For some reason I always leave thinking I really should eat here more often as this restaurant really does have everything I normally expect to find in a fine restaurant. The food and service are very good and there is an excellent serious wine list in what remains a very understated restaurant hidden away half way down a side street on the Belgravia/Pimlico border.
On this occasion I was asked to choose a restaurant by an epicurean Greek technology entrepreneur where the food was good and we could actually talk at ease without intrusive service or noisy patrons . We had to eat fairly early as Tony K had to catch a flight to Cologne early the next day.
Saying that I ran into to a friend of mine who is amongst other things a member of the Chelsea FC medical team and we of course discussed the Serbian Horse Placenta wonder treatment.
Everything at Roussillion is as the French sometimes say is "correct" from the excellent homemade bread , the two (salted & unsalted) butters to the actual pace the staff move around the main room. Michael Lear runs the front of house with elegance and good humour and Roberto Della Pietra is one of the UK's top Sommelier's.
Alexis Gauthier who worked in amongst other places Chanteclerc at Hotel Negresco, Nice and Alain Ducasse’s Louis XV temple of gastronomy in Monte Carlo continues to produce beautifully executed dishes that wherever possible use locally sourced ingredients.
The amuse bouche included Chickpea Beignets with Mustard; and Canapés of Smoked Eel & Beetroot Purée which I have had before and a new one on me delicious pigeon heart pictured below.
I am afraid that the Black Truffle Risotto is really too good to resist and I didn't it was a perfectly balanced and executed combination of truffle , rice , butter and parmigiano .
My Veal and Morel main course was again perfectly cooked and presented but I found the Isle of Wight Veal lacked flavour maybe I should pluck up courage and introduce Alexis to my butcher who not only has the best beef and pork I can get my hands on in the UK but superb Irish Rose Veal. We drank a Montagny 1er Cru,Château de la Saule 2007 that worked well with all our courses. Tony had :
SCALLOPS & PEAR ROASTED LARDED SCALLOPS, LIGHT CAULIFLOWER CREAM, CRISPY & CRUNCHY PEAR, JUS DE ROTI
BLACK OLD SPOT PIG & BRAMLEY APPLE BRAISED BELLY RUBBED WITH INDONESIAN PEPPER, ROASTED MIGNON, GLOBE ARTICHOKE,FOIE GRAS & GRILLED APPLE
After a pre desert of clafoutis of pear and choclolat we both ended our fine meal with a circular version of Ducasse's Louis XV - hazelnut praline, over thin biscuit base, sandwiched between chocolate ganache and covered in dark chocolate sauce , finished with with gold leaf.
I think I need to come here more often or at least as often as I go to Hunan around the corner !
Amuse Bouche. PIGEON HEART , CONFIT TOMATO , CARAMALISED BABY ONION AND CRISPY LARDON
Entrée. BLACK TRUFFLE RISOTTO
Plat Principal. VEAL & MORELS THIN & SOFT CUT OF CALVES SHANK, BATTERED SWEETBREAD, CREAMED MORELS & CABBAGE,
BACON & LIVER PARCELS
Desert. LOUIS XV
6 comments:
I haven't been to Roussillon for ages either and this definitely makes me want to go again. You're right, Gauthier is a talented chef - just relieved horse placenta wasn't on the menu!
Oooh lovely. I'm going here in a couple of weeks for lunch, and this has made me look forward to it even more!
Lizzie look forward to your views and what you will choose on the day.
Fiona Alexis has had an impressive culinary education and has a much better appreciation of local produce than say Hélène Darroze who spreads herself in between Paris and London .
This place has been on my hit-list for ages - am heading there soon and really looking forward to it. Your pudding looks stunning with the gold leaf.
the Louis XV looks darkly decadent.
This has been on my hit list since the chat about it on Twitter a couple of weeks ago... Can't wait to try it! Must get myself a table booked...
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