Having gradually been working my way around the Michelin starred restaurants of London, I ventured into only the second two starred establishment since the start of my culinary adventures (perhaps meanderings would be more appropriate. I’ve hardly been swinging through the jungle on tree vines from restaurant to restaurant). Before I’d even set foot in Pied a terre, I was a little dismayed at how the booking policy works. Once you make the booking, they take your credit card number and if you cancel less than 48 hours in advance, then you have to pay £50 a head for the privilege. Now I know that some people may abuse the general restaurant booking process, but is it really necessary with a two star Michelin restaurant? Surely they wouldn’t have a problem filling the odd late cancellation of a table on the night if they’re so highly rated? Anyway, we didn’t cancel, so I guess it’s somewhat of a moot point, if one that still rankles a little.

The layout feels quite intimate, especially as the overall amount of seats is around the 40 mark, and the décor understated chic, softly lit. The menu is fairly concise, there being six dishes available per course, which I would normally applaud. However, when one of your party is a 14 week pregnant women who’s ‘selective’ about what she eats at the best of times, then it can be a bit of an issue. French cuisine and flexibility are not words you’d find to go together too often and unfortunately, this also proved the case here. Raw fish and foie gras are so off limits for pregnant women, that it’s probably more advisable to drink a bottle of brandy. A request for the seared tuna to be well cooked instead was turned down on the basis that ‘it comes zat way’ which was rather bizarre, as it implies that Pied a Terre buy their dishes in pre-cooked. Even when pressed and asked if the chef couldn’t just cook the tuna a little longer, polite obstinacy prevailed. The only option was for the kitchen to make something up, which turned out to be an avocado and tomato salad, which was presented nicely enough, but wasn’t anything more than sliced avocado and tomato on a plate.

I fared better with the open ravioli of poached oysters with cauliflower couscous. However whilst the poached oysters were still juicy and tender, the components of the dish didn’t really come together very well. Mr GT’s crispy pork belly with sauteed langoustine seemed to hit the spot, though.

The mains stepped up a gear and my Anjou pigeon with chick peas and chorizo was a hearty dish, full of strong flavours all of which combined well. Judging by the gratified noises coming from the other side of the table, the cumin crusted best end of lamb was particularly delectable, with Ms R’s and Ms D’s Lemon Sole with asparagus, peas, broad beans and fresh crayfish also disappearing fairly rapidly.

Next up was the cheese trolley, which I have to say was pleasingly organised into neat lines of Ewe’s, Goat’s, then hard and soft cow’s cheeses. Unfortunately, the cheese trolley wallah’s French accent was so thick that we weren’t able to understand most of the lovely cheese he gave us. This was a common theme amongst the waiting staff at Pied a Terre (I also coudn’t understand what the amuses bouches’ were)and whilst it’s all well and good employing staff from the same country as the cuisine, it would be an idea to choose ones that can be understood. When Mr GT also asked if one of the blue cheeses were comparable to Stilton, the cheese trolley wallah confessed to never having heard of stilton, which caused a few eyebrows to be raised, to say the least!

The pre-dessert dish of walnut soup with passion fruit mousse and chocolate crumble, was pretty amazing, I have to admit. The combination of textures and tastes were really something only a top chef could come up with.

Both Mr GT and Ms D went for the apple pudding for dessert, whereas I selected the chestnut cream with pedro ximenez jelly and espresso ice cream. Well, it should have been espresso ice cream except they’d run out. I then took  while to understand what the alternative the waiter was offering, ‘sturt’ or ‘start’ ice cream. Mr GT helped out and said, ‘you know, like guinness’, so maybe the non comprehension of the waiter’s English was accentuated by the several glasses of the quite delectable Nuits St Georges I’d consumed. My dessert was pretty good, with the stout ice cream an innovative and appropriate alternative, as it combined with the chestnut cream rather well. 

Overall, whilst I enjoyed the food, I can’t say that it ever really transcended any of the single Michelin starred restaurants I’ve been to and in fact, wasn’t as good as some. The service was not up to scratch and the non-flexibility in changing the starter, combined with the thick French accents and the fact the cheese trolley waiter didn’t know what Stilton was, makes me wonder how they managed to get two stars in the first place. The final sting in the tail came when the taxi firm Pied à Terre use, charged £25 for a £10 fare as this was their minimum fee.  I guess some City types charging this to expenses wouldn’t really care, but it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Until Pied à Terre understand that these elements of the service need to be vastly improved, I certainly won’t be going back.