Spoon restaurant in London

By Patricia Connell
31/05/2004

If you are ready for something out of Sex and the City then this is the place for you. As you come in (that is if it's in the evening), you will be met by two doormen and obviously, if you look the part they will let you in with a charming smile.
Once in, the place is heaving all around a giant central bar with youngish trendy people all here to have a good time. The music is loud and the atmosphere's charged with hormones. We quickly made our way to our table where suddenly things got quieter.
The staff is mostly French so is the chef, Pascal Feraud and the sommelier, Pierre Legrandois. Pascal Feraud who over the years worked both in France and LA, is originally from Cavaillon down in Southern France.
The restaurant concept is `fusion' (the byword these days for something out of the ordinary). The menu gives you guidelines but you can mix and match to create your own favourite dish and you are encouraged to do so.
In the end, we decided to let the maître de decide what we should have and we were not disappointed. A selection of starters arrived on the table all more interesting than others. My favourite had to be the foie gras on toast with the rhubarb confite. Close behind was the buffalo salad with a spicy dressing. Everything arrived on the table tapas style.
For the main course, the chef outdid himself, a total of eight dishes came in, roasted sea bass, beef topped with foie gras (this was to die for), a deliciously caramelised quail, tuna with a peanut sauce. The chef's sense of humour was expressed in the fish and chips dish that we were given. Nothing was missing, mushy peas and crispy batter and even the newspaper page in this case, from the FT with a picture of Margaret Thatcher. Apparently the chef Pascal Feraud was unsure whether Mrs Thatcher or Tony Blair should have the honour and at the last minute Mrs Thatcher was chosen. Time for dessert, if you can still manage that is. Don't hesitate; the chocolate mousse is so light and airy that you can eat it without being hungry. Everything was right about it. It simply melted in the mouth and there was definitely the right amount of chocolate. Similarly, the coffee and hazelnut ice cream was perfect.
Our host had selected for us some very palatable wines:

• 1999 Pommard Grand Clos des Epernots
• 1996 Tertre Roteboeuf - St Emilion Grand Cru
• 2001 Priorat - Les Terrasses - Alavaro Palacios

A point to remember. This is not the type of restaurant for the faint hearted. Count a minimum of £100 a head with wine. Definitely a place to go to celebrate in style or impress a new girl friend.

Spoon
@ Sanderson
50 Berners Street
W1T
Tel. 020 7300 1444
www.spoon-restaurant.com