It is rather obvious when visiting the top dining establishments in London that they have very strong ties to France, e.g. cuisine, staff, etc. Although it is perhaps understandable due to geographic vicinity, I actually find this rather ironic and somewhat puzzling. I would have thought that recent trends would have encouraged more independent thinking within British gastronomy, but, on the other hand, the British are suckers for tradition, even if it is French tradition.
Arriving at the restaurant by taxi (about 10 minutes from Maidenhead Station)
The view from the end of the road. Obviously one of the big draws here is the riverside location. The small, green pavilion (Riverside Cottage) on the right is a private dining room.
Of course I had to check out the dock for when I happen to pass by in my boat next time. There were a few rowers out and about and ducks swimming around with their ducklings.
We arrived a few minutes early and were seated in the entrance lounge. I figured this was a good opportunity to do some exploring, so of course I went to check out the bathrooms.
Women’s bathroom (or “ladies powder room” if you prefer). Very nice in a French country style. The Lemon Verbena liquid soap smelled lovely.
The men’s bathroom (or “gentleman’s cloakroom” as they say at Fortnum & Mason) - a more austere style of course.
Back to the lounge. We were asked if we wished to enjoy our champagne in the lounge area or in the dining room. We opted for the lounge, although that was probably a mistake as it turned out to be a bit noisy from guests arriving, preparations, etc. Here we also looked through the menu and decided what we wanted to eat (the tasting menu of course).
Amuse Bouche and Champagne
I think the best one was the salmon and then the cheese puff. The third one was also some kind of fish (sardine?).
Then we were escorted to our table. We were originally seated in the back section of the dining room along the side, where I did not have a view of the river (see next two pictures).
Back section of dining room.
One of the booths along the back wall.
We immediately asked if it was possible to change and then got a great table for two facing the water. It always pays to ask! The next two pictures are the view from our table.
Front section of dining room. Very beautiful, light and airy.
The sliding doors were open, so there was a nice breeze and one could hear the sounds of the birds and trees. The general manager, who has worked with the family for almost three decades, went around the dining room and exchanged pleasantries with the guests. He was very skilled, as one would hope. For example, he would go up to a table near the open doors, rub his hands on his arms, and say to the women (including myself), “brrr, it’s a bit chilly today”. Of course he was trying to judge when they should close the sliding doors without actually asking. If the woman protested, then he knew it was still ok to leave them open.
Table setting
Although it happened later, I can mention that the person setting the table for each next dish was very skilled. Once he managed to set my place while I was buttering my bread with one hand over the bread dish and one just over the left of the main plate. He just sneaked in and slipped in the new fork in between everything (as you can see, there is not a lot of room on that bottom-left corner of the table). The staff was very good and non-intrusive, as it should be.
I can also point out that the chairs were comfortable, which is important when you will be sitting for a few hours. Also, they had engraved purse hangers for the tables. When I sat down and placed my purse on the floor, it was magically swept up and placed on a hanger to my right.
Another amuse bouche. I cannot remember exactly what it was, but a kind of fish soup with asparagus and shredded apple.
Time for a short walk before “Le Menu Exceptionnel”. Very beautiful.
Flaked Devon crab and marinated seabass served on a delicious carrot jelly lightly infused with ginger, oscietra “Royal Belgian caviar”
Émietté de tourteau du Devon et bar mariné sur une gelée de carottes au gingembre, caviar osciètre “Royal de Belgique”
A visually stunning dish and yummy too. It was so beautiful that I have to include a close-up.
Pan-fried escalope of foie gras Grenoble style with a caramelized slice of orange
Escalope de foie gras chaude à la grenobloise et sa rondelle d’orange caramélisée
Ah, my nemesis...we meet again! Good although I found the bean sprouts(?) a bit strange. Perhaps they were there to add another texture?
Poached fillet of sole flavored with tarragon, crayfish tail and morels, “vin jaune” sauce
Filet de sole poché au parfum d’estragon, queue d’écrevisse et morilles, sauce au vin jaune
It was a very good dish, but the wow-factor came from the way the flavors absolutely perfectly melded together. Very subtle flavors.
