Petrus

[cabrales]

I had dinner at Petrus tonight, beginning at the late hour of 10:30. The meal is best summarized as something that is initially appealing, but that unravels when scrutinized with any level of care.

That being said, it would be a close call between Petrus and, for example, Embassy (in case Wilfrid was wondering) because the service is better than that at Embassy and there are certain Gordon Ramsay touches (for better and/or for worse) that may appeal if one has not yet sampled Royal Hospital Road. For example, the amuses of chicken liver mousse and aubergine spread were comparable to that at RHR, and the little bits of bread on which to place the above items were the same. However, at Petrus, one has chips enlivened by Parmesan or some other cheese, instead of just potato chips the way I had them at RHR. Also, at Petrus, there were elongated breadsticks served at the same time. Similarly, the granite of pineapple pre-dessert is very similar to that at RHR, but here there is no dried thin piece of pineapple atop the shotglass like one sometimes (but not always) finds at RHR. The service is not at the level of RHR, and the "Frenchness" of the dining room team is lacking (although the sommeliers can speak French adequately).

I took in the menu degustation (in the Pounds 60-70 range), instead of 3 courses for Pounds 55 (a la carte dishes indicated toward the end of this post).  The degustation menu consisted of (square brackets denote absence of exact name of dish):

-- [Haddock veloute, with potatoes and truffle shavings]

-- Pressed terrine of confit rabbit with trompette mushrooms, cabbage, toasted pain poilane, and horseradish cream

-- Pave of halibut, served on a bed of wild mushrooms  a la creme, asparagus, sweet and sour baby aubergines and a veloute of asparagus

-- Braised pork belly with pan-fried foie gras, spinach, shallots and baby leeks, truffle pomme moussline, braising jus

-- [Earl Grey tea creme, granite; brioche with mascerated raisins, Baileys ice cream]

             Glass of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 1990

             1/2 bottle of Chassagne-Montrachet, Ramonet (sic) 1993

             Glass of Hermitage, year unknown

I have to begin by saying I have always liked very much the decor of Petrus. The angular curbed, aristic limbs of the trees with the artificial burgundy limbs; the burgundy-dominated seating area; the burgundy carpets and curvy chairs of the dining room; the large, dark paintings of food spreads. Petrus used to offer the decor that I would have picked, had I been a chef who opened my own restaurant. Alas, the decor was modified during the very end of 2001 to (a) add a wallpaper of a relatively "flashy" (relatively being the key word) golden color, with little square patterns in gold, and (b) add a wooden partition with greenish shaded glass between the seating area in the front and the table closest to such area.  The effect was glitzier, but clearly poorer to me. I got a sense there was now something artifical and strained about the slightly renovated decor.

The haddock veloute was a bit salty for my tastes, even though it did carry some elements of smoky flavors and did have little cubes of potato inside. A bit disappointing, given my heightened expectations. I don't know why my expectations were this way, given that this was the third time I had dined at Petrus in the past year and each prior time I had not been particularly enthusiastic about the place.

When I had been ordering, I had asked the maitre d' whether it was too late for fresh French black truffles. He graciously admitted it, and said that the truffles were from China!  (These could be the lower quality varieties offered by mainland China. Their limited utilization in the dish meant that it was not a big deal either way.)

Moving on -- the terrine of confite rabbit was very good. The terrine cross-section was interesting, with different sections, including a part with the tenderness of well-prepared rabbit. The slice of terrine sat next to (1) beetroot -- ravishingly burgundy in color and adding acidity, and much more prominent than the cabbage advertised for the dish on the menu, (2) chevril or special parsley (it was hard to tell), (3) tiny chanterelles, and (4) a fairly intense reduction, with a hint of vinegar. The Poilane bread was nice, although the restaurant was unable to confirm that it was Lionel Poilane's rather than Max (I believed it was, as it is L Poilane that has a spin-off boulangerie in London now).  The horseradish cream was brought and served at the table -- not bad. By this time, I was realizing that the sommelier was correct in surmising that my Chassagne-Montrachet choice was not necessarily ideal for the tasting menu (too late!)

