David Moore still owns and runs this restaurant as he has done since 1991 and it was good to see him and the head chef Asimakis Chaniotis in their restaurant on this visit – something of an increasing rarity these days in many restaurants.  I’ve been meaning to get back to Pied á Terre (last visit in 2017) and after years of thinking I can do this anytime, have been amazed at how busy this and many other restaurants have been post-pandemic causing a problem getting a table.

Pied á Terre represents one of the last bastions of Michelin starred a la carte – another sadly retreating option I’ve noticed in the past year.  The menu choices stretch from four courses for £65 to 10 courses for £110 on the tasting menu selections and £93 for two course and £113 for three course a la carte menus, the latter obviously offering larger portion sizes of the premium ingredients on offer.  I couldn’t resist the foie gras parfait and decided to have that a la carte size which decided the type of menu choice quite quickly on this occasion.

First to arrive however, were a selection of canapes: eggs Kayianna with a lovely, creamy and original yoghurt, Greek gougere with Taramosalata and Bottarga which had a subtle roe and breakfast radishes served from a plant which was a pleasant bit of theatre for serving as a snack.  Sourdough came with marmite butter which was a brave choice, owing to marmite being by its nature, the definition of an acquired taste, but thankfully this was toned very down.  If I had the choice, my preference for butters will always been just the best salted, natural kind however, this is just me.

The starter of foie gras parfait came with Bourjasotte Figs, purple Romaine lettuce, black Autumn truffle, hazelnut and an unusual addition of tiny pine cones.  The latter had been preserved and softened to a lovely, soft texture, boosted by a pickled edge.  The parfait was thicker in texture than most had, but with a very pleasant liver flavour and this was complemented very well but the other elements, particularly the acid from the pine cones and sweet from the fig to a nice balance.  This was washed down with a well-selected glass of Hermann Donnhoff Riesling (Spatlese).

Salted cod Skordalia is a cold, Greek speciality comprised of potato, garlic, crispy shallots, dill and gloriously large royal oscietra caviar from De Neuvic. This was absolutely lovely and the mash made with plenty of olive oil would actually rival Joel Robuchon’s mash.  My main was a poached Turbot from a large, 5kg fish, served in a sesame and poppy seed crust with a whole host of compliments: gem lettuce, egg and lemon liaison, dill, mint, basil, parsley, chervil, black curry, shallot and herb purée.  This was a gorgeous version of turbot with all the additions working well not to over-dominate too much and I was especially pleased with the curry and sesame components which worked like a charm together.  The earthy sesame seed crust was lovely touch and the soft turbot itself, grand.  A lovely dish all round.

Small, homemade breads were also served with the main which were another show of the kitchen’s efforts for this meal.  They included a delicate carob and fennel seed muffin, tomato and black olive roll with cheese (very good) and a tomato, rosemary & salt focaccia (the latter was just a little too dense for ultimate versions I have enjoyed at The Sportsman and other venues.

A pre-dessert of forced Yorkshire rhubarb came with a Tahitian vanilla and Grenadine Sorbet which was superb – a mouthful of palate cleansing loveliness.  Then the dessert followed: in a restaurant headed by a Greek chef with Greek influences, it seemed only appropriate to opt for the Greek yoghurt parfait and I’m very glad I did.  The Greek yoghurt parfait itself was the all-out star of the show here, in texture and flavour and this was beneath a visually beautiful representation of a bee biscuit on a lovely honey ice cream.  On top of this, a whole heather honeycomb from Sussex was brought to the table, a piece carved tableside to serve with the surprisingly good addition of a hint of basil on the desert.  I’m always nervous of herbs in deserts now as I’ve had quite a few deserts that have been decimated as a result, but this subtle addition felt just right.

An array of petit fours came ranging from a hazelnut cup with hazelnut praline,  Piedmont mandarin jelly and a macaroon with lemon oil and traditional canelé and these accompanied the Difference coffee which on this occasion was the fabled wild Kopi Luwak.  This is so named after the wild cat that inspects every coffee cherry before selecting to consume only the finest ones.  These beans are prized so much as the Luwak’s natural enzymes strips them of their bitterness to a refined level.

So a fine meal, and it explained why it was so difficult for me to get a table. Something myself and others commented on in general for an article in the i Newspaper recently in  As a reflection, I actually had difficulties getting a reservation here for a midweek lunch in January of all months – it was booked out for all of January when I was booking in that month.  As mentioned, rezexe dealt with this as it has the ability to acquire unwanted reservations at certain restaurants that otherwise do not have a waiting list.  Perfect timing(!) as this had a table available at Pied á Terre that was perfectly close enough for my needs and solved things superbly.  The more on here the better and would recommend having a look on this if you find yourself in a similar position (there are also other perks above scenarios of restaurants without waiting lists).

