Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

The French Laundry – Knightsbridge

MaLO

By MaLO
in United Kingdom & Ireland: Dining

 Share

Recommended Posts

Richard1

Richard1

Posted
Posted

Steer clear of Thomas Keller....what? How snobby is that? The bloke is top of his game, a real food pro.If you can afford it, then go. If its anything like the FL or Bouchon, it will be class. What better opportunity to see what he is all about, without having to travel to the states and then spend more or less the same as he charging over here.

Matthew Grant

Matthew Grant

Posted
Posted

I didn't say to steer clear of Thomas Keller, in fact I said "That's not to say that Keller isn't a good chef but looking at his dishes the cooking does little for me". See? His food does nothing for me so I'm not that interested.

What I did say was "In my book" i.e. My opinion, and I paraphrase the rest, steer clear of pop up restaurants with guest chefs charging more money than they would normally charge at their own restaurant. I'm not sure what's snobby about that, sounds to me like common sense?

To me it seems snobbier to say "if you can afford it then go". I can, I won't.

When most restaurants open they start with soft prices, maybe half of what they would normally charge while they settle in. A pop up restaurant possibly faces bigger challenges in staff, supply and equipment than a new restaurant yet this "new restaurant" is going to charge more than anywhere else in the UK and approximately 40% more than The French Laundry, not "more or less what he charges in the US". :hmmm:

"Why would we want Children? What do they know about food?"

Richard1

Richard1

Posted
Posted

What are you on about?

I know this probably will not stand for much on the all so knowing UK egullet but I was at Per se a month ago. It cost without wine £224 something pence per person. Several years ago I visted the FL. That cost just over £200 per person without wine.

So in my very humble opinion there really isn't a HUGE difference.

marcusjames

marcusjames

Posted
Posted

Richard - Per Se is $295, at the current exchange rate that works out at £195, a whole £55 cheaper than London. Allow for the fact, in the UK, the most expensive degustation is £180 at The Fat Duck, the source of the criticism is clear imo.

olicollett

olicollett

Posted
Posted

Richard, unless you visited in late 2008/2009 when the USD was the strongest it's been against GBP for the last decade when it hit 1.36, there is no way the FL could have cost that much without wine!

Unless it's become cheaper over the years?

Twitter
Richard1

Richard1

Posted
Posted

How many of the people who have commented about this pop up have actually been to the real restaurants?? Yes of course it is expensive but thats not my point. To compare, the prices are not a million miles away, which has been suggested here. My point is go here and save yourselves a fortune on travel, if your a Keller fan.

So then, on to the menu prices at the FL and Per Se. There are also some hefty supps that bump the price up further. I certainly don't agree with that but when you are actually there, the way the menu is composed etc, it gets you by the short and curlies, you are almost swayed into spending more. Make of it what you will.(At Per Se especially there were alot of extra freebies etc)

Anyway, what I recall about the FL is not so much the food. To be brutally honest I was just has happy dining at Bouchon, down the road. Best french onion soup I have ever had in my life. My abiding memory is the way in which we were treated. We stayed in Yountville to celebrate our honeymoon at the FL and at the end of the meal, we were taken to the kitchen where all of the staff were lined up in guard of honour, congratulating us! Unless they were fucking good actors, they were so geninue. One of the most humbling experiences I have ever had.

Right, so now I've explained, you can all now stop fucking telling me what I did or didn't or should have spent.

Country

Country

Posted
Posted

Right, so now I've explained, you can all now stop fucking telling me what I did or didn't or should have spent.

My, my. A bit touchy this morning? :laugh:

Matthew Grant

Matthew Grant

Posted
Posted

Sorry Richard, who took you to task? I think you'll find that you took me to task for laying out why I don't believe going to the pop up is worth the money and then you made claims about the price that were demonstrably wrong. If I found myself near Yountville I would go to TFL.

"Why would we want Children? What do they know about food?"

olicollett

olicollett

Posted
Posted

Sorry Richard, who took you to task? I think you'll find that you took me to task for laying out why I don't believe going to the pop up is worth the money and then you made claims about the price that were demonstrably wrong.

