L'Autre Pied

[Magnus Lindgren]

anyone been ?

and no im not the head chef

[Andy Lynes]

Booked in for early December, will report back then. Have heard good things about the cooking but everyone seems to agree that the portions are small and that charging for extras like bread and olives comes across as mean spirited: website.

Stop press: a note from the restaurant's PR company has just been forwarded to me and says that " bread and olives are now served complimentary as is our still filtered water which is available unlimited throughout the meal."

Edited November 19, 2007 by Andy Lynes (log)

[bakerestates]

our still filtered water which is available unlimited throughout the meal."

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In Essex, we call it Tap Water..........and we limit people to 16 litres of it a week

Jan Moir's been.

[nikkib]

am going next week will write up a post afterwards - looking forward to it though..........

[tony h]

Superb lunch

Slow roast monkfish cheeks with oxtail beignets and smoked potato mash. Very satisfying

Slow roast pork belly with oriental spice infused broth – excellent pork belly

However, the star was dessert : bayleaf panna cotta with red wine granita, pear sorbet and a few pistachios – an astonishingly well balanced set of flavours which you wouldn’t normally expect to work. The panna cotto had the most perfect & loving “give” – the gentlest pressure of the tongue caused it to collapse is a most satisfying way. I am not usually keen on dessert but this was just about the sexiest thing I have an and awful long time.

A great and unstuffy complement to PaT.

[Andy Lynes]

Slow roast monkfish cheeks with oxtail beignets and smoked potato mash.

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(Adopts Homer Simpson voice) Hmmm - beignets.

Interested by the bay leaf pannacotta; I've just had a lemon and thyme version served with Amaretto sponge and fig ice cream at Tom's Kitchen which was exceptional. I'm not really into herbs for pudding but it was really delicious.

[nikkib]

Great meal at l'autre Pied earlier this week, i will definitely return. We started with the veloute of puy lentils with poached egg and bacon which was perfect for the wintery weather and extremely satisfying and the foie gras terrine layered with pain d'epices and served with a quince puree. The dishes were beautifully presented and perfectly executed. Mains were roasted pheasant with a scotch broth infused with lemon thyme and halibut with chervil root and pear fondants (cooked in redwine and diced so they looked more like beetroot) We reseisted the temptation to go for a whole baby vacherin (£26) and instesd shared an individual portion (8.50) and the bayleaf pannacotta which was every bit as good as tony h says! There are some really interesting uses of ingredients - vanilla puree with hake for example and i would have happily eaten anything on the menu. Service was friendly and capable. The winelist is an unusual joy for a london restaurant - there must have been 30-40 wines under £25.00 with some really interesting and well thought out varietals and port/dessert wines etc come in at about a fiver a glass! I found the decor a bit disjointed, great red banquettes and a lime green wall paper with pastel peas, chillis and flowers (?) and i have to say the toilets were not great (very clean and well maintened though) but all in all really minor quibbles for what was a fantastic evening. Personally i far prefer it to arbutus etc and they must be a dead cert for 2009 michelin...

[tony h]

oh dear, oh dear – well, I suppose it serves me right for going back too soon.

Three of us went for dinner last Friday night (the 25% off was a contributing factor) & had the surprise menu. And what a surprise it turned out to be. First up was the beetroot terrine which was genuinely lovely, inventive and interesting. Next was brill with braised chicory – what a disaster – the chicory completely overpowered the delicate brill. They both tasted OK on their own – but together, a bit yuk. Then came venison which was not so much rare but almost pulsing with a heartbeat – it also had a slightly musty under-taste which was not entirely pleasant. Fourth course was some of the runniest cheese I’ve ever seen with a bit of crusty skin on top – look a bit too much like a large bogey to really enjoy it. Last was banana ice cream with hot pain d’ecpice (sp?) foam. By the time they served us the ice cream had mostly melted. And, no PFs!

Staggeringly disappointing & I fail to believe how they could even attempt to charge £49 each for that miserable lot.

When leaving:

MD: “did you enjoy your meal?”.

Me: “not really – liked the beetroot but not much else”.

MD: complete silence. Gave the distinct impression he didn’t give a shit.

[nikkib]

oh dear, oh dear – well, I suppose it serves me right for going back too soon.

