Last Updated on June 25, 2024
Phil Kearsey Leads the Pied à Terre Team Into a Flavourful Future
A new chef is as good an excuse as any to return to an old favourite. We love Pied à Terre in Fitzrovia, the sort of place that whispers luxury without needing to shout. London’s longest standing Michelin starred restaurant, its quiet confidence is apparent from the moment you step inside. Service is attentive but never intrusive, making you feel like the only diner in the room. A stalwart of the London dining scene, Pied à Terre opened its doors in 1991 under the helm of David Moore. This Fitzrovia gem quickly garnered acclaim, securing its first Michelin star in 1993 making it a beacon for gourmands. Still in the hands of David Moore, it’s famous for its dedication when it comes to plant-based eating, with a luxurious 10-course vegan tasting menu available.
With a new Executive Chef at the helm, we are curious to learn more. Phil Kearsey has a stellar CV. Personally mentored by the late Michel Roux at the Waterside Inn, he has done stints working for Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in California and most recently as Executive Chef at Corrigan’s. He tells us that his mantra is ‘texture, taste and technique.
We were thrilled to have the opportunity to try the 10-course tasting menu with paired wines, although we baulked at a full wine pairing each (seven glasses of 100ml) and instead shared a single pairing. We noticed that there was also a regular cocktail pairing – and for those who don’t drink alcohol, a non-alcoholic cocktail pairing.
Starting with a glass of champagne, a trio of canapes set our expectations high for the rest of the meal.
We loved the Truffled Egg with Aged Parmesan – a perfectly cooked miniature portion of scrambled egg served in an eggshell with a crunchy aged parmesan “soldier”.
Oyster and Caviar was a single perfect oyster, cool and slippery, topped with disks of creme fraiche and Caviar N.25 subtly enhancing the flavour of the oyster.
Finally, the Scallop Stuffed Chicken Wing and N25 Caviar was a tiny bite packed with umami flavour.
A small round loaf of sourdough was served with whipped marmite butter (very popular with marmite fans like us – we presumed that “haters” and baffled foreigners could request normal butter).
Next, a palate-cleansing starter of British Heirloom Tomatoes with basil, black olive, tomato consomme, bloody mary granita.
It’s no use trying to spot the different tomatoes in this extraordinary dish, using 18 different types of tomatoes. The dish includes a deeply flavoured consomme and, as happens here with many dishes, something extra and delicious is added at the table. In this case, our waiter spooned over a heady bloody mary granita. Clearly one for tomato lovers, the bBig crunchy sourdough croutons become more manageable as they soak up the rich juices
With this, the first of our wine pairings, Juliette 2021. It’s 100% Roussanne from the Côtes Catalanes which is fermented and matured on lees in 300-litre barrels for 10 months. It is a wonderfully rich and textural yet vibrant and fresh wine with abundant notes of citrus and peach. A sharper wine which paired brilliantly with the acidic element in the tomatoes.
Morel farci with creamy polenta, chicken skin, jus gras and sauce vin jaune was the third and final starter. An array of foams, sauces, the creamiest polenta, mushroom and exquisite chicken skin.
With the morel, we were served a glass of Le Tresche sauvignon blanc, Villa Papiano 2021 . The sommelier introduced this one with the words “a phenomenal wine”, with a bit of smokiness to balance the foam and the mushroom, and citrus freshness and minerality. She was right. It didn’t smell like wine at all to me but smoky old books. However, when drunk with the mushroom dish everything made sense. A great pairing that really highlighted the work that the sommelier team at Pied à Terre put into finding the perfect wines for the the chef’s creations.
Cornish wild turbot, mussel, broad bean, fennel, parsley, and riesling arrived looking for all the world like a maki roll on a vegetable bed. The single mussel came with a tempura batter for textural contrast. We loved the charred fennel, deep green jus, deep green vegetables. All delicious and made lovelier by the focaccia infused with olive oil which was excellent for mopping up the jus even if that’s really not what you should do as part of a fine dining experience!
An. 508 Grenache Blanc 2019 paired nicely with the turbot. It’s a curious wine that is vinified in Paris by Les Vignerons Parisiens – an urban winery in the 3ieme founded by a small group of wine specialists. With beautiful citrus elements and very low acidity, it paired well with both fish and with the vibrant green dish.
Salt Lamb Saddle was a delicious plateful, rich and meaty. With charred aubergine, artichoke and courgette, finished with basil jus and served with tiny morsels of panisse, a Sicilian chickpea-based fried street food this was an excellent end to the savoury courses
Laurent Habrard Saint Joseph 2021 100% Syrah was a fruity, supple and lighter red pairing for the tender and delicate lamb
Our cheese course was a morsel of Tomme aux 7 Fleurs a mountain cow’s milk cheese from the Ardeche. Its name comes from its rind that is covered with 7 different flower petals: mallow, marigold, blueberry, safflowers, rose blossoms, strawberry leaves and trigonella, to give the cheese a delicate floral and nutty flavour. Served with a tiny salad of celery, celeriac and winter black truffle, we loved the stunning ‘tree’ with snappable sesame crackers poking out like branches.
1999 Domaine Potinet-Ampeau Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru ‘Les Duresses’ served with the cheese was yet another delicious pairing – a bit of age and lots of fruit, it tapped into the earthiness of the cheese
A pre-dessert of Mint sorbet, Honduran chocolate, strawberry and piedmont hazelnut was an excellent super minty palate cleanser. The sorbet tasted of pure garden mint. The strasberry is a hybrid fruit – strawberry crossed with raspberry which has all the acidity of raspberries with the texture of mountain strawberries. A lovely first dessert to prepare us for the souffle and the petit fours. A real treat.
Strawberry souffle came with olive oil shortbread and vanilla ice cream and creme fraiche. Warm and comforting with lots of strawberry coming through, exquisite vanilla ice cream with golden cocoa nibs and peach, the biscuit had a hint of basil.
Along with dessert we enjoyed a glass of Zoltan Demeter 2019 Tokaji Szamarodni ‘Anett’. I’m a huge fan of these Hungarian wines which always seem perfect with desserts!
To finish the evening, Petits fours
Lavender macaron/white chocolate ganache
Orange and cardamom pate de fruits – strong punch of cardamon coming through, reminded us of a sophisticated version of fruit jellies.
Canele/dark rum/honey
We loved the level of detail in every dish without a hint of fussiness and the carefully thought-out flavour journey of the tasting experience. Flavour is the key here and although the dishes are lighter Phil Kearsey views himself first and foremost as a saucier and takes pride in adding depth and complexity. Most of the herbs for the restaurant are foraged in Cornwall and, as you’d expect the ingredients are of the highest quality.
If the tasting menu is too much, there’s an a la carte menu available and you’ve just got time to take advantage of their offer for June. In celebration and support of PRIDE month, they are offering PRIDE Complet – a 4-course lunch complet with an additional Pride Martini to start for £120. This menu is available every lunchtime and for evening bookings before 7 pm
Pied a Terre
34 Charlotte St.,
London W1T 2NH