A good sign of the effort involved in the kitchen was the appearance of canapés even for the set lunch which, effectively means a 5 course meal for the same and this was great to see.  A tartlet of  dill custard, smoked pike roe, fennel flower gel, puffed quinoa and shaved Parmesan was genuinely delightful and another parcel of lemon, ricotta, artichoke and spinach was fine, albeit with both in thicker pastry sets than expected.  Homemade sourdough was served with wonderfully salty Normandy butter.

First course was a play on prawn cocktail using two, large, Pacific prawns (that are blue when caught) with fennel and cucumber emulsion made with cognac, with shaved parmesan, trout roe and home made ketchup for one to mix to taste.  I thought this was a lovely play on prawn cocktail and the all important sauces were wonderful with the popping nature of the roe and if only there could have been more.

Next was the steamed cheese soufflé which is a long-standing dish on the menu and changes with ‘guest’ flavour from time to time. Ours were made with watercress coulis and smoked eel butter.  The soufflé was indeed light but very set at the same time being steamed and whilst it was pleasant, it smelt a lot more of cheese than in taste and was basically a watercress soufflé.  A good thing, but perhaps not at the level where I have experienced it at the fabled and ex-Le Gavroche or indeed at Martin Wishart.

Seabream was the main course which was confit in chorizo oil and served with celeriac extraction, parsley condiment, a Greek olive tapenade and shavings of celeriac.  This had good flavour, mainly from the abundance of sauce and dressing and I was a little puzzled why it was called a tartare as the fish was served whole – perhaps this meant to say ‘tartare’ and referred to the celeriac bits.  On the side was a Robuchon-esque serving of velvety and buttery mash, but sadly this was not served hot and barely warm when had; a shame as this was quite good mash.

Dessert was a mix of textures with a predominance of coffee and spices – a ripple ice cream was served with a star anise, cinnamon and nutmeg foam (the ‘cloud’ part on the menu) topped with a coffee, caramel and cardamom sauce and hazelnut & almond praliné for crunch.  This was perfectly pleasant as something different and light at the same time.

Two little petit fours were provided with a bill for £127 for two which represented good value for money.  It was the perfect ‘fix’ that was needed for a decent light lunch, but at the same I am not pining to return for that menu – I think the only thing to do is sample the absolute signature a la carte dishes or tasting menu to get a better perspective and will be braced for that another time.

Food Grade: 68%

My notes on this review will be shorter than normal owing to the occasion taking primacy rather than spending a lot of time taking notes on every aspect of the meal, but the above summary is extant throughout – there was not a thing that missed the mark.  The familiar canapés of coronation chicken tuile, parmesan cheese bite and duck liver were all superb once again and it was a delight to have the wafer thin croustade of salmon tartare and tartlet of beef tartare with caviar.  Delectable one and all.

Blissfully there are wonderful a la carte options – another aspect that seems to be a lost art in the finest restaurant scene.  My guest enjoyed the fabled langoustine with sauce nage and bronze fennel and I enjoyed a dish I had not had before: Dorset crab with crème fraiche and Imperial caviar.  This had such fresh and sweet crab with a superbly balanced level of salt from the caviar, vibrancy from the herb gel and coolness from the thinned crème fraiche – an absolute triumph of a dish.

For the mains, my guest opted for the veal fillet which was superbly tender, large in quantity, coated in sublime sauces and served with turnip and lovage.  I opted for another dish I have not had and as were just inside the game season, a rather lovely grouse option was revealed.  As we are at the start of the grouse season, all starting on the Glorious 12th (of August), these grouse will have been quite young.  Coincidentally, a different Michelin starred chef Galton Blackiston informs me that young grouse have obviously not had as much time to eat too much heather and are not as strong as older grouse (meaning more lean).  Indeed these were beautifully tender and served with a wonderful jus, glorious soft foie gras inside a subtle beetroot gel, beetroot, blackberries and pomme soufflé as another touch of finesse (slightly harder than usual).  All of this was a sheer delight of the most delicate of game, richness from the foie gras and jus, sharpness from the well judged beets and crunch from the pomme soufflé.