This was a fine meal indeed and I walked away with renewed affection for Pied á Terre as it proved strong on many counts – lovely location, homely interior, professional and caring hospitality, an owner and Executive chef that were both in, good wine options and a varied menu that most importantly, was without doubt at the top bracket of its one Michelin starred contemporaries.  I’m pleased that in addition to all this you can actually have a four course option for £65 as well representing a very good return if in a hurry on selected lunches.  For all these reasons I have no hesitation recommending this venue….if you can get a table when you need it.

Food Grade: 85%

The meal started with snacks of taramasalata with cuttlefish mousse and vine leaves which were essentially complete opposites – the former being light and pleasurable and the latter being very dry and bland.  The bread was home made and whilst it was very nice to experience the focaccia, it is exceedingly difficult for anywhere to beat the focaccia of Noble Rot and The Sportsman.

The braised goat shoulder with fennel and tomato was actually packed with flavour, had decent crunch and balance and the buratta and salad starter was a simple, refreshing and visually appealing starter.  An interlude of very pleasing mushroom foam and ham was brought to the table and it was not clear if this was given to the table on account of this site or whether this was the norm – my gut says it may have been the former and whilst this certainly was an extremely good interlude, I will assume this is not the norm as I did not see other tables receive this and therefore discount from the overall value for money.

The mains were lamb and cod.  The lamb with aubergine purée, lamb jus, cucumber and orange had good return on the deep jus but it was overdone to the request which was rare – medium rare which was a shame to get this basic wrong.  The cod with seaweed butter sauce was an absolute delight, but for the price it was a little bare of vegetables which I think could have easily been included more to upscale the size and balance of the dish.  The cod itself was beautifully done.

A yoghurt mousse with walnut purée and honey was a pleasant, little pre-dessert although the walnut purée was set quite hard at the bottom so getting all of the components at the same time (as intended) meant having to dig quite substantially as the minor negative.  The desserts then came in the form of banana, chocolate, vanilla mousse and cherry which was a simple and effective dessert, followed by three cheeses (Pave d’Auge, Monbien and stilton), all of which were nicely chosen and a good mix without over doing the portions.  Petit fours were particularly good with the classic French canelés, soft and juicy orange gels and prunes that were soaked to a very good level.  Interesting to see the similarirties and simplification since 6 years ago having the same.

Overall, this was a fully competent meal and the only food negatives were the one snack, the lamb and perhaps downsize of the dishes, but the flavours and presentation were good to experience again.  Two other things stand out: 1) I came to learn that the L’Autre Pied (Pied a Terre’s sister restaurant) is now closed and all eggs have been placed in to the former 2 Michelin starred basket of Pied a Terre, and 2) one of the waiters at this lunch towards the end was almost argumentative with our table on receiving a request to identify the cheeses which soured the experience somewhat and was very surprising to have this at this Michelin starred restaurant.  I accept that the star is officially given for the food alone (although this is hugely debated), but it was surprising to have an abrasive finish after being looked after so well by the bulk of the staff including a particularly hospitable Sommeiler.  The observation with the waiter was explained to the management at the end in order to raise awareness and this was gracefully received as far as it could be.

A good meal showing general authority with one or two aspects to improve for the overall experience.

First things to note are that the bar has been redecorated and (yellow wallpaper uplifted to a lighter hue), there is a conservatory dining area now called the Veranda (formerly Siren) which serves casual plates of food on a limited menu and there is also an outdoor garden terrace for drinks, so plenty to choose from.  The Luxury Restaurant Guide membership also came into its own here allowing a complimentary glass of champagne for all diners, so for 6 people that was a fairly welcome and superb start, not only for the visit but also for the bill at the end.

As this was a family occasion there are less notes from this meal as this would have detracted from the occasion.  Also, no sharing for safety so I didn’t experience the other dishes.  However, I have included all photos taken to give the fullest pictorial idea of the menu and the details of the meal I had.  Opening bread was homemade focaccia and tomato sourdough, both served warm.  The canape bite for everyone was a Comte cheese gougere made with parmesan truffle and béchamel sauce and was very received by absolutely everyone and for good reason.  

