Don’t call it a pop-up, people – The Restaurant at Sanderson’s summer residency launches today, starring ex-Plateau head chef Allan Pickett making his eponymous debut. Pickett is nearing completion of his first restaurant, Piquet (in collaboration with Bodean's founder Andre Blais), so the French-inspired British menu for the Fitzrovia hotel is surely a strong indicator of what to expect.
Those enamoured with Sanderson’s swanky, low-lit dining room can rest assured that the pendulous lamps and clean lines remain, the open kitchen casting a glow across long, squat tables and Pickett’s suitably beautiful dishes. Starters such as Scottish scallops with avocado purée and pork terrine with spiced fruit chutney are followed by poached cod cheeks and a striking plate of roasted pearl barley risotto, garlanded with charred asparagus spears and nestling in a pleasingly buttery, garlic-packed sauce. Elsewhere, dishes during our preview dinner delivered memorable style but little substance: soft seared red mullet flesh was paired with in-shell razor clam and chewy oxtail (above), but despite being accompanied by baked onion and saffron, the final taste was muted and bland. A plate pairing Cornish crab with tapenade-drizzled pressed watermelon was also pleasant but forgettable – lacking any discernible flavour hit. Desserts of brioche topped with caramelised apricots (below) or rhubarb fool fared much better, the latter combining smooth vanilla custard with large, crunchy gingerbread crumbs. The presentation and vision here tells a different story to the final product, so we expect these timid flavours to flourish as the kitchen finds its groove.
The hotel also boasts a pretty, tranquil courtyard adjacent to the restaurant and a fun collection of odd furniture in the lobby (prepare to climb), making this a diverting dinner destination.
During our meal we had the opportunity to chat with the chef himself, who revealed a few more details on the forthcoming Piquet, due to open late summer as the Sanderson residency ends.
“Piquet is the culmination of a dream,” explains Pickett, who joined restaurant group D&D in 2010 and stepped down as head chef of its Canary Wharf venue Plateau last year. “Two of my favourite London restaurants are Robin Gill’s The Dairy Bar & Bistro and The Manor (below); I like the relaxed, all-welcome attitude combined with such great attention to the food.” Perhaps we can expect a similarly informal, yet high-quality experience at Piquet.
Considering the relaxed vibe he’s aiming for, it’s not surprising Pickett teamed up with Andre Blais, the man behind laid-back barbecue restaurant brand Bodean’s. Bodean’s currently comprises five branches across London, but Pickett revealed that Piquet won’t follow suit: “I’m totally focused on Piquet and envisage it becoming an established, one-off for Fitzrovia.”
Pork lovers will be in for a treat when Piquet opens its doors, with Pickett keen to use as much of every animal as possible: “I can count on one hand the number of chefs in London who can braise a pigs’ trotter properly…” If this sounds right up your street, we recommend trotting on over to Piquet later this year.
This article was published 5 June 2015