Three of us went for dinner last Friday night (the 25% off was a contributing factor) & had the surprise menu.  And what a surprise it turned out to be.  First up was the beetroot terrine which was genuinely lovely, inventive and interesting.  Next was brill with braised chicory – what a disaster – the chicory completely overpowered the delicate brill.  They both tasted OK on their own – but together, a bit yuk.  Then came venison which was not so much rare but almost pulsing with a heartbeat – it also had a slightly musty under-taste which was not entirely pleasant.  Fourth course was some of the runniest cheese I’ve ever seen with a bit of crusty skin on top – look a bit too much like a large bogey to really enjoy it.  Last was banana ice cream with hot pain d’ecpice (sp?) foam.  By the time they served us the ice cream had mostly melted.  And, no PFs!

Staggeringly disappointing & I fail to believe how they could even attempt to charge £49 each for that miserable lot. 

When leaving:

MD: “did you enjoy your meal?”. 

Me: “not really – liked the beetroot but not much else”. 

MD: complete silence. Gave the distinct impression he didn’t give a shit.

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Hardly - was probably wondering why on earth you didn't say something during your meal instead of waiting until you had paid and left. What is one supposed to do at this point to rectify the sitaution?

[Andy Lynes]

What is one supposed to do at this point to rectify the sitaution?

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Why would he ask the question if he didn't really want know the answer?

[nikkib]

i would have thought that by this point asking the question would be more of a conversation starter or a way of wrapping up youe evening. To say that you enjoyed the beetroot and nothing else but not to have made any other comments to suggest your dissatisfaction throughout the evening is not particularly helpful to anyone. You leave unsatisfied and as suggested the staff (of lets not forget a very new restauarant who are probably stll finding their feet) feel bewildered and impotent to do anything to salavage the evening. if Tony had, at any point expressed his dissatisfaction with his evening i am sure they would have tried to make ammends.

[tony h]

To say that you enjoyed the beetroot and nothing else but not to have made any other comments to suggest your dissatisfaction throughout the evening is not particularly helpful to anyone.

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Sorry - my post slightly cut down - I did say more

And you are right to point out that I should have complained earlier but we got lost in conversation.

[Gareth G]

Ate here on Thursday and thought it was excellent. Started with a incredibly rich but not heavy smoked eel veloute with smoked olive oil (do these smoke the olives or the oil?) that came with a perfect beignet of eel. Very satisfying stuff.

Main was crimson rare Anjou Pigeon, beautifully cooked, with a pear and vanilla puree slicked lightly across the plate. Normally, I have trouble with vanilla as a savoury flavour but here it was fine.

Saving the best to last, a pain d'epice emulsion with banana ice cream was quite superb - the emulsion thick, creamy and packed with gingerbread flavour.

Good wine list too: manageable in length, well put together and with plenty of choice at £35 or less.

FWIW I'd agree that it is better than Arbutus and I'll be back.

[chefsimon]

Ate here on Thursday and thought it was excellent. Started with a incredibly rich but not heavy smoked eel veloute with smoked olive oil (do these smoke the olives or the oil?) that came with a perfect beignet of eel. Very satisfying stuff.

I would imagine they smoke the oil,

[Andy Lynes]

Very enjoyable lunch here earlier this week. Excellent bread and good green olives came to the table without charge (early reviews criticised additional charges for both items). A la carte looked extremely interesting but the three course £19 set lunch was too tempting to resist. Everything served was spot on in terms of the accuracy of the cooking, balance of flavours and sheer deliciousness.

Pan fried haddock, puy lentils and chanterelles came with a delicate foamy sauce and boarded on the exquisite; rabbit leg, baby artichokes and pommery mustard also included some dinky potato fondants, young leeks and a rich but not over reduced jus; dark chocolate and almond sponge was a superior chocolate fondant, served with a light vanilla ice cream that tasted fresh out of the Pacolet.

A pretty starter of gravadlax of organic salmon with curried cauliflower puree and a cinnamon pannacotta with granny smith sorbet were deemed to be equally impressive.

This is seriously good food. Portions are on the small side, and I was very ready for a portion of Tom Aikens fish and chips come 7.30pm at night, but the real problem here is the room. As my dining companion remarked "It would make a nice coffee shop." I can't quite imagine returning there to eat a £50 tasting menu, and that's a real shame.