To start, I opted for The Goring’s signature eggs Drumkilbo, lobster, caviar and Granny Smith apple. The dish was reportedly born at Drumkilbo House in Perthshire, for some late-arriving guests who had the audacity to miss dinner and is a form of crustacean cocktail using quails eggs for the emulsion with finely chopped quails eggs as well.  Mine was a lobster with a form of quail egg espuma on top with small pieces of apple gel on the bottom which worked very well to provide the sweet and acidity to help with the mound of pleasantly creamy topping. It is a fresh and decent dish but as with all lobster dishes, the price tag for the starter is always higher. Pastry shards with a spicy, paprika emulsion is also provided for this dish to scoop up the starter as is traditionally served with toast.

For my main was Roast Sirloin of Longhorn beef, duck fat potatoes, buttered cabbage and Yorkshire pudding.  As one would expect at an establishment like this, you would have expected the roast main to be good quality and this was.  The beef with good flavour, the duck fat potatoes a dream, the horseradish sauce toned down very nicely and creamy at the same time with a quality Yorkshire pudding – all very important to be done well and thankfully these surely were.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the dessert which was the Yorkshire rhubarb and custard trifle, elderflower and blood orange which was absolutely a hit.  The air-light custard in its mousse form was still rich,  the compote of elderflower was a welcome uplift to strawberry and the biscuit ‘croutons’ on top gave a lovely texture to the pudding.  This was probably the knock-out element of the whole meal.

So, the restaurant is in new(ish) hands, but is as steady as a rock in conclusion.  It is a very safe bet location and a lovely place where you will be very well looked after for a special occasion.

Now that The Goring is fait accompli with a brand new Michelin star, it was especially nice for three of us to drop in for the pre-theatre menu following a tour of Buckingham Palace.  At £55 for 3 courses and two glasses of wine, it is a reasonable menu but I do think it would benefit from having the option of not having the wine as mandatory as well and just being the 3 courses of food for around the £30-£35 mark (for the quality of this menu) which would make the set option easier on the eye.  The food itself on this menu was however, easily in the upper bracket of set menus I have experienced.  Most pre/post-theatre menus or set lunches traditionally have smaller portions and less expensive/sizeable cuts of meat, but this pre-theatre menu really didn’t actually feel like this with a wonderfully smooth foie gras terrine with superb brioche mini bun with slivers of ham and shavings of truffle on top – this was not your average set menu starter.

The fish broth was very clean in its flavour and I would also like to make a special mention that the children’s menu was a lovely touch – all the right options for kids and cleverly done and this is another example of how well the establishment gives that extra bit to look after its guests which I think goes a long way.

I thought the mains looked as if they had come from the a la carte as a first impression with beautiful cuts of lamb and sweetbreads in breadcrumbs.  The pork main was elegantly presented, but rather unfortunately there was still netting left in the slices of meat that were served which was not the best to bite into or see after removing.  Although this is not the end of the world, it was genuinely quite a surprise (and have hence had to adjust my overall grade), so I asked if the dish could simply be replaced by the lamb as it seemed a safer bet and this was done as quickly as possible with apologies.

A selection of British cheeses was offered to the table with the restaurant’s compliments for the inconvenience which was warmly received.  The wines that were selected as the two choices worked well as well – a subtle Sauvignon Blanc for my starter and a rather smooth Cotes du Rhône to go with my main and both were perfectly pleasant as the choices for the set menu.  The desserts were light, interesting and pleasant to finish the experience off – the kid’s banana split being pretty splendid as well!

The things I loved about this was the warmth and the unobtrusive nature of the service combined with the lovely dining room (and yes I do like the modern chandeliers) with very elegant food which, all in all, was lovely to experience.  I’ve had to reduce my food-grade based on the little episode on this visit, but overall, if the set menu is anything to go on, then I very much look forward to trying the a la carte as this experience has confirmed that the latter will have some superb elements and design.   It’s a lovely option to have for Michelin dining and I look forward to mark another occasion with a lovely meal here in the future.

The set menu today started with the signature blue cheese naan and shot of pumpkin-spiced soup which was a great start as always.  My choices for today started with chilli pork ribs which had a delightfully crispy masala crackling (deep-fried coating) and chilli sauce.  This was very good and the heaviness of the sauce was compensated by the sharp of pickled julienne vegetables.

Tawa chicken was the main selected.  This was boneless chicken served with a house curry which was served essentially as a spicy curry over the girdle cooked chicken and was carefully presented.  All main courses came with a collection of sides for everyone representing further excellent value.  These included tadka khadai vegetables, new potatoes with charred coriander, basmati rice that was light, fluffy and lengthy as well (a usual tale-tale sign of higher quality), roast sunchoke and boondi raita, naan breads and a sensational dal.  This black dairy dal had been prepared for 48 hours and this produced an ultra-creamy and luxuriously smooth dal – I have not had a finer dal to date.

