When, at 5pm, you have yet to be served your lunchtime desert, you’re either in the worst restaurant in the world or the best; starting July by revisiting Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley for midweek lunch, it confirmed our view that we were indeed at one of the very best. Marcus Wareing once again delivered an exceptional meal. What we like every time about Marcus’ food is exceptional innovation without sacrificing taste, rather, you’re left in awe of his culinary mind and palate. Indeed, the food combinations are surprising and delightful in equal measure. Anyway...
We’ve already discussed our overall view of MW at the Berkeley (29/5) so let’s concentrate this post on the food. Our choice again was the Gourmand menu so we’ve got a lot to talk about. Briefly, to start, the amuse bouche was a wild mushroom soup with a truffle cream being a harmonious blend of real flavour; a delightful palate teaser.
For the menu itself, first up was smoked eel topped with a liquorice ravioli on a bed of celery with a celery sauce. Cutting into the ravioli, a liquorice cream oozed out and the dish combined the celery crunch and acidity with sweet liquorice and delicately but deeply smoked eel. Delicious.
Next up we’re served foie gras, over which is spooned cherry granita, complimented with both pickled cherries and a chilled cherry soup accompanied by a caramelised milk tuile. This, as with all dishes during the lunch, worked best in combination with a bit of everything on the fork. The sweet cherries and sweet foie gras combined perfectly while the granita provided a cold crisp offset to balance the dish.
For the menu itself, first up was smoked eel topped with a liquorice ravioli on a bed of celery with a celery sauce. Cutting into the ravioli, a liquorice cream oozed out and the dish combined the celery crunch and acidity with sweet liquorice and delicately but deeply smoked eel. Delicious.
Next up we’re served foie gras, over which is spooned cherry granita, complimented with both pickled cherries and a chilled cherry soup accompanied by a caramelised milk tuile. This, as with all dishes during the lunch, worked best in combination with a bit of everything on the fork. The sweet cherries and sweet foie gras combined perfectly while the granita provided a cold crisp offset to balance the dish.
This was followed by the Dorset crab with mackerel which, if our notes of previous visits are correct, was an evolved dish from earlier menus. Here once again, the mackerel worked best with a lick of the brown crab sauce, a hazelnut and a touch of pear to produce an overall taste that’s sweet and salty and smooth and crunchy all together .
Then came the quail, smoked white beans and toast foam which has graced the gourmand menu for some time now. We commented on this in the last entry on MW so no tasting notes needed here but we feel that this has been a somewhat variable dish over the times we had it, not least due to the execution of the toast foam which can become more pasty if not perfectly done. An excellent idea but now time for the dish to evolve into something fresher perhaps.
Then came the quail, smoked white beans and toast foam which has graced the gourmand menu for some time now. We commented on this in the last entry on MW so no tasting notes needed here but we feel that this has been a somewhat variable dish over the times we had it, not least due to the execution of the toast foam which can become more pasty if not perfectly done. An excellent idea but now time for the dish to evolve into something fresher perhaps.
What followed was perhaps our favourite dish of the day: halibut, langoustine, wild asparagus, green almonds and sweet cicely. In addition, water melon had been vacuum packed (to firm the texture) and then grilled and the langoustine had a watermelon glaze. The sweet cicely which itself has an aniseed flavour sat on top together with the cicely flowers so the dish looked and tasted perfect. Small grapefruit segments added some fresh acidity. Overall, a brilliant combination.
The main courses we chose Rhug Estate sucking pig and Cornish spring lamb. The suckling pig came with the belly, shoulder, chop, head and a baby gem lettuce leaf with barbecue pork and ranch dressing. The crackling was its usual light and airy self and it was an excellent dish of multiple pork expressions. The lamb meanwhile came with nettle, charred leaks and a remarkable lamb cracking.
Cheeses from the trolley came next including our particular favourite, Brillat-Savarin, a triple cream Brie. We tried five cheeses each, plated with a streak of apple puree and fig cake, and a glass of port of course. Pre-dessert was a Pedro Ximenez and milk chocolate gâteau, caramelised white chocolate, prunes and walnuts, together with lime mousse with cucumber jelly. A sweet plate and a refreshing plate and so many combinations and flavours.
The main courses we chose Rhug Estate sucking pig and Cornish spring lamb. The suckling pig came with the belly, shoulder, chop, head and a baby gem lettuce leaf with barbecue pork and ranch dressing. The crackling was its usual light and airy self and it was an excellent dish of multiple pork expressions. The lamb meanwhile came with nettle, charred leaks and a remarkable lamb cracking.
Cheeses from the trolley came next including our particular favourite, Brillat-Savarin, a triple cream Brie. We tried five cheeses each, plated with a streak of apple puree and fig cake, and a glass of port of course. Pre-dessert was a Pedro Ximenez and milk chocolate gâteau, caramelised white chocolate, prunes and walnuts, together with lime mousse with cucumber jelly. A sweet plate and a refreshing plate and so many combinations and flavours.
For the actual dessert, we were served basil parfait with lemon caramel and sherbet. Mixed in with the sherbet was salt giving the dish a balance between sweet and savoury which appears to be a hallmark of deserts here providing a nice contrast to the sweet and sweeter offerings elsewhere.
Once again, a truly first class meal with first class service. Indeed, our waiter William who had only been with MW for a mere four weeks was one of the finest waiters we’ve been fortunate enough to be looked after by at any restaurant. Demonstrating excellent knowledge of not only the menu but the technique to arrive there, he was prepared and able to go the extra mile for us as we grilled him on the details of the dishes. He was a real credit to the restaurant and demonstrates another hallmark of MW, that is, of staffing the restaurant with the best people. We’re sure William has a very bright future ahead of him.
It was around 5:40 when we stumbled out of the Berkeley, feeling very full and very happy (each of the course had been accompanied by the appropriate wine) and admittedly a little poorer in wealth but richer in spirit. It’s tremendous food served with passion by people who care about you the customer. For sure, we’ll keep going back, because in our view, in the world of top end dining, this really is as good as it gets.
Once again, a truly first class meal with first class service. Indeed, our waiter William who had only been with MW for a mere four weeks was one of the finest waiters we’ve been fortunate enough to be looked after by at any restaurant. Demonstrating excellent knowledge of not only the menu but the technique to arrive there, he was prepared and able to go the extra mile for us as we grilled him on the details of the dishes. He was a real credit to the restaurant and demonstrates another hallmark of MW, that is, of staffing the restaurant with the best people. We’re sure William has a very bright future ahead of him.
It was around 5:40 when we stumbled out of the Berkeley, feeling very full and very happy (each of the course had been accompanied by the appropriate wine) and admittedly a little poorer in wealth but richer in spirit. It’s tremendous food served with passion by people who care about you the customer. For sure, we’ll keep going back, because in our view, in the world of top end dining, this really is as good as it gets.