The halibut dish that followed was slightly overcooked, and the sweet and sour elements of the saucing, even though covered by a surprisingly sweet asparagus sauce, were unhelpful. I found this dish interesting in a negative way -- it did not offer a set of flavors that melded well with each other.

The halibut was to confirm an assessment that I have had during other meals at Petrus. Wareing needs to focus on his utilization of salt -- it was excessive in the halibut as well as in the haddock veloute. There is a pattern of excessive salting in particular of fish-related dishes, that detracts severely from the chef's cuisine.  :confused:

I readjusted myself for the main course, which was accompanied by a glass of red. The pork belly was nicely presented as a roundish item, with the belly piece curled around itself. There were nice fatty elements within the pork meat, and tenderness too. However, this was an overly aggressive dish in view of the stark expression of Chinese five spice powder. A dish lacking subtlety (for me, that's a significant flaw), although the pork belly itself was nicely prepared.  The mashed potatoes with a very few truffle bits were tasty.

Nobody offered me a cheese course, for which I was too tired anyhow and which would have entailed separate payment under the tasting menu had one also taken in a dessert.  I settled into the best course of the meal.  (It is not generally a good sign for the meal when that course is dessert, as much as I clearly respect patissiers and like well-executed non-dark-chocolate desserts.)  The dessert I chose was served as two items brought simultaneousl. First, and significantly, a beautiful cream (almost the texture of thin creme caramel) with a balanced Earl grey tea flavor.  The clarity of the Earl grey tea tastes was wonderful, as was the slight persistence of the tea effects in the mouth.  Second, a small brioche with likely sweet alcohol-drenched white and dark raisins, sitting in the run-off rom the melting of a so-so Baileys ice cream.  

Overall, the meal was clearly deserving of a strong Michelin one star, but no more than that for me. The pattern of over-salting, among other factors, rendered the meal one that did not please greatly overall.

Based only on my own dining preferences, RHR is by far my favorite restaurant in London (that's a significant caveat, relating to geography), with La Tante Claire following at some distance.  It's unclear to me that I would necessarily prefer Petrus to La Trompette, Embassy, the Capital or Putney Bridge.   Petrus is a restaurant with ambition that does not execute at the level suggested by its ambition.

I tried to speak French to a man who was either the maitre d' or his assistant. He could not speak French, but was quite nice about it. The sommelier team was pretty good.

Below is the current a la carte menu (leaving aside the dishes chosen:

Other Appetizers --

Wild mushroom ravioli with sauteed langoustines, caramelised red onion, courgette, artichoke crisps, port and foie gras veloute

Sauteed meallion of stuffed confit pigs trotter on a bed of lyonnaise onions and thyme, served with French onion soup

Pan-fried scallops and red mullet with a salad of baby artichokes, beetroot and sliced truffle, creamed cepe dressing

Pan fried tranche of foie gras, caramelised baby chicory, Sauternes sauce

Fricasse of frogs' legs, cepes, baby spinach and pan-frie foie gras served with a veloute of jersualem artichokes

Confit fillet of salmon on glazed chicory, clams and fennel a la Grecque, caper and raisin puree, sea urchin sauce

Marinated sea bass with Osietra caviar, pickled baby cucumber, served with a chilled tomato consumme (8.00 supplement)

Main courses

Pan fried medallions of John Dory, celeriac fondant, fried squid with tomato vinaigrette and fennel puree

Braised fillet of turbot with chevril on a poached pomme Anna, caviar veloute

Roasted sea bass with sautted artichokes, asparagus, lemon confit, vanilla sauce (the lemon confit did tempt me)

Roast breast of Anjou pigeon on a parsnip galette, with caramelised red onion, smoked ham tourte, garlic, rosemary, and a truffle game jus

Best end of lamb served on sliced potato baked in lamb stock, braised root vegetables, sherry vinegar sauce infused with rosemary

Roast fillet of Scottish beef with Madeira truffle sauce accompanied by braised choucroute, foie gras, sauteed wild mushrooms, baby artichokes (for two)

[Tonyfinch]

Blimey,Cabrales. Your dedication to the cause is truly admirable.

