Jessica S.
Yelp
If you've been following my reviews for a while, you'll know that we typically do a ton of research (which usually includes a bracket) when trying to choose a restaurant in a different city. This was no different - we were celebrating our anniversary while in London (well, to be fair - we celebrated our anniversary in every city we hit on this trip), and we knew we wanted something special.
Our research started with a broad field of places, and in short order, they started to blend together. Then, we saw one of Chef Ramsay's restaurants, and we perked up. Soon enough, we were comparing his restaurants only, and had settled on Petrus.
We were excited to try one of his restaurants. We were excited that it is Michelin-starred. We were intrigued by the menu options, and fully expecting a fantastic meal and evening.
We had a late reservation on our final night in London, as we wanted to be sure we had time to get back to the hotel to get cleaned up after a day spent exploring. So, gussied up and ready for a good meal, we hit the tube and walked our way to the restaurant.
It doesn't look like much from the outside, but once we stepped through that front door, the magic hit.
We were given a friendly greeting, our coats were taken, and we were shown to a table in the back. There isn't much of a view (unless you like looking at the street and a restaurant across the way), but I actually liked the ambiance inside. It was open, dim without being obnoxious, with kind of an eclectic feel.
It didn't take much consideration for us to decide on the tasting menu, and of course we paired that with the wine selections (the classic wines - no need to get crazy, now). After ordering, we sat back and waited to be awed. And awed we were!
Chef's compliments came out first - a toast with thinly sliced mushrooms and a fried ball of deliciousness started out the evening (I'm almost certain they'd call those two things something completely different...) The mushrooms on toast sounds simple, but it was quite delicious. The mushroom was very thinly sliced, and there was a sauce - not too overpowering - between them and the toast that held it all together.
Next up was an amuse bouche of Yuzu Chawanmushi, which was a custard in miso soup. It was interesting.
Course one was Norfolk quail with morels, pancetta and charred lettuce, to which they added an au jus. The quail was good, but kind of difficult to get off the bone. I was afraid I'd be hacking at it with my fork and knife, only to have it go flying off the plate, skittering over the tablecloth, before ending up on the floor.
Course two was an Orkney scallop with braised kombu, bacon and egg sabayon, which was very good. Scallops can be really hit or miss with me, but I was pleased to find that this one was perfectly cooked, and paired really well with the kombu and bacon bits.
Course three was a small piece of Cornish brill, covered in cuttlefish and served with a cep Bolognese. This dish was my favorite by far. The brill and the cuttlefish worked really well together, and the sauces helped bring out the flavors, instead of being too overpowering. I'd order that dish again.
For course four, we both chose the Herdwick lamb, which was presented perfectly cooked and accompanied by a miso gratin, soy beans, pickled mouli and a another au jus. It was hard to remember what was what once the plate was set in front of me, so all I remember is wishing there was another piece of lamb on the plate.
Our palate cleanser was a lemon meringue, done fancy style. The meringue on top of the lemon foam was light and airy, and the lemon wasn't too strong (not that there's such a thing for me, but the hubs typically isn't a fan of citrus).
Dessert was pure craziness. It was a black forest cake - again, done fancy-style. The mousse was rich and creamy, and the cherry sorbet was a perfect, not-too-tart complement to the decadent chocolate. They even created some realistic-looking cherries to serve on top. It was divine.
And just when I felt like having one more bite would surely split the seams of my new dress, they brought out four truffles. I think they were some kind of dark chocolate ginger, but I really couldn't tell you, having opted to save the dress. And wouldn't you know, right after the truffles, they brought out a coconut-something nougat. I was in the middle of trying to talk myself into trying a bite of at least one of them, if not both, when they brought out another couple pieces of chocolate in celebration of our anniversary!
At this point, I turned to my husband and told him that if they tried to bring one more dish, I'd stab their fingers with the chocolate truffle.
Thankfully, they showed mercy on my poor (expanding) stomach, and ended the meal there. We were stuffed, but more importantly, we were impressed. Every item they set in front of us was beautifully presented and enjoyable to consume.