I’ve written a few posts about my local area, that is the terrific trio made up of Victoria, Pimlico and Belgravia or SW1. It really isn’t an area known for foodie hotspots; it doesn’t have the celebrity-filled dining rooms of Mayfair, the trendy eateries of Shoreditch or the quirky restaurants of Soho. But my little corner of Westminster has a ton of foodie finds round every corner. Eclectic restaurants like No.11 Pimlico Road, boutique sushi stops like UNI, fabulous purveyors of fish like Oliviomare or innovative tapas at Ametsa. There’s also lots of gorgeous artisan food shops and bakeries such as William Curley, Peggy Porschen and Daylesford Organic. The area is a really great a mix of different restaurants, including many lovely independent places, you just need to know where to look.
A jewel in the crown of the SW1 area is Gordon Ramsay’s Petrus. Straddling the boundaries of Belgravia and Knightsbridge, Petrus is located in Belgrave Square, one of my favourite areas in London. The Herve Leger flagship boutique is located there, a well as fab make up shop Cosmetics A La Carte and best of all… the Christian Louboutin Shop…
Speaking of which, we had to stop for a quick photo opp to show how my red dress matched my red soles…
And Mr Silver never lets me steal the limelight, even though it’s my blog, so I got a snap of him too. A few people have suggested Mr S has his own fashion spot on SilverSpoon…trust me he’s pretty keen for this to go ahead!
Holding one Michelin star and serving a menu of Modern French cuisine, Petrus really is special occasion dining. But we were here just because that’s how we roll at lunchtime… no not really, we’d been given a voucher as a gift for lunch there and with our busy year of the wedding, honeymoon, other people’s weddings and parties our voucher was about to expire and we obviously couldn’t miss this gastronomic treat.
In London fine dining is somewhat declining but Petrus maintains the standards of white tables clothes and silver service that has characterises a more formal restaurant.
And I can always tell a restaurant is posh when my bag gets it’s own seat!
And my dress went rather well with the wall.
Bread was warm and crisp on the outside, served with the choice of oil or butter. It was totally delicious with a little hint of sweetness like treacle.
For our special lunch we would be eating the tasting menu, and the chef kindly allowed us one or two substitutions to the choices of the day.
Our amuse was a tomato tartar. Small cubes of tomato, cucumber and goat’s cheese were doused in a spicy gazpacho soup which had a deliciously acidic undertone. It was a great way to prepare our palates for the courses to come.
The first course on the tasting menu was foie gras and as neither myself or my husband like it we started with a substitution:
A beautifully presented baked leek with truffles, Lincolnshire poacher double barrel (a cheese in case you were wondering!) and jersey royals. The veggie starter was the highlight of our lunch, with the soft and creamy textures of the cheese contrasting nicely with the pungent allium. It all felt like a packet of cheese and onion crisps on the tongue
Our next course was rather a disappointment to me:
Roasted scallops with new season sweetcorn and crispy chicken wings.
‘Well, it’s just scallops and sweetcorn on a plate, really isn’t it?’
Accompanied by a fatty piece of chicken that looked nothing like a crispy chicken wing. The sauce tied it together somewhat but it was altogether a bit disappointing. I mean I can chargrill scallops and sweetcorn and whack them on a plate with a smear of sauce… The plating wasn’t even particularly attractive; just rather beige.
Cornish brill with cuttlefish and cep bolognese. Another beige plate. Actually the last three dishes were pretty colourless. To be honest the dish wasn’t particularly memorable… I just remember thinking…I’m still really hungry where’s my main course.
And here’s my main course…with a touch of green on an otherwise beige plate. Lemon sole with mussel and clam chowder was simply a piece of overcooked and very salty fish. Now, I hate being negative in a place like this, but honestly you really expect more from Michelin dining. Not overly salted food and dull plating. I’ll be fair on Petrus though, four beige dishes in a row was not their intention for the tasting menu as the leek and sole were both substitutions.
Lunch took a turn for the better with Mr S’s main course.
Colour! Yay! Duck with honey, lavender and fennel and baby carrot salad. Perfectly rare duck and finally a pretty salad.
I looked at Mr S pouting…
‘But I’m still hungry :(‘
I’d done an intense workout that morning and one leek and a couple of scraps of fish and smears of sauce wouldn’t really cut it. I reached for more bread….
‘Well, it’s the desserts they get you on’ he said ‘Remember the French Laundry?’
With that being said, a rather sizeable palate cleanser was presented to us. The lemon merigue was light, fluffy and acidic it was perfect…just rather large for a palate cleanser.
With lots of other reviews this week I requested a more healthy dessert:
The pretty melon salad with lavender ice-cream answered this brief perfectly so that by the end of the meal I wasn’t overly full.
Mr S on the other hand had this:
A pudding that arrived looking like a giant malteaser…
Until chocolate sauce was poured on top…
And it melted down to reveal a milk ice cream innard. The rich dessert was surprising light and total chocolate heaven.
A final delicious treat were mini ice-cream bon bons in theatrical dry ice which were just gorgeous.
Certainly a meal with more downs than ups and, though service was impeccable, I was couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed by the main course.
But there was one place that was guaranteed to make me feel better…
Ahhh… it was a shame about Petrus, but the luxurious confines of the Christian Louboutin shop would certainly make any girl smile 🙂
Petrus
1 Kinnerton Street
London
SW1X 8EA
020 592 1609
