THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
55 Marylebone High Street, London, W1U 5RB
I first had the pleasure of reviewing the iconic Sir Terence Conran restaurant in 2018 when Michelin-starred Chris Galvin stood at the helm. With Chris and Conran gone, Orrery has had a makeover. One would think it would be a hard act to follow. Not with Pierre Minotti heading up the kitchen. Easy. Well, seemingly! 2 and 3 Michelin starred Hélène Darroze, Alain Ducasse, Anne-Sophie Pic and Alex Dilling were certainly the most difficult of task masters, but such stellar training equipped Chef Minotti to take on this new venture like a duck to frying pan!
After being greeted on the ground floor, we took the elevator up to the first floor dining room. White linens and drapes make for a heavenly setting as well as providing a neutral background for the culinary art that is to come. Rose and scarlet seating add dramatic splashes of color. Floor to ceiling windows offer light and air as well as a bird’s-eye view of the high street.
Throughout the evening, we were waited on, catered to and generally spoiled rotten by an exceptional staff. We never asked for anything; it all just appeared (and disappeared) like magic. There is so much work involved in such a meal, yet it all seemed effortless.
Chef Minotti is a master of French haute cuisine. It doesn’t get much hauter! Top English ingredients, gorgeous presentation and of course, French technique. In 2018, 3 courses plus cheese cost £69. That took a powder with Chris and Conran. 5 courses with canapes and petit fours will now set you back £140. Worth every penny if you ask me but we are clearly in the territory of the privileged class. The sky’s the limit when it comes to wine in the guise of flights, pairings, glasses and bottles.
A Laurent Perrier rosé brut (£24) started us off in grand style. Beautiful berry bubbles to accompany a beef filled pastry, rich with marrow, sea bream crudo bejeweled in red, orange and yellow, and shrimp Tatar with avocado mousse. Hours of prep gone in 3 bites!
There is a choice of 2 for each course. Spring crudités were unrecognizable. A gorgeous array of finely cut veg with a remarkable blend of onion soubise, Thai basil pesto and Colatura (fish sauce). Even better was a “trifle” of Devon smoked eel jelly, cured sea bass, potato, eel espuma and a rocher of Oscietra caviar. Layers of fabulous flavor and texture.
A perfect piece of John Dory with shrimp mousse tucked under the skin, ladled with a beurre blanc of brown crab and garden peas, was beautifully balanced with lemon verbena. A 2021 O Gran Mein Ribeiro was an elegant blend of flint and fruit. Smooth as silk and no oak.
The palate cleanser required a trip to the elegant marble bar where we were charmed by Chef Minotti himself. Based on the French “Trou Normand” of apple sorbet and Calvados, Minotti’s take combines lovage sorbet and oil with Chartreuse. The result is astounding. A herbal, sweet, boozy intermezzo to freshen the palate and increase the appetite. Like we needed help!
A plump breast of quail with asparagus, chestnut gnocchi and Vin Jaune, a delicious cream sauce, was elegantly prepared. Aged duck, glazed with Manuka honey, served with a puree of black pudding and tiny pearl onions was a perfect pink, beautifully rendered and served with a brilliant wine reduction. The soft fruit and velvety tannins of a 2018 Morey-Saint-Denis pinot noir made an excellent pairing.
For dessert, a combination of strawberries, elderflower and French meringue was a sight to behold. A sweet, fresh homage to spring with a gorgeous umami dollop of cheesecake Chantilly.
Michelin stardom is all but assured.
