THE JOURNAL
Palm Court at The Ritz, London. Photograph courtesy of The Ritz
The world keeps turning, as do the covers, but these are the places you can always rely on for an amazing dinner.
As Ms Beatrice Rose Stella Tanner, better known as Mrs Patrick Campbell, an actress famous at the turn of the 20th century, once said: “Oh for the deep, deep peace of the double bed after the hurly-burly of the chaise-longue.” That idea of comfort after the pursuit of excitement is how many of us feel when looking at a really good menu: a mouthful of raw scallop on a blob of fermented turnip is all very edgy, but oh for a brilliant steak frites, a plate of oysters, the dover sole.
Some restaurants understand the value of familiarity. These are the ones that become classics without ever bending to the latest gastronomic trends – and that goes for any cuisine, whether eschewing vegan sushi for exemplary uni, or just not making their pasta out of spelt, or cuttlefish, or anything other than 00 flour and egg. Those are the ones whose names appear whenever I’m asked “I’m going [insert city name], where shall I eat?” And I could probably rattle off the menu, too.
Expect a lengthy queue for a reservation for this all-star classic line-up, but the most delicious things come to those who wait.
The Ritz, London
Mont Blanc dessert. Photograph courtesy of The Ritz
Photograph courtesy of The Ritz
Yes, there’s that rather over-cooked name, and the location on London’s Piccadilly overlooking Green Park. And yes, the wine list is on the stratospheric side… but the Ritz is no lazy tourist trap. Forget afternoon tea (see previous sentence), go for a long, indulgent lunch to really see what executive chef Mr John Williams (who is about to release The Ritz London: The Cookbook) consistently, brilliantly delivers. His reputation after 14 years in charge is as high as his toque, and burnished with an MBE and Michelin star. Turbot with a sauce of caviar and champagne is unmissable from his Menu Surprise, as is gateaux St Honoré. If you’re ever going to enjoy the experience of synchronised cloche lifting, this is the swagged and glittering place to do it. A true gilty pleasure.
What to wear
Scott’s, London
Octopus carpaccio, spring onion, coriander and chilli at Scott’s, London. Photograph by Mr Paul Winch-Furness, courtesy of Scott’s
Photograph by Mr Paul Winch-Furness, courtesy of Scott’s
There is meat on the menu at Scott’s, but really, why would you? This restaurant is all about one thing: fish, done well. Done brilliantly, in fact, which is why it has become an absolute classic on the London scene, immune to new pretenders. Here is where you’ll get excellently briny Île d’Oléron oysters and a pearlescent Dover sole – it’s no wonder at all that when those who want to eat well without ingesting half of Normandy’s butter go out, they go to Scott’s. Before it moved to Mount Street, in the 1950s and 1960s it was Mr Ian Fleming’s favourite spot (and rumoured to be where the James Bond author first encounter a martini “shaken, not stirred”), and today it’s where you’ll find Ms Nigella Lawson or Mr Harry Styles. This place is as elegant as its regulars.
What to wear
Balthazar, New York
Plateaux de fruits de mer at Balthazar, New York. Photograph by Mr Michael Grimm, courtesy of Balthazar
Photograph by Mr Michael Grimm, courtesy of Balthazar
The London offshoot of Balthazar is a pale imitation of the New York original, and that’s a shame. However, it’s good reason to make time for Balthazar when you are in the US – on this, its 21st birthday, it has really come of age. The Spring Street location has changed and finessed around it, but Mr Keith McNally’s homage to the great Parisian brasseries remains the same. If you order the French onion soup and steak frites, you’ll be like everyone else who goes through the constantly flapping front doors to be shoehorned into a red leather banquette, but that’s no reason not to eat them – they’re famous for a reason. If buzz could be captured, this would be the bottling headquarters.
What to wear
Le Bistrot Paul Bert, Paris
Scallops. Photograph by @ClerkenwellBoyEC1
Photograph by Mr Pascal Soulagnet
Debate will rage about the most Parisian of Parisian bistrots until long after the final pichet of red wine has been poured. Paul Bert is, in my opinion, the one (La Coupole, while legendary, is too touristique, and La Fontaine de Mars is not in quite the right place). With its foxed mirrors and cluttered rooms, it is picture-book-Paris… But the reason noted food writers, chefs and anyone who loves to eat returns is simply because here, the classics are executed correctly – from frites to îles flottantes, sole to soufflés. The biggest surprise is that it hasn’t been there forever, but in less than two decades has become such an institution.
What to wear
Osteria Francescana, Modena
Insalata di mare at Osteria Francescana, Modena. Photograph by Mr Paolo Terzi, courtesy of Osteria Francescana
Photograph by Mr Callo Albanese e Sueo, courtesy of Osteria Francescana
A restaurant that may have achieved some fame for its appearances on screen (from The Chef’s Table to Master Of None), Osteria Francescana really doesn’t need the airtime, thanks. Since 1995, chef Mr Massimo Bottura has created what he rightly calls “emotional, not mathematical” tasting menus, for just 12 much-fought-over tables. But this is no mausoleum of fine dining. How could it be, with a dish called The Crunchy Part Of The Lasagna? Oops, I Dropped The Lemon Tart! is Mr Bottura’s famous pudding, but lovers of Italian food par excellence making a pilgrimage to Modena might prefer to linger over five different treatments of parmesan instead. No wonder that this year, Osteria Francescana reclaimed the title of World’s Best Restaurant in the noteworthy 50 Best awards.
What to wear
Chez Panisse, Berkeley
Photograph by Ms Amanda Marsalis
Beetroot and avocado salad with pea greens. Photograph by Mr Nathan Ziebell, courtesy of Chez Panisse
Long, long before everyone was doing farm-to-table, Ms Alice Waters, at her Californian joint in somewhat pedestrian Berkeley, was quietly starting the movement that changed cuisine forever. That joint, the now world-famous Chez Panisse, has been open since 1971 and still celebrates the freshest and the best produce. But what makes it so magical is the cosy, wooden structure and decor and the European-leaning menu that you’d hope for at a dinner party – if the host was celestially talented. Make it a Monday night for the most relaxed of all experiences, when a deceptively simple bouillabaisse or cassoulet is placed in front of you. And you’ll book it again before you leave at the end of the evening.