn’t really my Dad’s style - bless him. 

For our wedding, Brad’s sister booked us a night in the George Hotel which is only a short drive from Sharrow Bay, so we booked in for a romantic dinner. It was the closest Brad and I have had to a relaxing holiday we’ve ever had ever. We caught the train up at an very uncivilised hour on Saturday before spending the whole day doing nothing much at all, went out to dinner, slept in late, relaxed in a cafe, then caught the train back down to London. Bliss!

After a short drive from the hotel, we were ushered into what appeared to be a rather plush country hotel. We were showed to the sitting room. I went for a glass of Billecart, Brut Réserve (£15.25 per glass) and Brad went for a local ale. We were served a lovely amuse-bouche of Ham Hock Terrine with Celeriac Remoulade. After finishing our drinks, we were ushered into one of the opulent dining rooms where an elaborate selection of cutlery awaited.

We decided to go for the six course tasting menu, as I wasn’t quite up for the challenge of the 10 course meal. My first course was a Breast of Smoked Duck, Spiced Poached Pear, Cashel Blue Cheese and Walnut Dressing. On the sommelier’s recommendation, I opted for a Riesling (Blue Slate, Dr Loosen, Mosel 2009 £7.15). As much as I love both duck and blue cheese, I have discovered that smoked duck isn’t my thing and even the melted cheese on top didn’t improve matters. Brad’s Braised Pigs Cheek, Sharrow Black Pudding, Seared Foie Gras and Apple & Sage Sauce served with Rioja Blanco (Castillo de Clavijo, Barrel Fermented, Alberite, Spain 2008 £7.25) was a much better option with an incredibly generous portion of foie gras and melt in your mouth pig’s cheek. 

For the next course, I opted for a the Soup of the Day, which if I recall correctly was Butternut Squash. The soup was smooth, rich and creamy - perfect on a cold winter’s night, although somewhat homespun in style. Brad opted for the Fillet of Plaice with Braised Leeks and Truffles served with Sauvignon Blanc (Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand 2009 £10.90). Brad didn’t seem overwhelmed with the fish but neither of us are fans of poached fish. 

Next up was a Sharrow Fruit Sorbet, although unfortunately they neglected to tell us what fruit it actually was. It was possibly clementine flavoured but we forgot to ask. You can see from the picture that the serving bowl is wonky, from what I recall of our conversation with the waiter it was due to their age and the material that had been used to make them so long ago. 

Brad plumped for the Tournedos of Scottish Fillet Steak, braised Ox Cheek, roasted Shallots, marinated Cherry Tomatoes and Burgundy Sauce served with Carménère Gran Reserva (Los Lingues single vineyard, Casa Silva, Colchagua, Chile 2008 £8.95). This was probably the highlight of the meal for Brad and he especially liked the breadcrumbed ball which was filled with tender meat. My Fillet of Sea Bass with Wild Mushroom Fricassée, buttered Spinach, Parsnip Purée and Scallop Velouté served with Chablis (Domaine Françoise Chauvenet, France 2009 £9.80) looked a little disappointing but was actually wonderful. I particularly liked the mushroom served in the delicate pastry cup sitting above the fish in the picture. The fish itself was well cooked, with a lovely crunchy buttery skin. 

Sharrow Bay is famous for being the birthplace of Sticky Toffee Pudding, so Brad insisted on trying Francis Coulson’s Famous and Original Icky Sticky Toffee Sponge served with Cream for his dessert. It was a generous portion and an excellent rendition of the British classic. I almost wished I’d ordered it too but I was very happy with my choice of Vanilla & Cashew Nut Parfait with Caramelised Bananas in Rum. It was quite a sweet dessert but I thoroughly enjoyed nutty parfait with the boozy bananas. 

I neglected to get any pictures but we also had a Selection of Great British Cheeses each. I thought the selection was a bit small (compared to somewhere like Le Gavroche) but all were of good quality. Although we would have liked either a dessert wine or port, the sommelier who had done such a good job of recommending wines was nowhere to be found. It seemed like he was stretched a little thin between the two dining rooms.  

We were ushered back into the sitting room, where we were served Coffee and Petit Fours, again on elegant China and silverware. We were also given our bill, which came to £220 including service. I loved the feeling that you were dining in an elegant English country house but sometimes the food and service wasn’t as good as I expected. It’s definitely worth a visit but stick to a la carte and definitely get the sticky toffee pudding for dessert. 

Sharrow Bay
Lake Ullswater, Penrith
Cumbria, CA10 2LZ
Phone: +44(0)1768486301
http://www.sharrowbay.co.uk/