2010 was a very fruitful year for both sides of the Roux family. For Alain and Michel Roux Senior the celebrations to mark the Waterside’s 25 years of three Michelin stars marked the climax of their achievement. Meanwhile, Albert Roux expanded his Scottish interest at the Inver Lodge Hotel above Lochinver, and the prestigious Greywalls East Lothian Hotel.

For Michel Roux Junior, the pace was more hectic: apart from overseeing operations at Le Gavroche, giving brilliant guidance and critiques in Masterchef the Professionals, and filming his series on Service, he found the time and energy to launch Roux at Parliament Square in the autumn. Then, near the end of the year, and in collaboration with his father, he opened Roux at the Landau. Housed in The Langham, one of London’s original grand hotels, the restaurant has the potential to succeed at the highest level. Not that this is immediately apparent given the hotel’s unattractive exterior, reminiscent of a railway terminus hotel.

However, the dull facade belies the glamour of the bright, palatial interior. Diners are advised to enter by the main entrance, where they can experience the grandeur of the lobby and glimpse into the stylish Artesian Bar, both of which are missed if using the side entrance. Either way, it is easy to walk by the “reception”, which, strangely enough, is a recess in a narrow corridor – confusing for first time visitors. Having finally been greeted, guests are led to their table through an impressive vaulted glass fronted wine corridor, displaying the finest of rare vintages.

The restaurant itself – originally the hotel’s ballroom – has been restructured to produce a lower ceiling and a symmetrical capsule shaped dining room. It is dominated by a magnificent bow window giving views of All Souls Church and Broadcasting House. The sumptuous décor is unmistakably David Collins, whose wood paneling, antique brass chandeliers, comfortable banquette seating and generous sized tables harmonise well with the spacious dimensions of the room.

No expense has been spared to produce a feeling of luxurious elegance. Table settings include Riedel glassware decorated in the restaurant’s twin horse motif, and Bernardaud porcelain designed by Vera Wang. Napery shows great attention to detail, being “oversized with buttonholes for men and black for ladies in little black dresses.”

All this forms the backdrop to the cooking of Chef de Cuisine Chris King, the latest protégé from the kitchens of Le Gavroche. With stints also at Per Se in New York and Roux at Parliament Square, he combines the best of his lofty experience with his own interpretation to produce a menu of contemporary European dishes, attractively presented and using first rate British seasonal produce whenever possible. Quirky combinations are avoided, whilst the imaginative use of underrated ingredients such as chicken oysters, razor clams, hake, kale and Swiss chard is clearly evident. Inventive variety is successfully used in cooking techniques and the composition of dishes: organic Salmon is citrus cured; Acquerello rice is used in a cep risotto; pumpkin, pear and gingerbread accompany seared foie gras; shitake mushrooms are matched with heirloom carrots in a vegetable terrine; and truffle is used to perfume a hollandaise garnishing a grilled steak

The ambitious carte of nine starters, nine mains and seven desserts reflects Chris King’s passion for his craft. This embarrassment of choice – which can be solved by opting for the seven course tasting menu – provides dishes to suit most tastes. Starters such as oysters or foie gras and mains of Dover sole meuniere or grilled rib eye steak will please more conservative diners. For the more adventurous, lobster roll with pickled vegetables or Salt-cod brandade with crisp squid to begin, followed by poached hake with razor clams and Serrano ham or a vegetarian dish of Swiss chard pierogi with buttered chestnuts and sour cherries should prove highly satisfying.

Fine Dining Guide visited Roux at the Landau on a Monday evening in January and found much to admire in the selection of dishes sampled.

At a time when many top end restaurants opt to serve an amuse bouche instead of canapés, the appearance of a tray of these bite sized morsels was a welcome change from the ubiquitous root vegetable veloute. All three canapés showed exemplary attention to detail and timing, the soft boiled quail’s egg with celeriac remoulade and the crisp pastilla roll filled with chorizo being particularly memorable.

A starter of free range hen’s egg, soft boiled, bread crumbed and deep fried was perfectly timed to produce a rich, runny yolk. The accompanying sauted chicken oysters and a wafer thin crisp of chicken skin made creative use of neglected yet flavoursome parts of the bird. The addition of endive, shallots and hazelnuts added more savoury notes and crunch to make this a perfectly balanced dish. (Wine: Moliun-a Vent, Bojalun, France, Henry Ferry 2009)

Seared Orkney scallops had a caramelized crust and succulent flesh which showed precision in their cooking. A puree of Jerusalem artichoke proved a suitable partner and a welcome change from its clichéd cauliflower equivalent. However, the truffle shavings and split truffle dressing which liberally dressed the dish proved excessive, almost overwhelming the delicate taste of the seafood. (Wine: Pinot Bianco, Leon Bayer, Alsace, France 2009)

A terrine of heirloom carrots and shitake mushrooms was stunning in its visual and taste composition, its inherent sweetness being offset by a gently acidic and spicy carrot juice and ginger dressing

Main courses offered well rendered meat and fish dishes.

