2 star BYOB

I can't explain why we had not paid a visit here before now, particularly given that
Shane Osbourne, Sous Chef to Tom Aikens with time at The Square and L'Oranger, is still the only Ozzie to win two stars. Pied a Terre has been a stalwart of Mayfair dining for nigh on two decades and has been through it's "difficult second album" phase of losing and regaining it's second star in this time.

The two dining rooms have the smell, feel, discretion and restrained volume of extreme luxury. Whilst space is perhaps at a premium, the service is faultless and the wine list arrives in two hardback volumes in it's own slipcase. The sheer breadth of it presents a danger for wine geeks as it is too easy to indulge in oenophilic porn for so long that it becomes rude. At least I wasn't flipping through the F.T like the gentleman on the next table, rather to his partner's disappointment.

In any case, a starter of Skate Wing Poached in Beurre Noisette with Belly of Suckling Pig, Sweetcorn, Roscoff Onions and Pickled Chanterelles was a balanced, perfectly prepared mixture of lightly poached fish, earthy mushrooms and rich porky parts.

A roasted Saddle of Fallow Venison followed and took well to the Date and Port Sauce it was paired with. The addition of baked beetroot may have added a few too many punchy flavours but it if you are going to be bold on the plate, game season is the time to do it.

A Rully from the wine list should have worked well with the starter and whilst the Chardonnay richness matched the Pork and butter, the oak overpowered the fish a little. Proof if ever it was needed that unless you have tasted the dish before, check with the sommelier if the match works. This is what they are there for, after all.

Next, we took advantage of the little advertised but wonderful opportunity to pay corkage. A bottle of Nuits-Saint-Georges Domaine des Perdrix 2003 from the domestic cellar with it's rich, dark fruit and chocolatey Pinot notes prompted a dreamy little trance when drunk with the main course. The cheese plate was a straightforward selection of Brie de Mieux, Epoisses and Goats cheese and the bread was both worthy of note and plentiful.

In all, a fine meal and nothing to fault though on this occasion we didn't quite find the wow factor of technique, flavour combination, presentation and theatre that is the holy grail of dining at this level. I have no doubt it is there so we shall be back to hunt it down and explore the menu.