Marcus
Raspberry Tarragon Lemonade
Gruyere Tapioca Gougeres
Potato Bread with Fennel and House Churned Salted Irish Butter
Foie Gras, Cherry, Granola
Sweetbread, Almond, Nectarine
Quail, Carrot, Cornbread, Summer Savory
Turbot, Dorset Snails, Shallot, Gnocchi
Anjou Pigeon, Onion, Jersey Royal
Pommes purée, Lincolnshire Poacher sauce
Aged Manchego, Cravanzina, Coeur de Camembert au Calvados, Harbourne Blue, Maroilles – Onion Chutney, Queens Jelly, Honeycomb, Apricot Bread, Oatmeal Biscuits
Pineapple, Pain Perdu, Coconut
Lavender Marshmallow, Pure Tahitian Chocolate
Without a doubt one of the more polarizing figures in the British culinary scene given well publicized spats with former mentors and protégées, as well, it was to Marcus Wareing’s eponymous restaurant at The Berkeley that I turned for my final dinner in London and with Chef Wareing both visibly and audibly present in his kitchen alongside Mark Froydenlund and a cast of at least twenty throughout the evening an a la carte order rivaled by few others followed, a duo of gifts on the house and exemplary service throughout the night rivaling my experience at The Dorchester just 24 hours past. Opened in 2008 but recently renovated to embrace a more contemporary feel befitting Wareing’s dynamic and often daring cuisine it was just after seven o’clock that I entered The Berkeley and led swiftly through a lobby where ladies lingered over tea it would be mere moments before I was seated, my plush windowside table soon greeted with a quartet of gooey gougeres and a menu without a single item that didn’t warrant consideration. Eventually eschewing the tasting menu in favor of the four savory courses that most struck my fancy it was with a spicy fruit elixir in hand that my meal began and with portions trending large while presentations showed a keen eye for precision it was the flavors and textures that truly shined, each dish focusing on only a few exemplary ingredients with each serving to compliment the others without once straying the course. Clearly a menu befitting my palate with a duo of excellent fowl preceded by luxurious liver set against naturally sweet crunch and creamy sweetbreads with almond butter amidst fruit it was actually in the fourth course of the night that the meal truly peaked and with the chef’s signature turbot served as a gift upstaging the rest in its almost uncanny degree of self-assurance I could only offer my thanks, a similar sentiment for the cheesy potatoes offered gratis. Never one to shy away from sweets but in this case bearing in mind my imminent return to The United States it was with little hesitation that I explored the sort of cheese cart I’m unlikely to see again for some time and with the Harbourne Blue particularly enthralling alongside Queens Jelly and biscuits only one thing remained – the bruleed brioche, crispy meringue, and roasted pineapple every bit as good as the rest of the night and thankfully quite light despite its bold and complex taste.
RECOMMENDED: Turbot, Sweetbreads, Pigeon
AVOID: N/A
TIP: Well deserving of its 2* rating from Michelin and potentially executing at the 3* level with Wareing in house one should keep in mind that portion sizes trend far larger here than at Ramsay, The Ledbury, or even Ducasse – those with smaller appetites would be well served to consider the three course prix-fixe plus a shared cheese plate for a veritable bargain of a meal considering the quality of the cuisine.
http://www.marcus-wareing.com/
http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/knightsbridge-restaurants/marcus-wareing/
