28+

After stepping through the charming wine bar into the whitewashed vaults lit with cast iron candelabra, a borderline church atmosphere is quickly dispelled by the young and well-dressed staff, quite devoid of any stiffness. The first snacks are wafer-thin baskets of crisped algae with moreish oyster cream, a crisply salty-sweet puff of fresh cheese and vendace roe, and a yuzu-scented, duck liver-filled chocolate rolled in hazelnut crumbs – together they make a surprisingly sweet, rich and aromatic start to the meal, arousing curiosity as well as appetite. A raviolo follows, wading in truffle broth under an alluring cloud of fluffy Brillat-Savarin foam, and topped with popped amaranth seeds and truffle – yes, this is virtually a religious experience. In this bastion of wine, the choice is between an ordinary and a luxury wine menu, and we applaud the self-confidence of presenting all of the wines in the list, so that the guest can make an informed decision. And while the former offers pairings far beyond the ordinary, the latter delivers some truly great experiences. This is not least evident when a silky crayfish, still raw at the core and enhanced by browned butter foam and an elegant crown dill aroma, meets a 2008 riesling from Wiengut Querbach. The wine’s zesty acidity and residual sugar in combination with the shellfish is a crowd-pleasing blessing. With a Sommersburg grand cru riesling from Albert Boxler the experience becomes a complex, aromatic revelation, with acidity and forward fruit drawing out citrus notes and a sophisticated freshness. When something as unexpected as a pasta con le vongole lands before us we realise that this is a place where they provide eureka experiences at a level of creativity that borders on hubris. Appropriately the feather-light capelli d’angelo pasta, in a concentrated mussel broth topped with crispy preserved leek, is served to the sound of Sinatra’s ‘My Way’. A boldly modern and caressingly seductive take on this dish, easily slurped with a glass of well-structured, fruit-packed Puligny-Montrachet from Jacques Carillon. After a crunchy and juicy bread-fried turbot, the kitchen’s cheese master enters and shows us to the dining room’s pièce de résistance, a glass display case filled with a discerning selection of perfectly ripened cheeses. A concluding dessert roll is of course updated to a stylish 2.0 version, together with finely sliced apple that’s been vacuum sealed in whey for six hours, a refreshing sour cream sorbet and a gutsy, creamy, lightly smoked custard. Modern classics at the highest level.

High quality cooking