Roast rack of Romney Marsh lamb, cooked pink, was moist and deeply flavoured, with an intense jus. This dish was enriched with a persillade sauce instead of the usual garlic and herb crust, and given an additional earthy quality with the addition of artichoke hearts and ceps. (Wine: Layton Spring Paul Craper, Ridge Vinyards, Sanama County USA, 2007)

Of the fish main courses, hake was the most adventurous. Not only was it good to see this underused fish on an English – rather than Spanish – menu, but also its presentation, resembling a coastal rock pool, was stunning. The fish, rolled as a cylinder, was gently poached and garnished with razor clams, and Serrano ham. A gentle lemon butter sauce brought the elements together in a first class composite dish.

Grilled Castle of Mey rib eye steak with pommes Sarladaise and truffle hollandaise was a safer main course, but nevertheless well executed. (Wine: Chateau Pavel du Lug, Margaux, Bordeaux, 2005.)

Desserts revealed matching strengths that did justice to the starters and mains.

Making good puff pastry is the acid test for any patissier and here the kitchen passed with flying colours with an excellent millefeuille. Delicately crisp layers sandwiched a rich aged Calvados bavarois in what seemed to be a playful mock version of an ice cream wafer. Crowning this were quenelles of caramelized apple, the whole plate being streaked with a not too sweet caramel sauce. This was a delicious, memorable dessert in its balance of tastes, textures and temperatures.

Another imaginative creation was the Pear William and walnut soufflé. It was well risen, lightly textured with an element of crunch, and topped with poached pear. The bitter chocolate sorbet was intense in flavour and velvety smooth, proving an excellent foil for the sweet, gently alcoholic soufflé,

Others aspects of the meal – a choice of three breads, coffee and petit fours, and the sommelier choice of wines – were all first rate. Service was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable without being obtrusive. The distinguished green livery of the waiting staff reflects the near military precision of the service. This professional formality, so rarely seen nowadays except in the most distinguished of restaurants, is overseen by restaurant manager Franco Becci, whose extensive experience at Brown’s Hotel and the Savoy Grill has made him a master of the classical tradition of service.

Overall, a meal at the Landau is a highly memorable experience. Chris King has already justified Michel’s Roux’s description of him as “a rising star” and he clearly has a great career ahead of him. To be given charge of a prestigious London restaurant of 90 covers (with an extra 18 in the Postillion private dining room) is a testament to the enormous confidence his Roux mentors have in him. Not that Chris is content to remain in the shadow of Le Gavroche: whilst emulating its deserved reputation for luxury and excellence in cooking and service, he has offered his own take on classical European cuisine that will definitely appeal to discerning diners. Although it is too late to gain recognition in the 2011 guides, his impact will definitely be felt next year.

Head Chef David Escobar

The opening of Cassis in Brompton Road represents a new departure for restaurateur and wine mogul Marlon Abela. Not only is Cassis well removed from Mayfair, where his other establishments – Morton’s private club, Umu and The Greenhouse – are located, but it also claims to be a bistro, rather than a fine dining restaurant. However, this modest description fails to do justice both to the stylish décor and the quality of the cooking.

The large, glass fronted room, attractively decorated in shades of brown and cream, is the design of Tara Bernerd of Target Living. It bears little resemblance to the homely features of a classic bistro. Whilst the lack of tablecloths, wooden floors and open fireplace might suggest a degree of informality, the glossy surfaces, comfortable banquettes, sharp spotlighting, oak framed wine displays and high quality prints speak of an expensive contemporary elegance, in keeping with a SW3 location.

Nor does the cuisine reflect the usual average level of bistro cooking. This is hardly surprising given the experience of head chef David Escobar, who heads a brigade of twenty in the kitchen. He spent four years at the Michelin three starred Maison Lameloise in Burgundy before becoming Marlon Abela’s private chef. Just as his predecessor in this role, Antonin Bonnett, was given control of the Greenhouse kitchens, so Abela’s latest protégé has full rein in this latest opening to demonstrate his skill and flair

These are amply seen in the menu, which emphasises the bold and gutsy dishes of Provence and France’s Mediterranean coast. It impresses by its sheer range and quality of ingredients. Eight Petites Bouchees, feature suitably intense green and black olive tapenade, pissaladiere and Corsican chacuterie .Ten Entrees include four seafood dishes – the most adventurous being grilled stuffed squid, piquillo pepper and passata sauce – alongside classic pate, foie gras and salad offerings. Twelve Plats principaux include thee fish and seven meat and poultry mains, although only one purely vegetarian dish is listed. Nine desserts include the classic tarte tropezienne, that delectable combination of brioche and crème patissiere.