[Tonyfinch]

Just to add,Cabrales brackets Petrus quality wise with Embassy,but the latter is much cheaper.Leaving aside the caviar,the average price of a 3 course meal at Embassy is around £34 (and that includes the more expensive lobster mains) compared to £55 at Petrus (£60-70 for the tasting menu).

This is a significant difference and I reiterate that I think Embassy is one of the best value for money restaurants of its type in London right now and that a lot of the criticism (the flash,clubby clientele,too many greeters etc.) seems to me to be just carping.

[cabrales]

Just to add,Cabrales brackets Petrus quality wise with Embassy

Tony -- Yes, BUT that would not have been the case, were it not for the oversalting. I'd be interested in hearing whether other members have had this experience of oversalting or not. This is not the first time, and the last time I experienced it at Petrus was over 6 months ago.  :confused:  I have not encountered oversalting at other Gordon Ramsay-affiliated restaurants in London.

Also, of the "bracketed" restaurants in my original post, I'd say that, ambition-wise and style-of-cuisine-wise, the Capital and Putney Bridge are slightly better comparables for Petrus than Embassy or La Trompette. However, when I consider subjective satisfaction from various meals, I would bracket Petrus with the described restaurants.

[SamanthaF]

Cabrales - It's interesting that you mention the saltiness of the food at Petrus. We ate there just over a year ago and our overwhelming memory of the food is that it was too salty.

I've got a booking to return there next week, I think I may try and get GR/RHR instead. :confused:

[Andy Lynes]

I tried to speak French to a man who was either the maitre d' or his assistant. He could not speak French, but was quite nice about it. The sommelier team was pretty good.

Out of interest, why do you expect front of house to be able to speak French? It is a British restaurant after all!

(That sounds like I'm being funny I know. I'm not at all, but am interested).

[Andy Lynes]

My last meal at Petrus was over 18 months ago, but on the 3 occasions I have been, saltiness was not a problem. What may have made a difference is that Angela Hartnet, Wareings head chef, has left the kitchens. Perhaps whoever has taken over has a different palette.

In all seriousness, maybe someone ought to speak to Wareing about it before he loses customers.

[cabrales]

Out of interest, why do you expect front of house to be able to speak French? It is a British restaurant after all!

(That sounds like I'm being funny I know. I'm not at all, but am interested).

Andy -- I wouldn't necessarily classify Petrus as a British restaurant. It's as close to being a French restaurant, in my mind, as a British one. Just like I wouldn't classify Gordon Ramsay RHR or Claridge's as a British restaurant.  

[Andy Lynes]

But Wareing is British and his restaurant is in London, that to me makes it British.

[Jon Tseng]

On the oversalting thing was this vs other places in London or places in the US (as kbecos the whole US vs Europe having very different preferences in seasoning levels springs to mind)

Also St John sometimes suffers from excess NaCl, particularly on the bar food side.  Remember some crispy chicken-necks were pretty mouth-puckering because of the salt level, also the welsh rarebit

cheerio

J

[cabrales]

On the oversalting thing was this vs other places in London or places in the US ...

Also St John sometimes suffers from excess NaCl, particularly on the bar food side.  

Jon -- I agree that St John ocassionally suffers from oversalting, but to the extent it exists, it is not so pronounced as to diminish the overal quality of the dish in question. With respect to food in the bar area, I have also found some sandwiches to contain too much butter and/or mustard, from time to time.  

I believe my tolerance/preference for saltiness is at least average, if not slightly above that. Also note, as background, I prefer subtlety in a dish (not that that has any necessry correlation with saltiness).  I have not viewed a London restaurant other than Petrus as having significant over-salting problems.  In the US, when a restaurant offers salt and pepper table-side, I find myself using those items from time to time.  

[tony h]

But Wareing is British and his restaurant is in London, that to me makes it British.