Roasted leg and best end of milk lamb with seasonal vegetables, and a minted hollandaise sauce
Gigot et carré d’agneau de lait rôtis aux petits primeurs, sauce paloise
What can I say, the French can make sauces. It really tied everything together. The single best part of the dish was, however, to the left of the sauce - some absolutely delicious gratin (potato/leek/cheese?) - so yummy.
Spit-roasted Challandais duck, with lightly spiced prunes, green “Puy” lentils and a “Grande-Chartreuse” jus
Caneton challandais rôti à la broche, prunes épicées et lentilles vertes du Puy, jus Grande-Chartreuse
Ah duck. Again, the sauce - yum. They recommend this dish to be ordered by two people. When that happens, they bring the whole duck out and the general manager carves it at the table. From watching this when the table of four diagonal from us all ordered this dish, we can definitely confirm that he knows how to carve!
After the main courses, the table was cleared. Each table had a different vase and flower.
A sorbet to cleanse the palate. Sorry, but I do not remember the flavor.
At this point we were quite full, so asked for a digestif before we continued. We chose Poire Williams eau-de-vie and Armagnac.
I do not know if it was miscommunication or what as I had said we wanted to take a break, but they brought out the first dessert right after we received our digestif. I sent it back saying we were not ready for it as we needed a break. Overall I felt that the pace of the menu was quite fast, which I’m sure contributed to feeling very full and needing the digestif.
Cheese was not included in the tasting menu, believe it or not, although they said we could of course have cheese if we wanted to. However, we were actually so full that we decided to skip it.
Oops - forgot to take a picture!
Hazelnut florentin with a white chocolate mousse and passion fruit
Florentin aux avelines, mousse ivoire et fruit de la passion
I think this was the lightest and fluffiest chocolate mousse I’ve ever had. I am not a fan of white chocolate, but this was good as it was not overly sweet. The focus was on the passion fruit.
Warm rhubarb soufflé enhanced with raspberries
Soufflé chaud à la rhubarbe teinté de framboises
One cannot help but love a proper soufflé! This one was just lovely, not quite set in the middle. They then punched a hole in it with a spoon and poured in the rhubarb sauce. The best part were the few whole raspberries baked into the soufflé which randomly appeared like small treasures while eating. The raspberries really lifted it to another level.
Mignardises et Café
We drank lemon verbena tea and ginger tea.
They were all very good, but the yellow one on the bottom was definitely the best! It was filled with very light and fluffy passion fruit mousse! I could’ve eaten those all night or at least until I physically exploded. Other highlights included one with a raspberry baked into the middle, the black currant jelly, the nougat and the chocolate.
At the end of the meal, the chef (Alain Roux) came to our table and talked to us. I gave him feedback on what I thought were the best two dishes (sole and soufflé) and the reasons why. His explanations of why he thought those dishes were good were the vin jaune sauce that tied everything together and the raspberries in the soufflé. He thanked us for coming and shook our hands. It was nice to be able to meet him.
After that we decided to go, had them call a cab, and got a bag of their magazines, etc, on the way out. I also asked for a second copy of our menu, but ended up getting a full menu, so now I can sit and drool over the other dishes I wish I could have tried, e.g. Grilled tender rabbit filets, served on a celeriac fondant, armagnac sauce and glazed chestnuts.
Overall, the food was very good and of high, even quality, but no dish reached my so-called “sex on a plate” level. It is definitely a beautiful, romantic setting, especially if you get a table overlooking the river. It reminded me a bit of L’Auberge de L’Ill in Alsace but on a smaller scale. Classic, romantic French dining and interior - nothing less and nothing more - so if that is what you are looking for when you are near London, then go for it. If you are looking for innovation, try The Fat Duck around the corner.* Would I go back? - probably not. If I want to experience classic, French, three-star dining, then I will go to France, e.g. L’Auberge. Ironically, however, one is probably more likely to find innovative food in France and classic French dining in England.
*Now I will go off on a tangent and rant a bit. Before this trip, I actually looked at The Fat Duck’s website because I had said I would be willing to go back there. Imagine, to my dismay, that half the menu was still the same after 2.5 years! How is this even possible? Especially considering that they no longer offer an à la carte menu! My opinion of Heston Blumenthal fell after that. The taxi driver on the way back to the station also brought that up when he asked if we’d been there as well or not. He said we would be better off going to The Hinds Head the next time we’re in the area as that is apparently where he tries things before they end up on The Fat Duck’s menu.
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