There were numerous desserts to choose from but I could not resist going for the superb makhan malai which is essentially a large, aerated mousse made with saffron which is delicately judged on all levels and the brittle pieces of rose petal jaggery (a form candy) and almonds giving a superb textural crunch and sweetness to the saffron.  This is an excellent dessert and is also a signature dish which is great to see on the lunch menu.  The coconut cheese cake with very good chocolate sauce and the treacle tart were also very good to taste.

This was a quality meal and considering that it is essentially 4 courses (with amuse bouche) for £27, this is the staple example of why I enjoy/prefer going to establishments such as these in a heartbeat compared to restaurants of poor quality that charge virtually the same.  If you enjoy Indian food and want quality, I cannot stress how much this restaurant is for you.

I have been to Indian Accent twice and each time, the amuse bouche of coconut and pumpkin mini soup at the start has been utterly superb and with a surprisingly good blue cheese naan bite as well.  It is unusual for me to think so much of an amuse bouche, but this really did succeed.  The vegetable naan with supporting pau dip was pleasing whereas the smoked bacon and butter chicken kulfas were utterly beautiful.  Each kulfa has their superb filling and the sheer kick of flavour from the excellent bacon filling in particular is frankly marvellous.

The dahl was reassuringly smooth and creamy and the shredded and spiced lamb with mini pancakes is another quality dish.  As the lamb is spiced so well, I didn’t think it actually needed the overly powerful supporting chutneys, however the lamb was gorgeously tender with the fun of packing and wrapping your own pancake to taste.  Chicken kofta with its vegetable fritters and and sour yoghurt sauce was nicely done but the other main star of the show was soy keema dish with quail’s egg. The indulgent egg gives the already wonderful keema dish another level of decadence and to eat it, you would not have any idea that a soy dish could taste this good – it is a reason to come to Indian Accent on its own.

The lentil cereal was light and crispy as another play on the conventional use of lentils and its side of cauliflower transformed in to wafer-thin crisps producing a pleasing but on the dryer side of a dish.  Already approaching full, the thought of a dessert was not at the uppermost on the mind, however we were assured that the Makhan Malai would not be heavy.  Thankfully this turned out to be 100% correct as was essentially a very airy mousse made from saffron and milk with just a few almonds for texture and rose petals for presentation.  Saffron can be quite pungent, but this was done to a remarkably good balance and skilful level in a dessert not seen very often and which was another success of the meal.

All in, the bill came to just under £50 per head for additional snacks, three courses, tea, beers and service which, for this standard of cooking was entirely fair and I was more than ok with this price as a result.  In my view it actually out-classes the 5 Michelin starred Indian restaurants in the UK (all of which happen to be in London).  Although these are good, I would sooner return to Indian Accent in a heartbeat before hand.

As this was a brief drop in, we took advantage of the very reasonable snack selection which is sometimes a much better way of doing things for lunch as it a) saves money, b) allows more choice, c) means you are not stuck with a huge plate of something if you end up not being keen on it and d) is way quicker whilst being full at the same time!  The whole menu fits on to a double-sided sheet of A4 with the dishes only describing one word meaning the staff need to know their stuff (which, on our visit they did).  It’s worth mentioning that in terms of fizz, the excellent Hambledon English Sparkling Wine, as well as the Michele Gonet champagne 2010, are only £13 a glass each and that is an absolute snip for the normal going rate for opening fizz in a restaurant.

Prior to its grilling, the bread came from Dusty Knuckle bakery in Dalston.  This rye sourdough was served with onion powder and salt which were welcome additives but it simply needed more of the onion powder as was actually hard to trace.  However, with the drizzle of olive oil and the whipped butter, this is almost as good as a course on its own and a far cry from stale, dry and boring horror shows of non-care bread thrown in to a basket as many bog standard restaurants do, which I simply can’t even look at now, based on bread examples such as this.

The grilled bread with chanterelle and winter truffle shavings was also pleasant – light and fluffy on the inside with a pleasing texture around the outer parts and decent fragrance of mushroom and truffle.  The cod’s roe was smooth, creamy and not overly salty with a good proportion of roe to bread base so these were a distinct pleasure.  The spider crab salad was quite a sight with the crab sprawled out in its entirety and its oil being able to be mopped up from its open chest rather like it is served at The Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco.

