The entrance to Pied à Terre is so discreet that you would miss it unless looking specifically for the restaurant – and it makes an apt introduction to the classy understatement inside. We sat in the intimate dining room at the front (one of two at street level: there’s a private dining room upstairs).
With its tasteful cracked-glass feature, and cosily formal decor, this is a perfect setting for têtes-à-têtes, business-related or otherwise. There are plenty of options to spend £100-£200 per diner, but we opted for the excellent-value set lunch. A Cornish mackerel starter with avocado crème fraîche was a perfect blend of crisp and melt-in-the-mouth textures; and the juicy, flavourful pork with rainbow chard as a main course looked like a minimalist work of art.
Attention to detail was impressive throughout: a slow-cooked lamb belly starter was accompanied by a perfect lamb and mint consommé; strawberries with a citrusy fromage-frais sorbet produced a delightful clash of flavours; and the amuse-bouches are a sensation – we dreamed of the miniature cinnamon doughnuts for days afterwards.