L'Escargot Marco Pierre White

L’Escargot is divided into two distinct venues. The ground-floor restaurant is consistently fun and stylish, serving food that is almost invariably outstanding. The Picasso Room upstairs, where we chose to eat, is better still in almost every way, although what you gain in sleekness, exclusivity and culinary ambition, you lose in bustle and brightness. The mirrors and banquettes on the ground floor give way to a more hallowed space with genuine Picasso sketches on the walls and ceramics in glass cases. On our gilt-rimmed plates came a succession of exquisite courses, including squab pigeon breasts, pink and tender with crisp skin, on a disc of duck pâté, surrounded by eccentric pickles; scallops with pear purée and caramelised pork belly; a coffee cup of vichyssoise with grated truffle; and a tall white peach soufflé that somehow managed to be rich, dense and light at the same time. It was a shame that there were few other diners – a party celebrating a business deal was the largest contingent – though this did mean we lucked out with free petits fours that might otherwise have gone to waste.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008

Services:

Booking: Booking essential weekends
Child facilities: Babies and children admitted (ground-floor restaurant)
Dress code: smart casual
Function room: Separate rooms for parties, seating 24 and 60
Takeaway service: Vegetarian menu

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Latest user reviews

The food was certainly up to standard for a Michelin-starred restaurant, but what really made the evening was the excellent young sommelier who went out of his way to share the enthusiasm he obviously had for his job - a rare treat! Thanks.
Katherine Wood  Dec 9 2007