Pre-desserts were one crepe each from the legendary Crêpes Suzettes served table side by the manager himself.  These were as good as they always have been made since the early 20th century.  The desserts themselves were one of the best comprised apple tarts I have seen and tried (such powerful apple, delicate pastry and creamy ice cream) and for only the second time I had to have the eponymous chocolate soufflé with Chantilly cream.  This is simply one of the greatest soufflé desserts that exists and my favourite on the planet.  Even the petit fours were a talking point of brilliant judgement – not too many and the key, different types of chocolate ganache, berry gel and a creamed macaron.  I loved these and they exemplify the pitch-perfect judgement of the kitchen.

This was another superb meal at The Ritz and it is simply a guarantee of excellence all round when one dines here – I have yet to have a bad experience here on any aspect.

Food Grade: 90%

Our meal began with canapes of cheese and pepper puree placed on top of parmesan biscuits which had excellent cheese power and a lovely combination, followed by coronation chicken in mini pastry ‘cigars’ which are stunning with their sweet pastry complementing the sweetness of the coronation which usually has small pieces of mango chutney.  Steak tartare also came in pastry tubes with small drops of mustard on top which are luxurious and brilliant, as were the wonderful and simple cheese gougeres, which are frankly better than those served at 3 Michelin starred Gordon Ramsay on my last visit.

Our first course inside was a tomato salad served with lobster, wonderfully fresh tomato consomme and on the side a tomato tartlet with almonds, garlic, more basil and almond mousse – a beautifully fresh and light starter for the summer and brilliant that the tomatoes had come from Provance as well.  Next up fresh langoustines were shown to the table (alive) along with red mullet prior to both being cooked.  First back were the langoustines in a creamy nage sauce (white wine reduction, dairy and herb) and this was a perfectly judged fish and cream sauce – the langoustines plump and sweet and the sauce complimentary without overpowering, a brilliantly handled dish.  Red mullet then arrived with crispy skin and sat on top of basil puree and with the additional basil leaves, olives and artichokes was a splendid collection altogether with the fish being light and spot-on in terms of cooked state.

Then came the main event and what I had booked the week in advance – duck a la presse.  The dish was conceived in the 1800s and popularised in the following century by the restaurant Tour d’Argent in Paris, where every suck is numbered and guests receive a card of which duck they have had – if you go now for duck a la presse in 2020, based on the historical projection, you will be receiving the millionth and something duck.  Anyhow, the duck (from Bresse) comes in two parts.  The first is carved at the table from the breast of the whole duck and the remainder is placed in a press to extract every last bit of juice from the bones and carcass of the bird.  This is then poured in to a pan with port, butter, foie gras and then flambéd at the.  This was a wonderful piece of theatre and the sauce being utterly top-notch as was the perfectly cooked duck, served with wonderful pomme souffle as well.

The second part of the duck were the legs which had already been removed and were confit cooked (soaked in duck and goose fat and left in the fridge overnight prior to being oven cooked in this fat the next day). These were served with a mustard, onion & herb breadcrumb and endive leaves on the side which were both wonderful together.  Both of these parts of the duck were as good as you are ever likely to get any duck and it was a sheer privilege to be joined by the Head Chef, John Williams afterwards to explain how classical cooking remains at the very core of his cooking philosophy.

Two small desserts were then enjoyed.  The first was a refreshing compressed cherry and vanilla elderberry gel and vanilla yoghurt which was lovely.  Even better was the strawberry sorbet served in a strawberry meringue cup with vanilla mousse which was wonderful.  These were followed by simple yet pleasing petit fours of vanilla macarons, madeleines and dark chocolates.  This concluded a sensational meal and one I will not forget for a long time.

This meal was a treat that I was giving to my father who will be reading this review so I do not wish to upload the receipt or state the final tally, but suffice to say, for what you are getting from the sheer quality of the ingredients and the supreme execution combined with the splendour of The Ritz setting, this was extremely reasonable for what was enjoyed.

There really wasn’t much not to like about this meal and I used to think years ago that this would always be a stuffy affair, but you do have to come to see for yourself that this isn’t as much as you would initially think.  The rules on attire are still very much the same which I have commented on at length in my previous review (draconian rules on dress code still persist) but these are mainly cosmetic.  Once inside the service once again proved very accommodating and warm.

