The meal started at the bar downstairs where the amuse bouche was offered: Gambret (thigh) from Aquitaine pigs was served as Charcuterie (from SW France), fed on acorns, similar to Belota pigs from East Spain (Iberia).  Mixed vegetable and herb bouquet was offered to be brushed in an asparagus vinaigrette with koji which had a very gentle and aromatic aroma and taste. The butters were wonderful – burnt leak, cultured and chicken butter served with spelt rye sour dough.  Serious effort had gone in to these small, introductions which is always a very good sign and sets the tone frankly for the whole establishment.

Moving upstairs, to the kitchen, I was introduced to the head chef, Theo Clench who introduced me to the first bite of aged blue fin tuna Otoro (deliberately 9 days of ageing as opposed the longer times of 40 days) from Spain on heated Himalayan salt with a ponzu sauce.  The fresh wasabi was from Japan, giving a lovely and more gentle spice, with umami from the aged foie gras from Londe and melted for extra fat with shiso flower and a cherry blossom vinegar juice to finish. All very delicate and a very nice presentation to be given in the kitchen.

Once sat in the illustrious, private dining area I was able to look at the wine list which is strongly influenced from the biodynamic and organic echolocation of wine making.  What was also very pleasant to see was 171st edition cuvee of Krug (based on the 2016 vintage) served by the glass at £49 which was a no brainer.  Not many places will serve Krug or Dom Perignon by the glass because of the risk of losing the remaining content obviously, but it is lovely to see when this is done and especially when I believe exactly the same stratosphere of Krug is served by the glass for £90 in Raffles, London for example.  The premium Rosi Schuster, Grüner Veltliner from Burgenland, Austria at £25 for the glass was a fairly pleasing option, but in retrospect, I should have bought a bottle of more normal champagne and offer what I wouldn’t be able to  finish / other half of that to the staff.  My sommelier kindly arranged a number of tastings however, to try and gain the best match without any frustration, which is another sign of a quality restaurant. 

Back on to the parade of canapés: a 36 month Comte and pickled walnut canapé was lovely, with just the right hint of vinegar to balance the fatty and slightly chewy, warm Comte. Raw hamachi (yellowtail tuna) came with sweet and sour pear and sesame which had an umami, fatty and lovely sesame finish.  Duck liver and red pepper was an absolute knock out moment with superb, brittle crispy outer shell and deep flavour – beautifully done. 

BBQ eel from Devon came with a warm cucumber sauce, herb oil and N25 caviar – this was a variation from oyster and had a wonderful amount of umami, salty creaminess and sweet from the buerre blanc with very well sourced caviar (one of the best suppliers).  Beremeal, sourdough was a take on soba noodles made with a rare wheat only grown on the Orkney Islands for thousands of years. The broth from all sour dough, chive, hazelnut and roe was not my favourite initially in its graininess, but enjoyable as something different nonetheless less.

Confit scallop (from the Isle of Skye) came with tomato, Myoga (type of Japanese ginger),  confit in wagyu, fermented tomatoes, shellfish sauce, roe of scallop powder on top.  A lovely, foam sauce decorated this scallop. Turbot from an 8Kg Brixham fish came with lettuce, sake lettuce sauce, fish bone and caramel sauce.  This was one of the prettiest and clean-cut dishes I have seen for turbot and the sauces went superbly together without drowning the magnificent piece of turbot that it was, all able to be mopped up with a beautifully light, mini white loaf on the side.

Hereford beef was 70 day aged and served with a sea buckthorn, preserved winter truffle (from Australia), BBQ Maitake mushroom was frankly a masterclass of umami beef dish in every way.  There was nothing to not love here and the surrounding elements complimented the beef superbly.

