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L'Autre Pied

Address:	5-7 Blandford Street W1U 3DB
Tel	020 7486 9696
Website:	Visit L'Autre Pied website
Price: £41.00	Wine: £11.50	Champagne: £42.50
Opening Hours:	Mon-Sat 12N-10.30pm

Square Meal review of L'Autre Pied:

L’Autre Pied is the second restaurant from David Moore & Shane Osborn (the duo behind double Michelin-starred Pied a Terre), who co-own it along with head chef Marcus Eaves. It doesn’t aspire to the same fine-dining echelons of its sibling, with more relaxed surrounds, lower prices, & less intricate – though still supremely well-crafted – food. Dishes are inspired & show real finesse, whether an autumnal combination of steamed & roasted hare wrapped in bacon, with confit potatoes & caramelised garlic puree, or a spring-time saddle of pink, tender Cornish lamb, with honey-glazed turnips & a gentle tarragon jus. Starters, such as Puy lentil velouté with slow-cooked, melting salty bacon & a two-&-a-half hour poached egg, & desserts including rhubarb, pistachio & apple crumble with cardamom ice-cream, also prove clever combinations of taste & texture. Prices are very reasonable (particularly lunch & pre-theatre set menus at £16.50/19.95 for two/three courses), service is confident but delivered with a pleasant informality, & although the dining room is awkwardly shaped, the large mint-green light boxes decorated with flowers & fruit give it a warm touch. All in all, a worthy winner of the BMW Square Meal award for Best New Restaurant Spring 2008.

Wine List: This fine mid-sized list ticks all the right boxes. A good range by the glass is helpfully offered in three sizes – 125ml, 175ml & 500ml – & the choice continues with an impressive number of halves. The selection covers the world & mixes tried-and-tested bottles with some eclectic choices. Prices are fair, with the bulk of the list under £40. Best Buy White 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Iona, Elgin, South Africa, £23. Best Buy Red Chianti Classico, Castello di Brolio, Tuscany, Italy, £26.