Canapés at this meal were lemon macaroons with creamed salmon (topped with eggs from salmon), caramelised pastry cigars with coronation chicken and shortbread with whipped goat cheese.  Not one of these were out of line and all simply really enjoyable and what a treat to have coronation chicken in a bite-size tube that turned out to be a joy.  The homemade brown bread was served warm and in a similar fashion to that of The Typing Room, and whilst visually pleasing, plain, brown bread itself is only as exciting as it is.

The soft boiled egg, with shallot croutons on top, girolle mushrooms and watercress leaf with edible flowers and watercress puree was as pleasing as you can imagine with those components when done well, which was the case.  A simple and effective starter.  There was a faint kick of heat from mustard within the watercress puree and this was very well done – just enough to jazz the dish up.  The crispy shallot rings on top were frankly a delight and perhaps the secret weapon of this dish giving it a final spark.

The terrine of goose liver is a signature classic of the restaurant, modified slightly from the last year and by all accounts, still as good as it has been in the past.  As it was another game season visit, clearly the grouse had to be sampled and this breast of grouse came with juniper powder on top, pickled blackberry, mushrooms, celeriac puree and walnut crumble with a gravy sauce.  The grouse itself was perfectly tender and with the supporting elements, the bird itself was enhanced with the creamy celeriac, combined with and sharpness from the pickled raspberries but thankfully the rich flavour of the meat was not lost.  I can’t say I noticed the juniper very much, but this wasn’t a problem when the dish is coated with a gravy that would make you want to drink from a gravy boat (the environment was the only thing that stopped me doing!).

Then clearly it was time for the flambé show of crêpes at the table, capably done by our man, Daniel.  This actually takes upwards of 10 minutes at the table to be done, and it very much worth the wait.  There are probably enough calories in this dish to sink the Titanic, however, the flavours of the caramelised sugar, grand mariner and orange lusciously draped over virtually perfect crêpes, cooled down by wonderful, buttery vanilla ice cream that melts into the sauce from the surrounding heat makes it simply a crime not to go for this if here.  Petit fours seem to be the same as they were last year as signature items, but again, there was nothing about these that I didn’t enjoy (especially the chocolate cream) which basically makes a very high strike rate and a strong level of consistent dishes enjoyed here on the second pass.

It was the very good to have a quick chat at the end with the Exec chef  (John Williams MBE) who was in and in full regalia, discussing his classical roots of cooking and how these underpin all signature and new dishes, using British produce.  I don’t think it’s possible to come here and not be pleased when everything fits so well and this is now two from two as far as I am seeing and experiencing.  Moreover, it was a milestone and special occasion for me which was a sheer pleasure to enjoy with my dining companion.  We agreed that perhaps the decor and dress code simply attracts a clientele of a more senior age bracket, or maybe it is the fact that it is simply the institution that it is.  Either way, it was a lovely meal all round and I still don’t like the chairs(!).  Perhaps a slight adjustment here or there without breaking the iconic feel may attract a younger crowd, but every single other aspect seems to work like a charm.  Another great meal here.

First up, if you are dining here, you have to accept that there will be an added filter on attire.  Guests are not allowed in the bar or restaurant without a tie and my host was asked to make his way to the changing room to change his trousers from the expensive jeans he was wearing to chinos, that were hopefully washed, but with no guarantee.  My version on this is that if a house has these rules then so be it and the diner should be willing to abide however, I simply don’t think it is necessary for ties these days and is in fact out-dated.

Equally, I don’t think anyone should be allowed to bimble into this restaurant (mainly filled by wealthy senior citizens and travellers who don’t say a word during dinner and generally look absurdly miserable) wearing trainers or sandals either.  It was however, actually getting quite hot towards the end and although we were by the window, the staff either weren’t able or forgot to open it and the tie is quite restricting and ultimately I was burning up.  Formality in this context yes, ok, but to be uncomfortable or borderline suffer is a big no no for me at the expense of an out-dated sense of protocol.

The service could not have been more attentive.  It was not stuffy nor condescending however, with the confidence of the staff in their environment and number of times we were asked how everything was throughout the meal, I can imagine that lesser-experienced diners might struggle to feel as though they can’t say anything other than “Oh yes everything is wonderful”.  Fortunately, it’s been quite a while since I was intimidated by a restaurant as the key is that these enquiries of the staff are mainly as they are on show and they wish to check how they are rating.