A pre-dessert of apple, olive oil and shiso pre-dessert was an extremely good palette cleanser – fresh, vibrant and the way it should be done.  The actual dessert was a 70% Chocolate tart with raspberry sorbet in the form of an aerated and mousse like chocolate on pastry with an intense and smooth raspberry sorbet.  I thought these worked very well together.  Petit fours were likewise very well presented with a lovely canelé with brown butter mousse (superb), a fermented raspberry fudge sandwich (fine) and an agreeable 30% Dark chocolate Bon Bon.  All came with Difference coffee, again, one of the best suppliers in their field.

The bill with premium drinks by the glass came to £315 which can be toned down from the wine selection. Be prepared to pay upfront to gain your seat here and you will have a very good return on skill, ingredient sourcing and flavours.  The price tag perhaps prohibits going for date night here each week for most (including me!), as each outing would probably be £600 for the host of two, but I think is worth it for pushing the boat out if you desire well-executed dishes of quality that in the main create some serious moments.

Food Grade: 87%

The menu of ‘The Chippie’ is as follows at the numbers to show in the order received:

1st Chips & Cheese – Parmesan Espuma 7 Curry Oil & Emulsion / Crisp Potato Terrine. This was a  delicate, layered potato with curry mayonnaise, cheese espuma which was pleasant, but lacking an in-depth Parmesan flavour. 

2nd Scampi – Brandade / Dill Emulsion / Gribiche / Peas / Beurre Blanc.  This was a good combination of gribiche with the fish, but because it is a brandade (white fish diced with potato) the only thing lacking was the inherent flavour of scampi (langoustine tail) which I was most looking forward to.  I have an issue with a dish being called scampi but with no scampi, but as a fried fish dish, it was enjoyable. 

3rd Steak Pie – 24 Hour Beef Shin Burnt Onion Ketchup Mushroom Duxelle Meaty Salsa.  This was pleasant enough and worked well together but not the heights of beef flavour that it could have been in spite of being beautifully tender.  The other issue was that it simply was not a pie! A pie has pastry, usually all encasing, some modern plays with just a little, but to have none at all and call it a pie – why? It’s also a staple of the chip shop, so this was another disappointment.  

4th Fish Supper – Scrabster Coley / Pickled Mussels / Confit Fennel / Samphire / Beer Emulsion.  This was succulent fish, an original and pleasing beer emulsion, all offset with much needed and pleasingly pickled fennel and crunchy samphire, topped with batter bits.  I did enjoy this dish and was probably the real essence of the theme. 

5th Smoked Sausage – Trio of Pork / Apple / Crispy Crackling / Salt Baked Celeriac / choucroute.  This was very nicely presented with a very well seasoned sausage, viscous and rich reduction, apple gel (nice) and chocroute for the pork belly which were all necessary for the pork that was sadly, quite bland and with very tough fat. The crackling was very hard and not good. The little black pudding was wrapped in fried potato was pleasant and mercifully small.  This was an ok dish but quite heavy at the same time and the main parts were essentially drowned in the accompanying components. 

6th Deep Fried Mars Bar – Chocolate Pave / In Bru Sorbet / Deep Fried Mars Bar.  I was very much looking forward to this and it was a really fun dessert with the iron bru sorbet and pleasant blood orange chocolate pave.  The deep fried mars bar was essentially hollow and extremely chewy (borderline unmanageable) but a playful dish. Strangely I didn’t think it was a natural pairing altogether, but interesting to try nevertheless. 

Coffee was from Azzuro coffee and luckily the bill was a promotion price of £35, finishing at £39 with service charge.  It was good to see this for myself, but based on the experience, I don’t think I need to rush back to try the next themed dinner, which is a shame as I had higher hopes for this meal. 

Food Grade: 57%

I had hoped to see how the prawn cocktail was but sadly this had sold out so I opted for the mushroom soup with ‘truffled’ creme fraiche.  I use inverted commas as I could not smell any truffle whether it was genuine truffle shavings or synthetic truffle oil that was used.  The mushroom soup itself had good flavour and umami in general, but I did think a little shame that Bread Street Kitchen have decided to not include a bread roll or anything breadlike to accompany the soup (something that I would say is as frankly synonymous as salt and pepper).  Chicken wings were also had at the table which were good but quite heavy with a thick coating of batter in addition to the very sticky marinade all over – one or the other I think would be better here personally.

