When The Savoy re-opened last year, the relaunch of the main restaurant, The River Room, was somewhat overshadowed by its more famous sibling, The Savoy Grill (run by Gordon Ramsay Holdings). Now, almost a year later, the focus is back on The River Room.
News reaches Hot Dinners today that a new chef has just taken charge of the restaurant. James Pare hails from Canada and has previously worked with Savoy owner Fairmont in Seattle and Whistler. Pare has taken a leaf from London's other gastronomic historians such as Ashley Palmer Watts and Heston Blumenthal at Dinner and Marcus Wareing at The Gilbert Scott, as his new menu is looking to showcase menus from the Savoy's glorious past - specifically those of Auguste Escoffier. Escoffier, if you don't know, is credited with having a major influence on the modernisation of French cooking, and was the biggest French chef in the early part of the 20th Century. The legendary chef spent a seven year stint at the Savoy up till 1897 which Pare is mining for inspiration (this was just before Escoffier was kicked off the premises due to some dodgy dealings with booze).
Pare has recreated some of the dishes served during Escoffier's time at the Savoy and created a six course tasting menu at £72.50 per person. So from the Savoy's heyday, you can expect dishes like Quail Consommé, Sole Victoria and Peach Melba. On top of this, there will be a new a la carte menu with dishes like chestnut and porcini velouté, confit frog legs or marron glacé with sloe gin sauce and liquorice crème brûlée.
The new menu launches today.
