Over indulgence in Knightsbridge need not break the bank

YOU know you are going to have a gourmet experience. Austere in décor but yet it has a welcome feeling to it. Large tables arranged around the room give a sense of space.
On arrival the most impressive trolley with several bottles of champagne is wheeled to your table.
I had decided that I could not drink as I was driving and was relieved when my guest said he could not drink wine as he wanted to win at tennis at 6pm.
So we concentrated on the food and chose to have the three-course menu – excellent value at £30 each for: lobster and salmon ravioli and quenelle of truffled crème fraiche with vichyssoise; poached then roasted chicken breast with baby leeks and girolles; apple tarte tatin served with Devonshire clotted cream and banana ice cream (for two) and the bon bon trolley.
Apart from being artistic, the food was of excellent quality and very tasty. The vichyssoise served hot gets full marks for presentation and my companion said it was superb.
My ravioli (one large round one) was very good. Surprises such as fois gras petit four that melt in the mouth, a little glass with chilled gazpacho and sorbet with tiny pieces of melon are brought between the courses.
My friend was getting less and less confident about winning his tennis match and by the time the tarte tatin arrived he was willing to forgo winning to enjoy the magnificent layers of golden apples. We tried a fouchtra de chevre, a hard goats cheese from Auvergne and a valencay – mild goat’s cheese from the Loire Valley (£8 supplement).
The bon bon trolley matched the opulence of the champagne selection – the rose Turkish delight, chocolate champagne truffle with caramel inside and tiny éclairs were light as clouds. Gareth, our waiter, was attentive and communicative.
He brought us a chest with little bottles containing eight different tea infusions. You can smell them and decide which one to have from the exotic mixtures.
Glancing through the wine list I spotted a Chateauneuf du Pape Chateau La Nerthe at £69 and a Chateau Baudux (English) at £19.
Restaurants in hotels are much maligned. For some reason people tend not to take them seriously. But this is changing and they are now becoming destination restaurants.
Our bill with two bottles of water came to £91, which included a 12.5 per cent service charge. Luckily we had the three-course meal – our lunch lasted three hours – had we taken the eight course degustation menu, my friend would have missed the match which I heard he won.

PETRUS

The Berkeley Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, SW1
Phone 020 7235 1200
Fax 020 7235 1266
Open: Mon – Fri - Lunch
Mon – Sat - Dinner