My main was the roast beef with the shame being that it was actually one hour and forty minutes before this arrived at the table.  Apologies were given by the team and in the meantime, my Apple watch had notified me that the sound had reached 79dB which is nearly at the danger level of 80 for long-term exposure.  This will tend to happen if you are in a hard-lined setting such as a conservatory, but without a shadow of doubt one of the loudest proponents of the restaurant came from the staff conversing with the tables (one very friendly but very vocal lad in particular). I mention this as it can impede dining for those that struggle to hear, so my mistake on this occasion was to choose this environment for my group and if likewise, you are looking for a quieter setting, select the ‘Boat house’ area at the far end of the restaurant rather than the conservatory.  If you do decide the conservatory and all tables are taken, you need to prepare yourself whatever age you are for sometimes genuinely not being able to hear others at your table well.

Once the 1.4 hours had lapsed my roast Beef arrived, a little more cooked than the promised ‘pink’ that was offered when the order was taken, but very good nevertheless I’m delighted to confirm and there were certainly no issues with portion size.  The gravy and whipped horseradish were both extremely good in consistency and flavour.  A micro point is that the creamed horseradish was a tad in danger of being too creamy and could afford a little more ‘kick’ of horseradish perhaps.  An extremely good sauce bearnaise to back everything up was also enjoyed to see what this was like.  The roast potatoes, being a very important part of a traditional British roast were ok, but sadly lacked the utterly think crispiness and almost crumb-like texture of some roast potatoes that have been shaken and beaten more prior to cooking.  The Yorkshire pudding was huge to its credit but a bit too hard all over for my preference without any of the fluffy or slightly squidgier interior/inner parts that is so often the best bit and treat of opting for the beef in getting this within a Yorkshire ‘pud’.  I think even James Martin might be with me on this one even if Gordon would prefer to staple some Yorkshire puds on me with kitchen knives for saying so in this review.

The duck salad and pasta cannelloni that were also had by the table were reportedly fine and the dressing for the crispy aromatic duck (it appeared deep fried in its parts) was equally aromatic and pleasantly sweet as a dish.  The gigantic disappointment however, for the whole table was the macaroni cheese side which had absolutely no flavour whatsoever.  Salt and pepper were not on the table, as the restaurant had presumably decided there should be no need for them – usually this is  the case, but only when the dishes are actually seasoned.  I’m afraid it has been quite a long time since I have had something with such little and bland flavour (no hint of garlic crumbs either as outlined on the menu) and sodium chloride of ANY description was needed for this, which was duly provided when asked for.  When the question from the staff was asked “how is everything” as one normally hears, the polite response of the macaroni being a huge disappointment was dealt with well and we were informed it would be taken off the bill.  A short while later the bill was presented with the macaroni charge on – another area where I have spotted a trend with this venue (incorrect billing/charging) which is a very simply area to improve on.

However, a kind add-on touch from the staff was a birthday mini cake and candle from the kitchen to the table for the Birthday boy who kindly looked after the bill for this meal hence there being no photo of the receipt.  The a la carte menu is available here and what is good to see is actually the set menu at 2 courses for £19.5o and 3 courses for £24 on weekdays. The signature gem of Beef Wellington, proudly lauded has not yet been done and is quite punchy at £52 per person, so I can only hope and predict the portion size of this may be two slices than one each and if it is, there will frankly be no need for a starter and possibly dessert, so I will come back to try that one evening and report back.

