When I heard
Allan Picket (Chez Nico, Galvin Bistrot de Luxe & Orrery fame) opened his own restaurant just off Oxford Street, my initial thoughts were “Yes, good on him!” and “Oh, but why
there?” Having worked off Oxford Street in the first few years of my career, I’ve learned to have a slight abhorrence towards the place thinking it’s a black hole of and crazy traffic.
But good food is good food. And if reviews were a good sign of what’s to come prior my visit, then my expectations were set on a high.
Walking in, it was rather quiet (it did fill up a few hours later). For some strange reason, I felt transported back into my Great-Granny-El’s lovely home in Manila which she built in the 60s: wooden parquet flooring, honey gold upholstery, jazzed up wallpaper and accents of colour pop. There’s a slightly open kitchen which excited me. Chef Allan was cooking that night, so I got my game belly on.
Complimentary carbs were good. The breadsticks were moreish and I had to restrain myself from digging deeper into that pot of anchovy dip (seriously, they should sell that stuff and make a fine living off it). The butter that came with our bread was good, too.
Ordering the pithivier of Littlebourne snails (£11) for starters made me chuckle slightly because it sounded like a title of a tale (like The Picture of Dorian Gray or Anne of Green Gables). But there’s no chuckling when this gorgeous hill of crisp, golden beautiful pastry arrived.
Lovely escargot and garden peas make up for the filling and they come aplenty. The Madeira jus seals it all together for a lovely sweet, earthy flavour. But it’s that buttery pastry that brings the lesson to the tale. If stories come with happy endings, then the story of Piquet came with a happy start.
My guest went for the crab raviolo (£9.50) which looked picture perfect floating on a shellfish jus and topped with samphire.
Filled with crab meat, the flavour was utterly gorgeous. The samphire and bits of tom cuts through the richness, but it needed a bit of play on texture as it came across as eggy at some point.
For mains, I went for the sea bream (£16.50) cooked a la plancha and served with savoy cabbage, roasted artichokes and a red wine jus. The bream was cooked nicely, although I felt the chef was slightly heavy handed with the salt.
My guest went for the casserole of monk cheeks and baby squid (£16.50). It’s not for the faint-hearted with its generosity, which embodies the essence of French and English cuisine. The fish was slightly over (possibly a one-off), but the bean, squid and chorizo casserole was rich and comforting.
French beans with confit shallots (£3.75) came with a good crunch which always makes up for a good side dish.
I would’ve preferred the dauphinoise potatoes (£3.75) a bit creamier like the way La Petite Maison does it, but flavour-wise it was decent.
We finished the meal with some espressos and the richest truffles I’ve ever had. Bill was paid and I second-guessed myself with more alcoholic concoctions upstairs at The Fir Room. It was a school night, and I was trying to be good.
I liked Piquet enough. I’m sure I’ll go back at some point to try a new seasonal menu. A part of me feels it’s the sort of restaurant that should be at a different location to get the recognition it deserves, but a part of me feels like it can be the sort of restaurant that can stand alone because of the food. Service was good, although a little bit frantic when it got slightly busier. I trust in Allan Pickett’s talent and hopefully, with a bit of push, the rest of London would, too.
Piquet
92 Newman St, London W1T
Ave spend pp: £50
Have fun!
I've heard mixed reviews but I'd still like to try it. x
Same! I think the menu has potential, and I'm a fan of Chef Allan's work so I think it can be great!
Food that pretty always gets a thumbs up from me - love the look of the pithivier!
Lxx
Elle Bloggs
And it tasted gorgeous too!!!
*drool* it all looks so tasty! I work just off Oxford St, and being a fan of Orrery I think I'm gonna have to give Piquet a try!
C x | Lux Life
Take me with you when you go! 🙂 x
The food sounds pretty yum - I especially want to try your starter which I am most intrigued by :O I also feel you really don't like salt…. haha. Lots of love, Andrea xxx
Andrea's Passions
Hahaha, I like balance! The pithivier pastry was so good! x
Hahaha, I like balance! The pithivier pastry was so good! x
That pithivier has to be an Instagram star by now, and apparently with good reason 🙂 It's a thing of beauty, and I'm glad it had the flavour to match. Hopefully by the next menu the seasonings and cooking techniques will be up to scratch! xx
Tamsin / A Certain Adventure
I know, I can't wait to check the new menu! x
I would really like to try this place! It seems good quality/price. From the pictures the food look great! Though I can't see really guess the size of the portions, whether they are small or large…
Portion-wise, it's okay. The food is relatively rich so I guess it was fine for what it was. Definitely full after dinner but not overly so! 🙂