MARTIN WISHARTS by Daren

I got the vibe we were in for a good evening when we were greeted at the restaurant front door by three members of the restaurant team. Very focused, the way I’ve always imagined an experience should be. Taking our jackets and showing us to our table, a nice table, center of the restaurant, half with normal chairs and half banquet seating in a semi circle. Mark ordering the start of what’s to come with a nice bottle Champaign. N.V. Louis Roederer brut premiere, Reims.

Restaurant decorated in shades of brown. Textured walls, Bang Olufsen Cd player on the wall, great lighting and the heaviest crystal vases on the table, Clean Cut and unfussy

Menus read well and hard to choose from, could have had the tasting menu to save the hassle but finally got there. I chose the Partridge and foie gras Red Cabbage and Apple Sauce to start. Well presented, colorfully presented. Partridge wrapping the foie gras into a paupiette shape and sliced three times, Red cabbage braised into a sweet and sour chutney and ate well, as usual very hungry and the starter always gets devoured a bit too hastily! One of my down falls really. All of mostly choosing something different so sneaking a fork full here and there. You can tell by the table cloth’s new pattern!

For the mains Roast Monkfish, Braised Squid, Pea risotto and white onion sauce. Fantastic, Squid melt in the mouth, braised with good red wine and other elements. Monkfish and risotto all perfect and layered in the centre of the plate. With a fine cotton ball shaped potato angel hair, crispy and golden. Dish light and full flavored with a lightness of touch with presentation.

Cheeses were chosen next and we had a great presentation of three plates all with about six cheeses and a little truffle honey to eat with the goat’s cheese. Very good walnut bread, sesame seed biscuits and some digestive type sweeter biscuits.

Tasting of deserts were all fantastic and came separately, all stand alone well presented dishes. Caramel soufflé and caramel sauce, A pannacotta dusted in coconut and with a crème fraiche sorbet and a mousse in a chocolate crispy tube, A little boozed up to remember the titles but ate well and then came our petit fours, five different flavored jellies and about ten different soft centered truffles with the patterned tops, all presented on slate and in perfectly places lines, equally spaced (with a ruler?)

Coffee and several top ups of a great wine list and we head back, well impressed and a tough act to follow for next year.

These are the details that I can remember, we are a group of close friends that have a lot to catch up on from year to year so we will do our best to calculate the evening into words that can make sense.