That's a bit of a narrow view.  It implies that only an Indian national can claim that their restaurant is Indian & that families who have been here for generations lose that ability.  Wareing can call his cuisine pretty much what he wants - you choose to agree with him or not - but its really his call.

[Andy Lynes]

But Wareing is British and his restaurant is in London, that to me makes it British.

That's a bit of a narrow view.  It implies that only an Indian national can claim that their restaurant is Indian & that families who have been here for generations lose that ability.  Wareing can call his cuisine pretty much what he wants - you choose to agree with him or not - but its really his call.

I agree about the cuisine, and I didn't comment upon that.

All restaurants serving Indian cuisine in this country are British restaurants. I'm not trying to make a complex point here, only that if the food is prepared by British people, of whatever race, in Britian, the food must be British.

[tony h]

Technically you are correct when you say that all restaurants in Britian are British - but its hardly a helpful distinction to make.  I don't know of anyone (except of this board, that is) who separates cuisine type from its cultural/racial home.  If we need that kind of precision then everything would be anglo-this and anglo-that - eventually everyone would just watn to beat you up.  To say that Petrus is British doesn't help (me) identify what type of food they server - French or French-like is good enough.  But as everything would have "-like" we can drop the like bit.

[SamanthaF]

BLH, I think - and correct me if I am wrong Andy - that the initial point Andy was making, is why would you expect a server in a restaurant in Britain to speak French?

When in France, I expect the server to speak French, and therefore I do my best to do so also. Likewise, when in Spain, I do my best Spanish effort.  However, when eating in Britain, I will speak English and expect to be understood. Infact, It annoys when the servers do not.

[cabrales]

When in France, I expect the server to speak French, and therefore I do my best to do so also. Likewise, when in Spain, I do my best Spanish effort.  However, when eating in Britain, I will speak English and expect to be understood. Infact, It annoys when the servers do not.

Samantha -- I agree that, within the UK, it's inappropriate to expect that *every* server, even in a French cuisine restaurant, be able to speak French. I have a personal preference for speaking French with dining room team members, such that it would be a "bonus" if French were the main language for dialogue even with non-maitre d' members of the dining room team.

I would imagine that a maitre d' and most sommeliers in a French cuisine restaurant in London should be capable of speaking French, should I choose to speak the language with them. It's a function of the restaurant being French and the special position of maitre d', I suppose, that make me feel that way (I'm not saying it's right for me to feel that way). One assumes that sommeliers have to go buy wine in France, and that speaking French is appropriate for that process, for example.

At Petrus, now that I think about it, there were two men who seemed to have supervisory responsibilities in the dining room. One was fluent in French; the other could not speak French.  Both were dressed in their own suits, and thus could have been the maitre d'.

Do you frequently encounter French dining room team members who cannot speak English adequately?  

[tony h]

I'm off my soapbox now.

Yours, humbly

[magnolia]

BLH -  I've been dying to ask...where does 'jings, crivens & help ma boab' come from...?

[Gavin Jones]

Try the Broons.

[cabrales]

In The Observer earlier this month, Petrus was named to be one of the five most elegant restaurants in the world? The most elegant restaurant in the world is described to be located in the Yucatan, Mexico?

http://www.observer.co.uk/foodmonthly/stor...,753629,00.html

The article is a bit difficult to interpret, with respect to its contributors. After each included restaurant, there is a name (Jay Rayner in the case of Petrus). It was unclear whether that was merely the person providing an earlier review of the restaurant (?), or the person who nominated the restaurant for inclusion (?).

[jayrayner]

You don't actually believe what you read in the papers do you? We love lists in the public prints though most of them, obviously, are more than a little specious. That list was five 'elegant' restaurants - top or otherwise. And, of course, the definition of elegance is entirely fluid.

