www.pied-a-terre.co.uk
Arriving at Pied a Terre was a lovely experience, it is only a small restaurant really, and the space is long and narrow. That said, it is beautifully appointed in a warm modern fashion and the place oozes refinement. I felt like I was somewhere special almost immediately. The moment you arrive you are taken into the care of the staff, and they wait on you as if you are the only reason they are there. NOT in an overwhelming and stalkerish way, but in a warm and thoughtful way that seems so effortless that you know they must know what they are doing as there is a restaurant full of diners recieving the same level of care.
10 Courses. The tasting menu experience is an event that lasts about 4 hours and is a real treat. Before I launch into the food, I should mention the Sommelier who pulled together a wonderfully interesting selection of wines for me to try. Not only this, but for each wine he visited the table twice, once at the start and once at the end of each course. The first visit would always be to pour the wine before the corresponding plate of food arrived. The second visit he would bring back the bottle, ask us about the wine, discuss the flavours and finally reveal the bottle and tell us about the wine. With charm and consistency he would arrive so casually, yet so punctually and he never missed his cue. We developed quite a fondness for his visits to the table and he was a delight to discuss wine with. In fact he also helped me track down a wine I was trying to source at the time (a Lillypilly Fortified Shiraz).
The food was superb, each plate so perfect and so pretty! Each dish so complex and I never saw a plate with less than 10 parts/ processes to it. Everything was simply sublime.
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| Canapes: Some sort of pastry with truffle. |
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| The amuse bouche: The most processes I have ever seen in one amuse bouche EVER. |
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A Salad of Raw and Pickled Autumn Vegetables
Toasted Sunflower Seeds and Carrot Oil |
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Confit Yellow Fin Tuna with Dill Pickled Chayotte,
Oyster Mayonnaise, Toasted Quinoa and Mustard Seeds |
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| Roasted Cheltenham Beetroot with Pinenuts, Balsamic Gel, Lancashire Bomb Cheese and Mini Capers |
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| Lightly Poached Scallops with Cuttlefish, Confit of Buddha Lemon, Samphire and Saffron Velouté |
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Roasted Foie Gras with Rhubarb Curd, Hazelnut Crumble,
Parsnip and Vanilla Custard |
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| Salt Baked Jerusalem Artichokes with Avocado Oil, Sea Purslane and Trompette de la Mort |
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Pan-Fried Turbot with Shaved Chervil Root,
Braised Cavolo Nero and Caper Beurre Noisette |
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Butternut Squash with Fresh Shimeji, Sage Beignets,
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Baby Wood Sorrel |
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| Herb Crusted Saddle of Sika Venison with Cranberry Red Cabbage, Baby Spinach Compote, Shallot and Red Wine Jus |
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| A forest of cracker shards. |
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| Le fromage! |
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Lime Airs and Caramel Foam with Toasted Meringues,
Wild Finger Limes and Mint Oil |
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Bitter Sweet Chocolate Tart, Stout Ice Cream
and Macadamia Nut Cream |
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| A generosity of Mignaridises |
The overall experience was wonderful, and I think it is the best dining experience I have ever had. For me, this is now the restaurant to beat. I heard once that to be a great chef you need to be generous and want to give as much as you can. Well, this place is a living testament to it. You see the tower block of mignaridises above? We had 2 of those for a table of four! The sheer volume and variety totally uneccessary for a group of people who have just eaten 10 courses of food!
No expense, no detail, no effort spared in bringing you the very best
of everything through every part of the visit. In no way does it feel
like a business transaction, these people take you in and as if without
considering cost they offer you everything they have! Bravo!