Generous portions and value for money are bistro characteristics which Cassis does emulate. On the carte, Petites Bouches range from £2.50 to £16; Entrees £6.50 – £13; Plats Principaux £13 – £24 and Desserts £5 – £8. Although Mediterranean fish bouillabaisse is priced at a lofty £29, it does include whole fish fillets and shellfish. There is also a set lunch, £17 for two courses, £20 for three, and a reduced choice carte in the afternoon.

Fine-dining-guide visited Cassis for a mid week dinner in January.

The meal began with excellent breads: focaccia, sour dough, black olive and country bread were models of their kind; extra virgin olive oil for dipping was also of very high quality.

Of the three Petites Bouches sampled, egg mimosa was outstanding: utterly fresh white and brown crab meat mixed with properly made mayonnaise filled three halves of hard boiled egg.

Barbajuans, deep fried Monegasque pastries, were well executed – non greasy – if rather heavy; they came with individual fillings of spinach, chicken liver and goat’s cheese. Strongly flavoured pastis flambed snails with garlic butter were let down by their vol au vent containers which would have benefitted from a richer puff pastry

An entrée of queen scallop ragout proved rather bland, the al dente coco beans overwhelming the seafood. The lemon thyme was barely noticeable in this most disappointing dish. By contrast, pan fried Landes foie gras was meltingly rich, well seasoned with juniper jus and given textural variety by an unusual brittle of sunflower nougatine.

For carnivores, main courses proved an embarrassment of choice, with bistro classics reaching new heights of excellence in their execution. Provencal daube of beef, slow cooked to a tender unctuousness, came with a Bagnol wine sauce, its richness being cut by the addition of orange. Herb crusted rack of lamb was precisely timed to produce succulent, fully flavoured pink meat. Chorizo batons and chestnuts gave extra spice and richness which was balanced by soft polenta.

Rib eye steak (28 day matured Black Angus) was grilled to medium rare perfection. Its smooth peppered sauce had a gentle heat with a well judged mix of brandy and cream.

Desserts, so often an anti climax in bistro eating, were equally impressive. A Grand Marnier and orange soufflé was huge – easily enough for two. However, its feather light texture and intense flavour rendered it a manageable delight for a single diner. Pear mille feuille was a master class in patisserie; Ice creams and sorbets, including the exquisite pear sorbet which accompanied the mille feuille, were velvety smooth with clean, deep flavours.

Other aspects of the meal enhanced the whole experience. Wines – from a list of over 700 from France, Italy and Spain – were carefully chosen by the sommelier to match the food. Prices vary to suit all pockets. Friendly, knowledgeable and attentive service was carefully overseen by Jean Marie-Miorada whose experience at The Greenhouse, enabled him to manage his new team effectively. It coped well with the dining room, which was approaching its 70-80 capacity.

It is clear that no effort or expense has been spared to make Cassis an exciting addition to an area already replete with restaurants of all kinds. What makes Cassis stand out, and which will allow it to survive the intense competition, are its unrivalled provision of Provencal cuisine coupled with outstanding Michelin quality cooking. Marlon Abela has produced another restaurant of quality, which will undoubtedly gain the recognition it deserves from the guides.

Head Chef: Tristan Welch

Launceston Place is contemporary, comfortable and confident. This well established neighbourhood restaurant has been thoroughly modernized since its take over by the D&D group in 2008. Located amongst a small parade of fashionable shops in quiet residential area, it now exudes understated sophistication in its décor, furnishings, cuisine and service, being perfectly suited to its affluent Kensington location.

The attractive curved frontage is the result of its conversion from three shops. The darkness of the front façade is repeated inside, the whole restaurant being swathed in a chocolate brown. Even the windows have black blinds. For some, this may seem gloomy and oppressive; for others it creates a certain gravitas, relieved by large windows, mirrors, landscape prints, flower displays, wall lamps and spotlighting.

The maze of interconnecting rooms disperses guests amongst intimate interior or more exposed window tables. It also helps to alleviate noise levels in this sixty cover restaurant. Soft leather banquettes, well spaced tables and fine napery also make for a pleasant dining experience.

Downstairs, the Chef’s Office, a unique combination of Chef’s Table and private dining room, allows up to ten diners to enjoy a bespoke meal whilst viewing the kitchen action on a live plasma screen television, as well as having direct contact with the chef. This is an innovative idea for those restaurants that simply do not afford the room to have a table inside the kitchen.

Before taking over the kitchens at Launceston Place, Tristan Welch trained in classically French gastronomy at Arpege in Paris and was sous chef for Marcus Wareing at Petrus. However, he has adopted an unashamedly modern British approach to his cooking.

