Grazing in Style

There's something satisfyingly indulgent about a “grazing” menu and chef Andrew Turner is famous for them. So in the exquisite environment of the newly refurbished Landau restaurant, designed by prolific restaurant designer David Collins, I went to "graze."

We started the evening with a cocktail and nibbles in the gorgeous Artesian bar, also designed by Collins. I was taken through the cocktail list as if it were a fine wine list and settled on a fresh and fruity rum number before nibbling on a mini tuna on toast, quails egg and a pate which was surprisingly complemented by a touch of raspberry.

I was so impressed by that last one I went home and tried jam and pate together on toast. That, unlike my little amuse bouches at the Artesian, was quite disgusting.

So, after our cocktails came The Landau itself. The grand room is incredibly elegant. There is so much space and light that it could seem a little too impersonal and yet as we were shown to a cove where we could next to each other in a curved seat it was delightfully intimate and as the night wore on it felt quite romantic.

As soon as we were seated we got right to business and picked a Chilean Merlot before choosing the six course grazing menu.

The wine came as did water but while the water was poured the wine wasn't. Very curious. So far the service had been nothing but perfect and I wondered about this omission. I would have poured it myself but touching the strange looking contraption the wine was sitting in could easily have led to a rather embarrassing situation. So we left it for the time being.

The first course was cream of pink Paris mushroom with winter truffle and Comte cheese ravioli. The ravioli was brought first with touches of truffle around the plate and then the mushroom 'soup' was poured over it allowing you to watch the elements on the plate mixing. When I bit into the ravioli the different flavours came one after the other and it was truly amazing.