[britspin]

In the last year or so I've been to my first set of really high end restaurants in the UK- Mirabelle, Orrery, Le Gavroche, Winteringham Fields, Locanda locatelli, St John and Petrus.

The first time I went to a high end restaurant I was actually uncomfortable and nervous. My expectation was really good food, but I felt out of place- it took a lot that night to get me to just relax- I was over cautious and intimidated into relatively uninteresting choices (I didn't have the nerve to ask why i'd like woodpigeon, for example.)

Now, I've become much more confident and much more willing to trust the restaurant.

My expectation at this level is that the food and service is always outstanding, that the restaurant goes to real effort not to impress me but to make me happy.
Indeed, I now assume the food will be excellent (if not it goes back) and now look for something else.

What I'm looking for now is something breathtaking, something that I will remember and look back on long after the meal is over.

That doesn't have to be the food- service, ambience, all could be the special thing.

As for the restaurants, I'd recommend all of them, and go back to all, except perhaps Petrus. they're all excellent in their different ways.

What I remember though are the things that have hit that "outstandingly memorable" criteria. Two examples..

Silvano Giraldin, The Maitre'd at the Gavroche. Pure class. Totally accomodating, utterly charming, focussed on your enjoyment. I went there once and our main courses were late, I happened to catch the eye of the waiter and explained the problem, and as a result the Maitre D, came, apologised, explained he'd had to send a dish back as it wasn't right, and served us personally for the remainder of the meal.

Bear in mind that he is one of the leading Maitre'd's in the world, and I was a nobody on their budget lunch menu. Such professionalism and service.

Cheese at the Winteringham Fields: It's half midnight, we're the last people in the restaurant and it's time for the cheese course, a speciality there. Do we get hurried through? No chance.

Because we love cheese, the General manager spends half an hour with us, sampling cheeses tasting with us, explaining his choices- at the end, he sends us a complimentary glass of wine to go with some cheese we'd paricularly enjoyed, together with details of where to buy it outside of the restaurant.

As for the food- So many stunning dishes- The pheasant ravioli at Locanda locatelli. Pigs trotter at mirabelle (and at Gavroche.. mmmm), the bone marrow at St John, a souffle at Orrery. each of these dishes I can recall with awe and wonder. If I had to pick one, it would be St John's Bone marrow. Simple, delicious, addictive. i'd go back to that restaurant just for that.