Gordon Ramsay is probably best known for his ‘outspoken’ opinions on television shows that you will see all over the world. Whether you like his (tv) presenting skill or not, the man does know how to cook. His success is not only shown by the amount of restaurants that his company now has around the world (no less than 14 of them in London alone), but also by the recognition some of these restaurants have received in the form of Michelin stars. Where the Restaurant Gordon Ramsay has the maximum of 3 stars, he has several other restaurants that have or used to have one or more stars.

Petrus is part of this group of restaurants and also one of the places with a Michelin star. It is a stylish restaurant that I have wanted to visit for some time. It is located in Kinnerton Street, which is walking distance from the well-known Harrods. As you approach the restaurant, the houses and expensive cars suggest this isn’t a poor part of town. One of the things I noticed and liked when entering the restaurant is that, like me, people appreciate that this something special that they dress-up for. In other fine dining restaurants you will always have some people wearing jeans or even t-shirts (which is absolutely fine), here everyone took the time to put on a suit and tie or a nice dress.

This is one of the nicest looking restaurants I have visited over the last couple of months (if not years). The tables are all set-up around the wine “cellar” that holds around 2500 wine bottles. Some of these bottles are set on a little trolley that the sommeliers bring to your table for an aperitif. For us the choice was a nice rose champagne of Bollinger rosé, which according to our sommelier is nice and fresh. Both ladies were an absolute delight and really helped make the evening a success; They showed great knowledge, were very professional and attentive without being distant. Exactly what you need to feel at home from the start of the evening.

Shortly after finishing the champagne, the first course is served. In front of me, I had a little fish bowl containing a fresh garden salad. On the bottom was a cottage cheese-like substance with some beautiful crunchy veggies, topped with some flowers and herbs. The cheese was luckily not as fatty or rich as I was expecting. There was a little garlic in the dish which came from one or two tiny blossoms. The dish was the perfect start to the seven course tasting menu. It was very well balanced and just delicious…..if only it had been a little bigger.

This salad was followed by a scallop. Probably the least favourite dish of the evening. Not that it wasn’t cooked right or anything, but simply not as exciting as the rest of the dishes and a little too much egg sabayon on it compared to the scallop. Shortly after, the third course was asparagus. What is noticeable is the size of the vegetables; The asparagus are enormous. Nevertheless, they taste good and are cooked  perfectly while retaining some crunch. The burrata it was served with was a nice change from the expected poached egg that most other restaurants serve with it. Personally, I would have gone for three smaller asparagus, but that is really only because it presents nicer on the plate. Nothing to fault here on the preparation or taste.

Middle of the meal is a line-caught sea bass with a langoustine and some fennel and bouillabaisse sauce. Once again, the waiter puts a beautifully presented dish in front of us. The sauce is beautiful, rich and packed of flavour. The slight sweetness of the langoustine is perfect with it. Where the skin if the fish is nice and crispy, the rest is perfectly flaky. The potato is simply nice and I loved the ‘cracker’ that was on next to the fish. For a restaurant like Petrus, it may sound like a given that you’ll get some excellent food, this really surpassed all my expectations.

Second main course was chicken. Doesn’t sound too interesting, but let’s not forget where we are….. A perfectly juicy sort of roulade of chicken, wrapped in pancetta and stuffed with foie gras. Normally served with leek and morels, where I skipped the latter due to allergies.  Once again gorgeously presented and like all other warm dishes served on a pre-heated plate so that (unlike some other restaurants)  the dish is still nice and warm when eating.

The pre-dessert is small as usual and a combination of mango, basil and coconut. Combination of ingredients that I was not expecting and would not have out together myself. Nevertheless it was nice, but I have to say that it was my least-favourite part of an otherwise excellent meal. Dessert  is something worth taking a picture of: Petrus’ version of a black forest cake. All I can say is that this is absolutely delicious with some nice surprises: The thing looking like a huge cherry is actually chocolate ganache. Ice cream is cherry flavoured, as you may expect with a black forest dessert. I was also pleasantly surprised by the level of sweetness in the chocolate mousse that served as ‘cake’.

Where Petrus isn’t a restaurant for everyone, those who can visit this place really should. The service is absolutely top notch, especially because of the two lady sommeliers who (even more so that the other staff) really tried to make our evening a success. It is by no means a cheap restaurant, but it is well worth every penny you will spend. The tasting menu costs around GBP 100 (EUR 125/USD 150) excluding drinks and service. For people interested in a wine pairing, they offer the choice between a ‘normal’ wine pairing or what they call ‘prestige’ wine paring of more exclusive wines. Petrus is a restaurant that I would really like to visit again next time I am in London again. Would I recommend to to anyone? Difficult one: Looking at the service and food it is a definite ‘Yes’. However, looking at the price it is a restaurant that not all can go to. Having said that, this is the price you pay for a meal at a Michelin star restaurant in London and for what you get, I would definitely not call it expensive.

Restaurant location: View on Google Maps
Restaurant website: https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/petrus