The essential prerequisite is the impeccable sourcing of the finest – and sometimes little known – seasonal ingredients: English ceps, Somerset truffle, Spenwood cheese, Herdwick lamb, west coast scallops and a totally British cheese board all feature on the menu. Nor is Tristan afraid to offer a British take on classical French dishes: witness venison, instead of steak, tartar; salad cream replacing mayonnaise; and an English apple tart version of tarte tatin.

Confidence is also demonstrated by a short carte. It takes a bold chef indeed to offer only four starters, four mains (including one fish and one offal dish), and three desserts or cheese in a fine dining restaurant. With so few alternatives, each dish must be perfect in all respects. This is even more important given the small number of elements on each plate. Main components are allowed to shine, although vegetable garnishes are given equal attention. The absence of (now clichéd) foams, smears and dots, along with the lightness of saucing, makes for a cooking style in which purity of flavour, precision of timing and simplicity of presentation are paramount. The food itself can be appear on a variety of surfaces including slate, stone, wood, shells and stoneware, as well as porcelain.

A choice of menus, ranging from an early evening (£38), to the six course tasting (£60), allows for constraints of time and finances. Fine Dining Guide visited on a mid week January evening and chose from the three course carte.(£45)

For nibbles, home made crisps bunched with black ribbons, has become a Launceston Place trade mark.

A small loaf of country bread, still warm from the oven, came with whipped butter (perched on a pebble), and gently pickled herrings (in a kilner jar), all served on a wooden platter. The freshness of these elements was impeccable, whilst the rustic presentation typified the simple yet sophisticated elegance of presentation which ran throughout the meal.

A pair of roasted West coast scallops, perfectly timed to retain their succulence, arrived in their warm shells, which added to the overall fragrance of the dish. The inherent sweetness of the flesh was balanced by a well judged garnish of “aromatic herbs from the coastline.” (Wine: 2008 Sancerre, “Le Rochoy, Domaine Laporte, Loire, France)

Another starter of calves’ tongue had great depth of flavour and an exquisitely melting texture. The richness was offset by a salad of winter leaves – including those of the highly fashionable Brussel sprout – and wild herbs. English crones added colour and crunch. Presented on a black slate, with a zig-zag drizzle of salad cream, this dish was also visually stunning. (Wine: 2009 Gavi, La Fornace, Piedmont, Italy)

A main course of sweetbreads was skillfully rendered to produce a caramelized crust encasing a rich, creamy centre, the latter implying the pancreas rather than thymusgland of this delectable offal. The dish was lifted by a light curry spicing and given textural and taste contrast by a sweet and savoury garnish of grapes and chestnuts. (Wine: 2007 Abadia Retuerta “Seleccion Especial, Sardon de Duero, Spain)

As an alternative, a generous portion of fully flavoured aged sirloin came medium rare as requested. Served on a strip of onion tart, the beef came with sauteed chanterelles and a sauce enriched with Tunworth cheese. This was a totally harmonious, earthy set of ingredients, skillfully cooked and attractively presented. (Wine: 2004 Chateau Beaumont, Haut Medoc, Bordeaux, France)

A selection of soft and hard English cheeses, including Cornish Yarg and a superb stilton, was enjoyed before the final course.

Both desserts demonstrated the strengths of the pastry section of the kitchen.

Dark chocolate soufflé was suitably light and well textured. It was given extra decadence by the addition of a velvety smooth, strongly alcoholic Laphraoig malt whisky ice cream

Apple tart was no ordinary specimen, but an inspired British version of tarte tatin. Inverted from its small copper pan at the table, it featured a richly caramelized whole apple and crisp, buttery pastry. The quenelle of clotted cream ice cream added richness which also helped to make this a memorable dessert. (Wine: Tokaji Aszu, 5 puttonyos, Ch Dereszla, Hungary)

To finish, good coffee came with dainty madeleines. These warm, crisp and soft morsels could be dunked in the luscious accompanying cream.

Service, under the direction of Zafar Salimo, was seamless and highly professional. The front-of-house team was solicitous without being obtrusive, knowledgeable without being patronizing, and friendly without being familiar. Their desire to please was clearly and consistently evident. Of particular note was the sommelier’s choice of matching wines. With such excellent staff and an extensive list from the New and Old Worlds, it is not surprising that Wine Spectator Magazine recently awarded Head Sommelier Mickey Narea, and the restaurant’s wine list, the Award of Excellence.

“Less is more” is a dictum that helps explain the success of Launceston Place. This is a lesson that aspiring chefs should learn. Tristan Welch and his team have hit on a winning formula that appeals both to regular local diners and an increasing number who come from further afield. Certainly, the restaurant is constantly busy, reflecting high levels of repeat custom and consumer satisfaction. It goes from strength to strength, and is now beginning to receive the full recognition it deserves. The award of three AA rosettes is a fitting testament to its success.