The dining room at the refurbished Connaught hotel is now home to French chef Helene Darroze, who is dividing her time between London & her two Michelin-starred Paris restaurant. The sumptuously furnished, wood-panelled interior looks much as it did during Angela Hartnett’s reign & it remains one of the few settings in the capital where it seems entirely appropriate to charge £75 for a three-course dinner. Exquisite amuse bouche set the standard: perhaps a mousse-like foie gras creme brulee topped with apple sorbet. Ingredients are sourced at the highest level & much of the food references Darroze’s native Landes. The magic bursts through in a huge, sweet lobster raviolo warmly enlivened with tandoori spices, & unimpeachable spit-roast pigeon (although its accompaniments of confit turnips with lime & ginger seemed unpleasantly mismatched). But the main downside to eating here is that, having tackled myriad courses, irresistible breads & extras (including architectural chocolates), you may feel as over-stuffed as one of The Connaught’s armchairs.
Wine List: You can’t fault any of the choices on this Francophile list which champions the Loire, Languedoc-Roussillon and the south-west, as well as all the classics. Unlike many hotel
lists, a real effort has been made to find interesting bins in the £30-£40 bracket. There’s also a fine selection of half bottles and an interesting, but rather limited, range by the glass. Best
Buy White Saumur Insolite 2006, Domaine Thierry Germain, Loire Valley, France, £45. Best Buy Red Saint-Chinian Le Mas au Schiste 2005, Domaine Rimbert, France, £36.
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