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G Ramsay Connaught to Open Oct 1

cabrales
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cabrales

cabrales

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Here's the restaurant description from The Savoy group's website:

http://www.savoy-group.com/connaught/dinin...restaurant.html

(shows the restaurant in a small picture; click on the picture to reveal a larger sized window)

Interestingly, the restaurant name appears to have the chef's name in it: "Angela Hartnett’s Menu".

Note there is also a chef's table. "The most coveted table at The Connaught may well be the new 'Chef's Table' which seats up to 10 guests in the heart of Angela Hartnett's dynamic, new kitchen."

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Andy Lynes

Andy Lynes

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AH was on Woman's Hour this morning. Wasn't desperately interesting, but I did note that she has quite a deep and husky voice, possibly from shouting at her chefs. Her favourite food is sandwiches and crisps you'll be pleased to know, along with cheese and biscuits.

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tony h

tony h

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going tonight.  tra la la.  so beat you blh (that's if you're still going ...). 

(how childish i've become):raz:

only table available, 9.45 pm. by which point i'll probably be so pissed/ravenous that my critical capacities will be completely bludgeoned.

is this a complete waste, i wonder?  :huh:

Sadly, I had to give up my reservation for tonight - clash of schedules. I've rebooked for next Friday. I passed my booking on my food partner in crime - she'll tell me if its worth going next week or not.

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tony h

tony h

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I've rebooked for next Friday.

It's interesting that at this late date you got a table for next Friday? What time have they 'given' you?

It was done weeks ago when you could ask for any table you wanted.

I kept last night's open just in case.... which reminds me - I have a phone call to make.

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Andy Lynes

Andy Lynes

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Quite an interesting piece in yesterdays The Times magazine where I learned that the lovely Helena Hell, formerly if La Trompette is the restaurant manager at Menu. I have had to cancel my reservation for next tuesday, but on the basis of this bit of information will be re booking as soon as I can. Who cares what the food is like!

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circeplum

circeplum

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fay maschler was sitting opposite us looking miserable, as were numerous elderly types with their young nieces.  

What makes you think they were their nieces?

forgot to put a :wink: in there ...

andy - do you have a link to the times article?

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cabrales

cabrales

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Below are excerpts from the October 5, 2002 edition of The Times ("Order of the day", by Sheila Keating):

"That bastion of traditional fine dining, the Connaught, has just undergone a revolution...a woman's in charge and the menu's gone Mediterranean . . . . Angela Hartnett, has brought in others: Helena Hell, who will run the restaurant, MENU at the Connaught, which opened this week, and Jayne Brearley, who will oversee the breakfast service. 'It must feel like we're saying: '''You can't have your elite club any more, we're moving in and bringing all our mates,''' chuckles Hartnett, ensconced in the wood-panelled bar where she has been holding staff interviews. 'I really like the surprise factor of having women in charge of the front of house. There are so few in London; people wake up and take notice.' . . . 'I'm not dissing my sex, but I find it easier to work with men . . . Women take things more personally - me included. When I worked with Marcus, if he made a comment that upset me I used to brood for days, and he would say: 'What is wrong with this bloody woman?' Gordon used to tell him, 'She's still sulking; she'll come out of it.'" However, Hartnett believes that having a woman in charge of a kitchen . . . makes the place 'less stern. Because you can't rely on aggression to get what you want, you have to be clever,' she says. 'I can be tough if I have to be, but I have a male sous chef who can be the ballbreaker, so I'm free to smile and encourage!'"

Harnett appears to provide fairly good soundbites, although she has not yet reached the levels of her mentor. :laugh:

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tony h

tony h

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The 4 of us arrived at 9 last night and were brought to out table. The décor was "rich American tourist" friendly – dark wood panelling with a splash of plaid (or was it tartan) & an embossed ceiling all shiny, clean and bright from its recent revamp.

The menu’s were laid out in the now familiar Ramsay style – impossibly long list of starters on side and mains on the other. Choosing was not easy as almost everything sounded good. Choosing wine was harder as there wasn’t much choice in our price range.