The steak tartare was very good with its controlled use of pickled and allium parts with the rump being cut into nicely judged sizes (not too small).  By the time we had finished these, costing a total of just over £15 each so far, it was time to asses the big guns of the dessert which I clocked on the way in immediately.  These light and drum-like cheese cakes were exactly how I saw them in a Pintxos stall in San Sebastian’s old town (at a place called La Vina) and on asking the staff if they were similar, my sources were indeed correct as it is the exact same recipe used from this venue.  When it is this good I can understand(!); the trick is to make sure it is pulled off and I was delighted to find that it was.  In fact, so much so, that another slice had to be ordered to take away in a little carry out box(!).

The bill came to a total of £62 for two with a glass of fizz and as we were both very full at the end having had a Michelin starred lunch, I’d say that was pretty good value.  Of course, it was an unconventional lunch and if you ate here with a starter, main and dessert properly, you’re looking at anywhere between £35-80 for one person, based on which main course you opt for which vary in price considerably.  Oddly, the restaurant has a feel about that makes it more conducive to have the snacks or series of starters than the full on a la carte, but I will reserve judgement on that and explore the menu more on next visit and hope to be pleased with doing so.

Naan breads were wonderfully fluffy but not too thick and served with a very good gooseberry chutney which was a pleasant change from mango.  Pink prawns, coconut, sesame and Roscoff onion were meaty and sweet. The lamb I have had before and is extremely good with real depth of lamb flavour, gently balanced with black cumin, sprouts, onion and yoghurt.  I’m actually struggling to think where in London I have actually had better lamb chops.

Morels with berries, wild mushroom, white turmeric and crisps was very good as I recall it so I was pleased that my dining companions who had not been there enjoyed this.  The panfried sea bass, curry leaf and coconut was a very delicate dish as is the fish, and both were treated exactly as they should be, the curry being a gentle accompaniment to the lovely sea bass cooked to perfection (much more difficult than most realise).   

Chicken tikka masala with fenugreek, tomato and Kashmiri chilli was a masterstroke.  I was curious to see how Kutir would handle this and the result was a bowl of sweetness and depth of tomato curry with succulent chicken contained within and at this point, I only wished I had a bowl of that and nothing else to fill me up as is usually the case when dining on Indian cuisine (very filling).  The Kutir kaali dal had good depth and was a luxurious dip for the naan.  Sadly none of my dessert photos made it successfully, but the two tried were well spiced and light at the same time.

Another very good experience here, which I would definitely put on your list of to do’s if you are in any way fond of curry, for this upgrade experience.  If this establishment received a Michelin star, I would say this is entirely appropriate.

The menu at Kutir is mainly North Indian cuisine but also showcases signature dishes from around the country.  Menu prices are not vast considering the location, but it is easy to get caught up with several attractive options from under £10 which will obviously add up.  For this visit, we tried the stone bass squid, scallops aubergine, truffle mushroom khichadi and I could not resist one on my favourite curries of all time, the duck korma.

Nibbles of breads, crackers and popadoms were the obvious nibbles, but crucially, were done well (not too oily at all) and served with very good chutneys especially the mango and pineapple spiced chutney.   The tandoori cooked stone bass came with squid ink and crisps and was marinated in yoghurt, cream cheese and spices making it nice and moist.  It included two little squid rings which, separately were very nice as well.  The scallops were hand-dived and served with aubergine frittas and puree which was pleasing, but the actual sweetness of the scallops was one of the gems of the whole meal.

Quail naan (naan bread with diced quail inside) with scrambled egg and truffle on the top was never going to fail as a combination, but it was a little tricky to eat with hands and actually qualified as a dish in itself when I was mainly after a naan to help mop up the korma.  This was duly provided in the form of a plain paratha, kulcha and naan and were all fine in texture (great to have the different kinds of breads on one side plate).

The lamb was another highlight in that it almost didn’t need its supporting cumin (but was delicately handled all the same) as the quality of this lamb was super providing excellent flavour.  Truffle khichadi (a form of kedgeree using lentils with rice) was rich and satisfying.  The duck korma was very good to have albeit with a korma sauce that I was expecting just a little more kick or excitement from.  Certainly not a negative though.

Dessert comprised of chilli chocolate banana mousse.  This was heavy but pleasant, along with ginger biscuit & dehydrated banana with creme brûlée using a hard & soya chocolate to accompany along with banana fritas on toffee.  This was a superb dessert and would rival a mass of desserts in any Michelin starred restaurant you care to mention and was a lovely finish to show that this ex-Jamavar head chef is still very much operating at a consistently high level and I look forward to returning when I can.