And so on that note, I’m happy to report that I was actually exceedingly impressed with the cooking here and the technical skill and care of attention to detail was genuinely sitting in the Michelin starred family.  I say this from comparing with all the other 65 Michelin starred restaurants in London and numerous other 2 and 3 starred venues I have visited and reviewed.  That’s not to say that every dish was brilliant.  I will get the negatives out the way first, as I found the pea sponge, beautiful as it was a little too soggy, the liver paté just a bit too large for its density and similar to the sweetbreads, although prepared superbly, it seemed to be missing a sweeter spark.  I say this when reflecting on the sweetbreads had at Daniel Clifford’s 2 Michelin starred Midsummer House sweetbreads with maple foam in comparison – the latter was simply a higher level of happiness.

However, those dishes were still good on the eyes and on to the full-blown positives, the langoustine was utterly divine all round – such soft, fresh and lovely combination of flavours making everything in the world right again.  The cod was immaculate and it was also a testament to the restaurant that they were able to accommodate the beef wellington which was a swap on the menu.  The wellington itself was a work of art and virtually faultless (but if there was one thing I thought was marginal it was the foie gras in the centre which, needed something to make less bitter).  The crêpe Suzette cooked at the table, flambéd twice with brandy and grand Marnier was not only a lovely touch as I think cooking at the table is a lost art and not seen much anymore and were frankly out of this world.  It was hard to fault this and this course has actually entered the pantheon of the greats.

And if that wasn’t enough, the strawberry dessert done multiple ways was also genuinely a delight.  The only problem being that at the end of the meal I was absolutely overloaded.  I can accept that French cooking and occasions like this and that had at Le Gavroche will need doing a half-marathon beforehand to reduce some of the calorific damage, but I was utterly stuffed at the end, borderline bloated and that was leaving some dishes unfinished.  Perhaps we should have been careful not to ask for the beef wellington, but having one slice of this would have been better as the two were virtually a meal in itself as that was a lot of protein on a plate(!).  I have had 19-24 courses at 3 Michelin starred venues and not felt too packed and that is where the difference lies.

That said, my conclusion of finally getting here is that it was a genuinely pleasing experience with warm service.  I still don’t like the chairs as they look as if they haven’t changed since the 70s and are as outdated as the stipulation for the tie.  But, I thought the food was easily 1 Michelin starred – without a shadow of doubt.  In fact, I cannot see why the guide has historically avoided awarding a star here to this venue.  A great food show – make sure you don’t forget your wallets and best rags when coming and probably save the visit for a special occasion and you will be very well looked after here.

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.

Carters has had a full refurbishment inside with the interior walls now painted matte black and  with complete, new furnishings including new, chef’s table. After a fair amount of driving from London, we were looking forward to our opening aperitif and the sommelier kindly provided samplings of the fizz to try.  Unfortunately a fresh bottle of exactly the one we opted for (Blanc de Blanc of Gusbourne) needed to be chilled which meant a 25 minute wait which always seems longer than is when wishing to get started after a long trip.

First up mackerel & beetroot with Exmoor caviar canapés arrived as welcome snacks with the champagne complimenting. These were marinated in beetroot, horseradish oil and shiso leaf and provided a good combination.  Next up were oyster ‘pearls’ made with huge, Carabineros prawns, drizzled with the oil from heads forming a tomato soup base.  These were sadly not enjoyed hugely by some at the table and as I opted out of oysters, my langoustine substitute was tried and wished for more by others at the table – I can only say that I was very happy with this substitute as well(!). A chicken thigh at the table had mixed feedback; the thigh was brined, fried twice with jelly made from the chicken bones and with soy sauce imported from Japan as quality ingredients and was packed with flavour but some at the table found the chicken quite dry inside in companion to the surprisingly wetter batter.

Cuttlefish, swede broth and nasturtium flowers was next, that formed ‘black gold’ tentacles dried out with salt purée made out of lace seaweed and were shaped in to noodle-like strips. This proved to be an original and actually very enjoyable way to eat cuttlefish and was hailed across the table. Razor clams in an ‘OW’ Broth was served with pine nuts and pepper dulse was an inspiration from Casamia restaurant, involving pepper, Orkney scallop cooked at 50 degrees C, buffalo sauce and served with mayonnaise and oil droplets.  My substitute seafood dish to the clam was a very welcome replacement. Home made bread & butter was a high protein, long prove bread (in fridge for 12 hours cast in an iron pot giving a good crust) and reassuringly good.