[TheSwede]

Had dinner there the other night, and while I liked it, I wasn't overwhelmed. My seared foie starter was perhaps a little too seared and the apricot purée was a bit too gummy on the plate. The veal breast had a very nice crust but was a little dry and needed some salt. The rhubarb compote/almond crumble/cardamom ice cream dessert was very good, but also served with an overly acidic rhubard sorbet.

I think my dining partner had better luck with her choice of crab and lamb.

Presentations were beatuiful, the wines (which we had by the glass) were very good and the staff nice and friendly. Value for money was good and I had a nice dinner. If they could get the details right it would be a very very nice dinner.

[Matthew Grant]

I was there for dinner on Saturday night and left with mixed feelings. Take my starter, Puy Lentil veloute, herefordshire Snail beignets, Coconut froth, Smoked oil. Sounds like a pretty contemporary dish with some interesting touches. Trouble was the interesting touches didn't amount to much. The smoked oil went missing after a couple of bites and the coconut foam had little/no discernible flavour. rewrite that dish and I'd review it differently. So Puy Lentil Veloute with Snail Beignets was a very nice dish, the veloute smooth and well seasoned the snails plump and crispy, if I had one criticism it was that the oil that the snails were fried in tasted a little old.

The Pan Fried Foie gras with Apricot and Vanilla puree, bayleaf foam was another example of the extras being worthless, the bayleaf foam, one again added nothing to the dish. Whilst I only tasted the dish I thought the apricot vanilla combo worked well with the foie though personally I thought it could have bene elevated further with a few crystals of salt on the Foie.

Best end of Cornish lamb, Shallot Fondue, Potato and Parmesan Gnocchi, Mint jus was busy, not sure what made the shallots "fondue", Potato and parmesan Gnocchi had too much flour and not enough Parmesan. Assiette of Rabbit, Pea and Tarrgaon Puree, lemon Thyme Froth did it again. The froth was just not powerful enough to stand out, The Rabbit itself was decent enough, I would have said that it was saddle wrapped in bacon (Why won't kitchens wrap it in thin strips of Lardo, bacon can be too overpowering IMO?), leg/shoulder confited and then choppeed in a a cannoloni, a little rack of "ribs" and the kidneys on the side. I'm sure i recall a soltary nut deep-fried in batter, maybe I'm wrong? I'm also sure that the waiter described it as a boudin rather than saddle wrapped in bacon? Maybe I misheard/mistasted?

Desserts were good, Rhubarb, Pistachio and Almond Crumble, Rhubarb Sorbet, Cardamon ice cream was nice, a little sharp as TheSwede described but I thought that showed some nice restraint in the sugar area. The Ice cream and sorbet were lovely. Valhrona Chocolate Mousse, Caramel Foam, Cashew nut ice cream incoroporated 2002's must have ingredient "popping candy" .

So overall that sounds like a bit of a disappointing meal which it wasn't, it just seemed to be trying too hard in places, if your going to give me foam make sure they taste of something and add something positive to the dish. A decent enough meal.

Edited to correct appaling typos of which some may still exist.

Edited March 17, 2008 by Matthew Grant (log)

[Andy Davies]

y wife and I dined here yesterday for Sunday lunch. The restaurant was very quiet but I think Sundays are new for them.

On a menu @ £26 for 3 courses, this has got to be some of the best cooking in London. We were totally blown away with the standard of food at the price; the welcoming and charming staff and elegant, informal surroundings.

I started with a Carpaccio of scallop with confit fennel and a tarragon jelly,( 2 stars) every bit as good as it sounds. my wife had a salad of crab with cucumber and wasabi with a lime nage,avocado puree and gazpacho mousse (2 stars); might sound complicated, but i can assure you it was ambrosial, food for the gods indeed.

mains courses, Pollock with crushed potato and baby veg with a lemon scented broth and Assiette of Rabbit were both well thought out dishes and both excellent in execution and again I would have to say that they would sit very nicely on the menu of any 2 star restaurant.

Rhubarb crumble to finish, was another hit. Served in a cocktail, looked really but was a little tricky to eat, bits fall over the edge as you dig in. But the flavours, textures and layers of hot and cold were brilliant.

Now remember all this was £26.......