In all seriousness, I’m not having a dig at this place just for being a ‘Rasmsay target’ – if it was absolutely superb, trust me, I would say so, loud and clear, but it simply does have several things to refine.  It is a beautiful spot and has been newly ‘decked out’ to the max and I do like the new, mini banquets and table furniture/feel of the place in general.  It is also a very nice option for popping in for a drink in the small bar area as well, but please be aware service charge is added to your drinks bill even if you go up to the bar and order yourself if the staff are too stretched – something I don’t agree with at all and is up to you whether you wish to keep on or ask to remove in these circumstances.  It is still in its first few months so I am hoping that by Spring this should be fully on top of things and that all food kinks are ironed out by then, because if they are, this would be a very good place.  This restaurant refurb did not make an episode of 24hrs or Hell’s Kitchen, but I presume Mr Ramsay will be keen to see how On The River is in six month’s time as well just like any other rebirthed venue.  I’ll be providing an update on here another time irrespective.

In short, worth a go, but based on my visits thus far, expectation management is required.

Food Grade: 62%

The meal started with beef, lapsang souchong and mushroom using 150 day aged beef tartare on a custard-like base.  This was an original starter that had good seasoning.  Then came kohlrabi, braised in dashi with mussel and house 2-year-old prosciutto.  The salad of pink celery had good punch with the kimchi that joined it.

Carrots in carrot juice came with Krishna fermented chilli, shiso brine, pickled lovage and puffed buckwheat. This was a very good dish with the sweetness of the carrot working well the sharpness of the other elements.

Thick, chittara pasta came with small pieces of cocoa leaves, duck and stick hazelnut.  The meat for the restaurant comes from Phillip Warren Butchers as did the tingling Sancho pepper (a cousin of Sichuan pepper).  This was pleasant pasta but did not exactly light the room on fire at the same time.

Six-week dry-aged lamb came with bergamot and the sauces made from the stock of mackerel bones.  The lamb itself was good quality Cornish Cullyaw lamb (those that are matured) and the fat gave a superb rendered finish to the meat as well.

A pre-dessert of frozen yoghurt came with fermented strawberries and jalapeños puffed and candied sushi rice.  I acknowledge the need for some pre-desserts to be a crossover and have sweet and savoury, but this was frankly just a step too far for me in terms of flavour.

The dessert was Kvass apples that were chewy, cooked in beer and served with an apple mousse.  Again, I wasn’t particularly in love with this dish as the bitter seemed to hit home too much but the mousse had good texture as did the apple shavings. Coffee was the generic Italian brand Lavazza and the petit four were white chocolate and pepper ganache and a chocolate pumpkin seed and black lime piece.

Summing up, I thought there was obvious skill in the cooking preparation and execution of these dishes, but was just a case of whether the dishes should have been chosen.  Only the carrot dish and lamb stood out for me as the most enjoyable, with the remainder a little too much modern experimentation. Worth a go for something different.

A quick word on the format as this does need to be made clear.  Guests are invited to arrive at 7pm and invited into the small kitchen to meet the team and have canapes prepared by the Executive chef with a glass of whatever chosen served in the kitchen.  You won’t actually be seated until at least 1930 when everyone has arrived and been given an opportunity to be shown around and have canapes.  The key here is that you will be sat at a large table with all other diners in a communal environment but you are also invited to have any course in either the drinks room or in the kitchen itself.  Obviously, the whole room can’t pick up and do at the same time in the kitchen, but as the 15 courses takes until at least 10:30pm, pushing 11pm by the time all said and done, there is plenty of time to experience this whenever in the evening.  If the courses are being served at a time you are away from the table, you are invited to have that course either in the kitchen or in the wine area.

The wine list was a deliberately shortened list, but spread all over the old and new worlds.  Canapes began in the kitchen with a crossbreed of Highland Beef wagyu from Scotland using aged beef fat on maitake mushroom and using braising liquid from mushrooms of shiitake, chestnut for mushroom tea.  This had a fragrant mushroom flavour however, the wagyu was more tricky to detect.  Next a small amount of stock was served using reduction juices made from dried roe and mushroom and this was absolutely intense.  This was one of the best drinks of stock I have had.

