Following on from the very British affair that is the Gilbert Scott, Marcus Wareing is changing the direction of his flagship restaurant at the Berkeley.
The two star Michelin restaurant has traditionally had a modern French menu but, following the trend for ultra-local sourcing of British seasonal produce, that's about to change. Apparently Wareing has been inspired by the search for recipes for the Gilbert Scott menu and has duly switched his focus to local produce and recipes where possible. The a la carte menu will heavily feature British ingredients and there will be a huge, up to sixteen course, Tasting Menu with the ingredients of the day.
Taking a look at what's on this week, even the way the menu is written has changed, with Wareing switching to the spare style that many cutting-edge chefs in London are following. So instead of 'Breast of quail, roasted and marinated, white onion fondue and baked potato' you'll find bald descriptions such as 'Fois gras, blackberry, cobnuts, hyssop, milk, walnut bread'.
We quite like the sound of the set-price lunch menu which at £50 for three courses with two glasses of wine sounds worth a try, particularly when it includes something like 'Rabbit, Bobby beans, fig, Dead Nettle'.
The all new addition to the restaurant's menu range is the seasonal tasting menu, starting with "Seasons of Britain" at £110 for three courses including matching English wines:
- Lobster (from Dorset), cabbage, egg, seaweed, vinegar
- Grouse (from Goosnargh, Lancashire), bread sauce, onion, carrot, watercress
- Custard tart, plum (from Brogdale Farm, Kent), crumble
