The Evolv Collection who now own the Orrery have made it clear they want to recapture the Michelin star that it held in its heyday as a flagship Conran restaurant.
Located above The Conran Shop overlooking St Marylebone Church Gardens, it’s been a fine dining fixture on Marylebone High Street since it was founded by Sir Terence Conran in 1997.
It was awarded a coveted Michelin star in 1999 under chef Chris Galvin, but lost it in 2008.
Evolv closed the restaurant for refurbishment on January 1 and Orrery by Pierre Minotti will reopen on March 26 with “a new vision of fine dining”.
The experience will begin in an intimate Salon du Vin or wine room where diners are welcomed with champagne and invited to explore the wine collection of more than 800 bottles.
They will then head into a celestial-inspired dining room where the flooring transitions from deep blue to light stone, culminating at a marble 10-seat bar counter.
The menus marry French classic techniques with the best British seasonal produce under exec chef Pierre Minotti – formerly of two-Michelin-starred Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal.
He will be serving five-course or seven-course tasting menus with guests invited to the marble bar before the meat course and offered a choice between green or yellow Chartreuse to finish the dish – a lovage sorbet atop galanga-infused jelly.
The rest of the design honours the original concept which was inspired by the clockwork models of the solar system that fascinated Sir Terence Conran.
The long room, with windows reflected in mirrors creates a feeling of space, while rich velvets, voile curtains, dark wood, and rose marble bring a spot of luxury, and soft lighting creates a sense of intimacy.
Expect dishes such as Galette Bretonne – a Brittany pancake with morel “farci”, wild garlic and buckwheat, Le Saint Pierre de Plymouth – John Dory paired with brown crab, fresh pea and lemon verbena, and traditional Provençal fish stew bouillabaisse reimagined cold to reveal “a more intriguing expression of flavour”.
Elsewhere Cornish mackerel lightly cured and pickled, is seasoned with lime and pepper and served with cold saffron-infused broth and quail from the Pyrenees is cooked on the bone with black trumpet mushroom and foie gras accompanied by chestnut gnocchi and English asparagus.
For desserts there’s a Fraise Gariguette with strawberry, elderflower, French meringue and cheesecake.
Chocolat de la Maison Nicolas Berger chocolate with almond, coffee and red verjus is a sophisticated finale.
The whole experience concludes with petit fours, whilst the menu also honours Orrery’s legacy of having a great cheese board.
Executive chef Pierre Minotti says “Orrery has its roots in French fine dining and my role is to bring back that dynamic by reinterpreting classic French dishes with a modern approach.
“I want to create a place where people feel comfortable and relaxed whilst enjoying exceptional food.
“Fine dining should never feel rigid: it’s possible to enjoy fine dining food whilst still having fun and laughing throughout the meal.”
Orrery by Pierre Minotti opens March 26 in Marylebone High Street.