The only low point was the rather weak coffee.

andrew69davies@yahoo.coukandrew69davies@yahoo.co.uk

[TheSwede]

You can eat a "real" two star lunch in London for GBP 30, eg at mother restaurant Pied a Terre.

(Not saying your lunch wasn't good, more of a comment that lunch prices in London are very reasonable.)

[Matthew Grant]

Andy, do you really think that its approaching two star level? If so what is pushing it towards that, I found the gimmicky things distracted from some underlying decent cooking but in no way pushed it towards two stars

[Food Snob]

Hi All,

Was at l'Autre Pied last week.

I was very pleased with what I found; tasty food, interesting combinations, nice presentation, good value...

Eaves is clearly talented and showed some real touches of class.

It seems like a case of 'does exactly what it says on the tin'. Good food in an informal setting.

Stand out dishes:

Poached and Roasted Pigeon, Pumpkin and Orange Purée, Blackberry and Star Anise Glaze; and

Apple and Blackberry Crumble, Bayleaf Custard, Blackberry Sorbet

Voilà: l'Autre Pied

[Roger le goéland]

Is there a good restaurant in the city that does NOT serve pigeon? Not complaining, it's superb. But I see it come up in every review.

[Food Snob]

Is there a good restaurant in the city that does NOT serve pigeon? Not complaining, it's superb. But I see it come up in every review.

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Do not get me wrong, I love game, but for the last month, I have been eating the same meats/birds every meal...

As it is so fashionable for restaurants to be seasonal and in their determination to show it, through their menus, I guess this is inevitable.

Bonus for us: seasonal means tastier, cheaper and, I suppose, since all chefs are using the same ingredients, it is easier to judge the better, more creative ones.

However, by December, I will probably not want to see a grouse, pigeon, partridge or pheasant for another year!

[IndolentAgain]

I have come away with mixed feelings. We had the fois gras with sage and onion lyonaisse and pear and star anise sorbet the terrine of rabbit and eel (described as a mosaic but its just a terrine tbh) with pickled root vegtables to start. Both pleasant but the vegtables were lacking and the fois gras accompaniments were ok but only the onion lyonaisse added to the dish with some sweetness. The starters felt like they were trying too hard with a well cooked but uncomplicated central portion with the foo foo accompaniments trying to live up to a level of cooking which wasnt evident.

For mains we shared the best end of veal with creamed broccoli, mushroom duxelle, smoked hollondaise and a "fondant" of potato.

The veal was a tiny bit underdone but perfect for me and worked well with the duxelle. The dish was good but not outstanding.

We had 2 glasses of champagne and a 1/2 bottle of 2001 bandol.

All in all a plesant time with ok service but at a total cost of 140 for 2 felt very expensive for the surroundings, cooking and service.

[david goodfellow]

I have come away with mixed feelings. We had the fois gras with sage and onion lyonaisse and pear and star anise sorbet  the terrine of rabbit and eel (described as a mosaic but its just a terrine tbh) with pickled root vegtables to start. Both pleasant but the vegtables were lacking and the fois gras accompaniments were ok but only the onion lyonaisse added to the dish with some sweetness. The starters felt like they were trying too hard with a well cooked but uncomplicated central portion with the foo foo accompaniments trying to live up to a level of cooking which wasnt evident.

For mains we shared the best end of veal with creamed broccoli, mushroom duxelle, smoked hollondaise and a "fondant" of potato.

The veal was a tiny bit underdone but perfect for me and worked well with the duxelle. The dish was good but not outstanding.

We had 2 glasses of champagne and a 1/2 bottle of 2001 bandol.

All in all a plesant time with ok service but at a total cost of 140 for 2 felt very expensive for the surroundings, cooking and service.

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Seems a bit steep to me.

I am presuming you did not take desserts, as you make no mention of them.

The starters are a bit pricey especially the foie gras at over £16 (including service).

The Veal is reasonabley priced given that its a premium product.

We dined here last November and had a very decent meal.

Marcus Eaves wasn't in the kitchen on the day but it made no difference, we felt.

The place itself is pretty cramped, and I understand little or no money was spent on it from its previous interior. (as Blandford St Restaurant)

I suppose when you compare it to say Corrigans in Mayfair,or any other recent opening that has had many hundreds of thousands spent on them its a fair chunk of money given the surroundings.

Btw how much were the drinks?