I did nominate Petrus - and wrote the piece afresh - because I think it has a particular formality and style which, while not always endearing, is certainly striking. They know the mood they are trying to create and I think they pull it off. And Wareing is a very good chef. I was asked to provide the one in London and that was the one I chose. If I opened the floor to suggestions from among the hyper knowledgable here you would I'm sure come up with a whole bunch of competing reccomendations. But hey, I'm the one employed by the Observer so I'm the one who got to chose.

[cabrales]

That list was five  'elegant' restaurants - top or otherwise. And, of course, the definition of elegance is entirely fluid.

Jay -- Note the title of the article -- "*Top* five restaurants for elegance". The title is followed by the caption: "Because you're worth it... the *most* refined places around the globe, from Mexico to Paris."

I have to begin by saying I have always liked very much the decor of Petrus. The angular curbed, aristic limbs of the trees with the artificial burgundy limbs; the burgundy-dominated seating area; the burgundy carpets and curvy chairs of the dining room; the large, dark paintings of food spreads. Petrus used to offer the decor that I would have picked, had I been a chef who opened my own restaurant. Alas, the decor was modified during the very end of 2001 to (a) add a wallpaper of a relatively "flashy" (relatively being the key word) golden color, with little square patterns in gold, and (b) add a wooden partition with greenish shaded glass between the seating area in the front and the table closest to such area.  The effect was glitzier, but clearly poorer to me. I got a sense there was now something artifical and strained about the slightly renovated decor.

[Basildog]

AA Guide Editor Quits over Petrus

hmmmmm interesting

[cabrales]

Basildog and other members -- When you have a chance, could you discuss the AA rating process (e.g., anonymity or absence thereof, frequency of visits, perceived criteria)?

Also, are members aware of what percentage interest Wareing has in Petrus, relative to Ramsay/Ramsay's father-in-law?

[Jonathan Day]

I took a client to Petrus last night. No scope for tasting menus or £45000 wines in this environment!

I would not be that eager to return. The food was adequate but did not match the price. Some good but ordinary amuses: chicken liver parfait, aubergines, parmesan crisps, etc., then a lobster consommé. The latter had something odd about it, and I was not that eager to finish it though I was hungry. I think it was a note of bitterness, and also a littering of truffle shards at the bottom of the cup. It didn't start things off that well.

Very well put together ravioli of quail (special), then turbot with fennel and caviar sauce. Pleasant but not overwhelming 98 Ch Musigny. Bavarois of bitter oranges and kumquats with a dark chocolate overlay. OK, but not overwhelming.

On the positive side, this place is terrific for a confidential discussion, because the tables are well spaced, the environment is hushed and the service is discreet. This was 80% of the reason I chose it.

On the negative: the service could be just a bit more in line with the quiet and exclusive atmosphere they are seeking to create. For example, rolling a champagne trolley up to every table to offer an apéritif strikes me as aggressive and slightly gauche. They were polite about letting us stay at the table instead of hustling us to the "lounge" for coffee, which is good because the lounge is near the door and is not at all relaxed. Nonetheless, it was clear that they wanted to turn the table.

What bothered me most, though was the food. First, they were too far liberal with the salt. Second, there were truffles or truffly notes in almost every dish: the paté, the consommé, the quail and the turbot. This is fine if you are having a truffle dinner, as at Terres de Truffes in Nice, but I felt that it robbed this dinner of contrast and balance. A similar sameness with the presentation technique (serving a plate and then saucing it from a silver pitcher): after several rounds, this became old and I had the impression of eating one "floating island" after another.

Good mignardises, the highlight of which was chocs from L'Artisan du Chocolat. I can get these without paying £100 per person at Petrus.

The good news was that my client enjoyed it, loved his best end of lamb, and we had a successful discussion. This place could be absolutely magnificent, though, and it wasn't on this occasion.

In this morning's paper there is a story of a spat between Gordon Ramsay and the AA over Petrus. Apparently the food guide editor, Simon Wright, and his staff agreed that it merited 5 stars. Then AA managing director Roger Wood visited the restaurant, had a row over a table, and allegedly blocked the award. Ramsay is now seeking an injunction to block publication of the guide, and Wright has quit the AA on a point of principle after the intervention.