Exactly! Sorry Richard but you did make the points about what you spend in the first place!

Anyway, what I recall about the FL is not so much the food. To be brutally honest I was just has happy dining at Bouchon, down the road. Best french onion soup I have ever had in my life. My abiding memory is the way in which we were treated. We stayed in Yountville to celebrate our honeymoon at the FL and at the end of the meal, we were taken to the kitchen where all of the staff were lined up in guard of honour, congratulating us! Unless they were fucking good actors, they were so geninue. One of the most humbling experiences I have ever had.

You're right, I for one have not been to either Per-Se or FL, but right here you've pointed out exactly why this whole excercise is so daft! I'm sure the FL over in Yountville is a once in a lifetime experience, with amazing staff, atmosphere and so on. The thing is, this isn't in Yountville, it's in Harrods. Now, I might be a snob, but personally I find Harrods to be a pretty awful place - and it's pretty far removed from the picturesque Napa County. I can't see how it's going to recreate the kind of experience you had, and along with charging far more than anywhere else in the city, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Personally, I'd far rather spend a bit more and go out there to have a proper FL experience as you did!

Twitter
marcusjames

marcusjames

Posted
Posted

How many of the people who have commented about this pop up have actually been to the real restaurants?? Yes of course it is expensive but thats not my point. To compare, the prices are not a million miles away, which has been suggested here. My point is go here and save yourselves a fortune on travel, if your a Keller fan.

Not to labour this point, but they are a million miles away price wise. Approx £55 vs Per Se and £80 vs The French Laundry (God forbid there's supplements on the Harrods menu). I probably don't need to point out the difference on the latter price gets you to within spitting distance of some of the best degustation menus to be had in the capital.

I wasn't having a pop Richard, but the argument of 'it's cheaper then flying there' is balls. I don't doubt the actual experience was - or is - amazing, but it has nothing to do with the real term value of the meal as product in its own right and, in UK terms, it still makes no sense whatsoever considering its domestic peers.

david goodfellow

david goodfellow

Posted
Posted

I'm eagerly awaiting reports and photos from this event. It starts today, and I suspect the bloggers, chefs, at al, who can, and are willing to part with such a huge chunk of cash, will be anxious to share their thoughts with us.

For the rest of us, Keller is appearing on Saturday Kitchen next week. So we may see some of the charisma surrounding the man and get first hand knowledge on how to recreate one of his dishes for what will seem like a pittance, in comparison to what others are paying to eat at this event.

"So many places, so little time"

http://londoncalling...blogspot.co.uk/

@d_goodfellow1

nikkib

nikkib

Posted
Posted

THOMAS KELLER ON SATURDAY F@*KING KITCHEN??? WOW!!!!

"Experience is something you gain just after you needed it" ....A Wise man

nikkib

nikkib

Posted
Posted

I ate at per se several years ago - with stunning wine matches it came to $400 a head which if memory serves me right was around £200 at the time and it was an amazing experience, would love to make it to FL one day but this pop up does nothing for me. When i ate @ Koffmans at selfridges, it was a fun and interesting experience for me, being in my early 30's he had never been someone i had really been able to afford to visit before and i felt i was missing out - my meal whilst fascinating definitely assuaged this fear and whilst i dont begrudge what i spent, i must confess it seemed a bit dated and not really my thang....

"Experience is something you gain just after you needed it" ....A Wise man

howardlong

howardlong

Posted
Posted

I am going on Friday for lunch, organised by Amex. There were three other slots, all at lunch on various days, still available on Thursday when I booked.

Cheers, Howard

CalumC

CalumC

Posted
Posted

Had my table cancelled in the end, the other diners were flaking at the price. Such is the risk, I guess. I'm just as keen as everyone to see some photos and reports now.

howardlong

howardlong

Posted
Posted

Had my table cancelled in the end, the other diners were flaking at the price. Such is the risk, I guess. I'm just as keen as everyone to see some photos and reports now.

If the GF flakes out on me I'll let you know! Stranger things have happened.

Cheers, Howard

 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...