Next was Birmingham soup which has historical significance: it is a dish that dates back to 1793 and with ties to Matthew Bolton, a prominent figure in the Industrial Revolution. During that time, Birmingham faced a poor harvest, leading to food shortages and hardship; Matthew Bolton, known for his contributions to industry and philanthropy, developed a steam engine that helped productivity and created the soup (traditionally beef and vegetable) to sustain the local population.  The recipe used here  was a beef vegetable soup with bread, beef hearts, a brisket broth, turnips and tuiles of potato crisp – a touchingly poignant and inventive dish with a very delicate tuile and crystal clear broth.

Cornish Monkfish was served with kabocha and squash, biscuits and chestnut.  The fish was slow cooked on bone and finally served with sea buckthorn and a chestnut sauce. This was a very good dish, the monkfish perfectly cooked and with a sauce that complimented the fish gently and without smothering the flavour of the good monkfish.  The main course was Red deer with hen of the Woods, loin sausage made from legs and shoulder smoked with juniper branches and stick made with venison blood add pickled cherries served with a ‘Medieval Sauce’ reduced of wine port and blood.  This had was also served with a side, venison pate.  This provided another split in thoughts at the table in that some thought the smokiness was too high and one diner felt their portion was too raw, but I can only speak for mine and I really enjoyed the level of juniper smoke as a very complimentary flavour to the venison and felt this a very good course all round.

The pre-dessert was a regia walnut made from blending walnuts with butter from Cleve Hills in Shropshire creating what I viewed as a superb ice cream. Every now and again one has moments in a tasting menu that are where you would least expect food explosions to take place and this was one such moment.  I say ice cream but it was in fact a vegan creation and for gaining such a creaminess without dairy and to have such powerful and well-balanced walnut flavour, this was one of the stars of the tasting menu.  Certainly one of the best nut-based ‘ice-creams’ I think I have ever tried.

The dessert itself was a fun, ‘Red Brick of Birmingham’ dish in an ode to the architectural surroundings of the city, labelled as ‘Que Club’ on the menu and made with a ganache of 65% hazelnut praline, coffee gel, frozen mousse, coco butter and served with a charcoal tuile in the newly rebranded solar symbol of the restaurant.  This was cleverly constructed with the texture appearing exactly like rough, red brick and overall was fine; perhaps even more enjoyable was the white chocolate (38.5% from Columbia) and other colourful ‘bricks’ of chocolate pertaining to the colourful wall of bricks on the inner-ring area of Birmingham (Suffolk Street).  Coffee was provided by the collaboration of Hasbean and Porter Coffee companies.

Overall it was very good to get back to Carters of Mosely as one I remember well from first completing dining in every Michelin starred restaurant for the first time a few months later in 2017 and wanted to come back to.  The style continues to be inventive and all served with warm service throughout, however I simply felt that the consistency of execution, combinations and choices of food from my first visit were better on my first experience.  It is still a creative and quality menu which I would recommend to try yourself.

Food Grade: 72%

All the snacks were a pleasure with the cereal flakes on parfait being the most pleasing (toasted nuts and foie gras seem to be quite popular at the moment and for good reason: it is a lovely combination!).  However the socker punches from this meal I think were the mashed potato and bone marrow gravy (outstanding texture and flavour) and the black pudding which was beautifully softened and gentle with the more rare alphonso mango (from India) and shoots for a touch of texture.

The smoked palenta with the Partridge was a brilliant touch as was the warmed fresh cheese with maple syrup and truffle.  The iced apple that cut through the very well judged salted caramel was another aspect and with the fun Egyptian coffee at the end (no milk or sugar to spoil its authenticity) ended a sophisticated and highly original meal.  The staff here really knew their business as well and was a pleasure speaking to them and meeting the head chef who was more than accommodating and approachable – a privilege to have so much interaction with such talented people.

This was accomplished cooking and a unique meal.  Thoroughly recommended and worth clearing a full evening to do in full for a more special occasion.