Pre-starters was a plate of salami & parma ham with a selection of bread. A bit too 80s Marks & Sparks for my liking. A second plate was delivered as the starters were served.

We chose the artichoke risotto with sweetbreads (luscious); pumpkin tortellini with bits & pieces (a fine dish) and meat paste tortellini with truffle & broth (good broth but a little salty). We also chose the scallops & shrimps but they had run out that by 9 (risotto was chosen instead).

The starters were generally good if not outstanding. My risotto was wonderfully creamy & the sweetbreads added a nice contrast. The meat based tortellini were offensive and resembled shippams paste in a jar.

More bread arrived. Red wine arrive half way through starters.

The mains we chose were the pork belly (for me), seared tuna (x2) and lamb. The tuna had also run out by now but a red mullet substituted was available if you wanted – one said yes. My other guest chose the sea bass with fondue of lettuce.

I was expecting the pork belly to be served in a similar way to RHR & Petrus but sadly no – the fat was left next to the meat and the meagre portion was delicately placed on top of a meagre portion of small roast vegetables.

The red mullet dish smelled very fishy – too fishy for my liking. The lamb was easily the star dish – it looked wonderful & tasted great. It also came with truffle mashed potatoes which we shared ( they brought another helping for us). The sea bass magically transformed itself into halibut – a fish my friend has hated since her childhood. They were very apologetic when we mentioned it but we’d all finished ours by the time hers arrived.

Angela Hartnett then appeared at our table to apologise for the mix up and for running out of our choice of starter and mains. She asked if it would be OK she “took care” of dessert for us. Fine we agreed.

We each got a separate dessert – one of use go melon balls. Fucking melon balls! We thought she might treat us to a coupe of small desserts or do something extra – but no. Fucking melon balls.

The cost – 38 pounds for the 3 courses. A fine price but I was still hungry (thank god for all that bread). When I go home my partner said – I could really go a big bag of chips.

The restaurant has a appealing relaxed atmosphere and the food is good rather than great. The staff are pleasant but intrusive. There was also one moment during the evening when several orders quite literally collided with each other in the middle of the room – I suspect that’s because they are still new to working with each other. If you are planning to go – wait a few months while it settles down. Better still – go to Claridges.

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cabrales

cabrales

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BLH -- When you have a chance, could you confirm the prix-fixe price included dessert (as it always does at such establishments)? I agree that the chef had not "taken care" of you. "Take care" in the context of an apology, which was apparently intended, should have meant at least an extra dessert item for each person (or at least two or three to share) or a sampler. :wink:

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tony h

tony h

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Nope - we weren't taken care of in that sense.

Price included dessert - in fact - we didn't even get a chance to see the dessert menu. It was chosen for us. I saw someone on another table have the tarte tatin (which I probably would have gone for) bit I didn't get so much as a sniff.

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cabrales

cabrales

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I note the possibility of tasting white truffles at Menu for only a 10 pound supplement. With amusement, the following is the description by Terry Durack of the Independent of his risotto (appetizer) dish:

"'And tonight, we have risotto with white truffles,' says the waiter, spectacularly failing to mention the Pounds 10 supplement . . . . and what I get is a really, really good risotto; the grains of rice distinct and al dente, cooked a little drier than the Venetian style, which dictates the rice should move in a slow wave when the plate is tipped. The truffle is sliced over the top at the table by a white-gloved waiter, but it is not done with any degree of skill. In Italy, it's pfft-pfft, pfft-pfft, and the finest shavings fall like petals. Here, the slices are thick and ungainly, and it takes longer for the heat of the rice to activate their inelegant by seductive aroma."

This review shows some of the "quirkiness" of Durack. Who doesn't expect a supplement with a white truffle dish? He should be lucky the supp is only Pounds 10. Furthermore, who would complain about too thickly sliced truffles? :blink: I'd be heading over to Menu right now for the white truffle shavings, if I were in London. :wink:

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