Grilled pork shoulder with roasted yeast & ants were served in a perilla shiso leaf and this was served in the wine room.  At the table a mushroom and kombu chawanmushi (savoury Japanese custard) was served in a clay cup.  This was light white chicken stock with whole eggs mushroom stock with olive oil on the top that was warm, with a firm custard texture and very smooth, although the chicken flavour was subdued.

Toasted rice tacos with grilled prawns with fermented cabbage, red prawn and citrus came next and this was an original take on a taco, but with a chewy and very fatty taco that was a fair course.  Crispy prawn head was innovatively done.  A prawn head was frozen and then its juices extracted, the shell deep-fried and then juices put back in – this was delicate, light and nice contrast of hot of the shell and cold of the juices, held back together in a more solidified state.

Raw chestnuts in chestnut milk with fermented rice and six month aged Kaluga caviar was a delightful dish.  The chestnuts themselves were naturally sweet, floating in creamy chestnut milk all offset very well by the salty caviar.  A wild garlic dumpling with Perigord truffle was skillfully set – a garlic membrane ‘sack’ burst in the mouth and came with a cuttlefish reduction.  Texturally this was more enjoyable than the overall flavour.  5 day aged Salmon belly wrapped in magnolia leaves (to help break down the fish) was beautifully tender soft and fatty, with mustard leaves on top served with magnolia infused tea with toasted buckwheat.  This worked together well.

Fermented koginut flatbread, salmon roe, fermented butternut squash and XO sauce was a hot and decent course to have.  Green tea and toasted rice kombucha had lovely toasted notes but I was not hugely sold on the sweet and slightly acidic kombucha which was a touch too much for me on this dish.  Next came a huge piece of lobster aged in beef fat, served with preserved rhubarb preserved cherry tomatoes akin to ‘umeboshi’ (small preserved plums) with the first wild garlic flowers of the season.  The light lobster bisque was silky smooth and with good flavour but not as deep as expected and light lobster head oil was a nice touch, with the pairing of the acidic rhubarb working well with the fat on the lobster.  Celeriac and braised chicken skin noodles came with yeast, black pepper, lemon juice and Perigord truffle.  The celeriac and chicken skin ribbons were like pasta and chicken skin flavour was fine here but perhaps not the most exciting of flavours.

Forst of the desserts was a roasted acorn ice cream which is a new one for me, served with frozen smoked yoghurt (fromage blanc) and an olive oil layer and small thin slice of prosciutto.  All very original and pleasant to taste, the dried ham and salt on the dessert and was actually a well-balanced dish.  Then the head chef brought out the last dish which was a rice koji crumble, using celeriac sweetened with caramel and dark muscovado sugar covered with shaved Perigord truffle, served with soured blueberry jam and whipped creme fraiche on the side.  It’s surprising how versatile celeriac can be and this was basically a very pleasant crumble with a touch of umami from the truffle on top.  Finally a fresh meadowsweet petit four with honey and Douglas fir which had a lovely texture was the last treat with coffee.  

This sort of dining experience may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I applaud the heartfelt manner in which it is delivered here and the personal touches throughout from the GM and Exec chef who are consummate hosts.  My main issue here is simply the price tag.  I don’t think it is necessarily bad value for money based on the expensive ingredients used and the work hours required for all of the fermentation dishes, but this is hugely expensive even for London, for the experience. If you are taking someone here, the 4 hours needed will absolutely need wine and therefore you are looking at roughly £500 per couple realistically if you are planning to take someone to Māos with reasonable wines.

There were a couple of very good moments on this menu (out of the fifteen) and the execution of the dishes was actually consistent throughout the night from the kitchen. Personally however, if I had the choice, I would opt for less truffle on the braised chicken and dessert for example and perhaps a few less courses to keep the price down and would also bring the length of time for the meal down more.  On the price side, my gut simply says that there are numerous places in London where that (approx) £200-250 pp budget could carry me a lot further, including at the most expensive and high-end options such as Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.  A unique experience at Māos and perhaps one you need to experience to decide for yourself.