Table of Contents
In the world of independent restaurants, to celebrate being open for 35 years is no mean feat. OK, there are exceptions — Wiltons (est. 1742), Rules (est. 1798), and Veeraswamy, which just celebrated its 100th birthday. But when you consider that the restaurant in question — Pied à Terre — has had the same owner for all 35 of those years, and for much of that time has held a Michelin star, it’s even more remarkable.
So, just 35 years late, I find myself at Pied à Terre to sample the 35th anniversary set menu, priced at — you’ve guessed it — £35. Which, in my book, has to be a bargain.
My visit coincided with one of the hottest days of the year — quite incredible for May. Charlotte Street is a foodie’s paradise, and it was wonderful to escape the glare of the sunshine and step into the cool of the restaurant. Pied à Terre is the sort of place you feel immediately at home in. There’s a lovely, relaxed atmosphere, which is entirely down to David and his team. An 80s playlist sets the vibe perfectly — and any restaurant that plays Kate Bush, David Bowie and The Smiths is off to a very good start as far as I’m concerned. If you don’t know who any of these are, ask your mum and dad.
Pied à Terre occupies several floors of a classic Fitzrovian townhouse and, with around 40 covers in total, feels delightfully intimate — clearly by design rather than accident. On the ground floor, there are two dining rooms: a wonderfully compact front room with just a handful of tables, separated from the world outside by not very much at all, and a slightly larger space towards the back which carries a little more energy. Head up to the first floor, and you’ll find the Kitchen Table — an informal private dining space for up to eight guests, perfect for a relaxed team lunch or an intimate private dinner. Higher still, the second floor is home to the Print Room, a rather more luxurious affair, seating up to 16.
1 About Pied à Terre
The man behind Pied à Terre is David Moore, an Irishman from County Monaghan who cut his teeth working under Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons — widely regarded as one of the finest training grounds for hospitality talent in the country. In 1991, armed with that formidable grounding, David opened Pied à Terre on Charlotte Street. The restaurant earned its Michelin star just thirteen months after opening — a quite extraordinary achievement for a newly independent restaurant. Even after 35 years, David’s front-of-house presence is very much in evidence — it’s lovely to see his genuine love of hospitality on display from the moment you walk through the door, a skill that is so often overlooked in fine dining.
Pied à Terre holds the distinction of being London’s longest-standing independently owned Michelin-starred restaurant — a title that speaks volumes in an industry where restaurants come and go with alarming regularity. Thirty-five years, one owner, one Michelin star. Not bad at all.
2 The Anniversary Menu
So, down to the food. The £35 anniversary menu comprises an amuse-bouche, starter and main — and for the price, it’s worth remembering you’re dining in one of London’s finest restaurants, with everything that entails. On our menu, the starters offered fish and plant-based options, and the mains had a quail and a plant-based option.
The amuse-bouche was a flavour sensation served in an eggshell — a wonderful way to start, confit egg yolk, with balsamic caramelised onions, crispy guanciale and truffle foam. A small note on the optional extras: we ordered bread and butter (£6), and I’d recommend you do the same, as the basil butter is irresistible. Also available are canapés — including the famous fish and chip canapé — at £10, and a cheese course or dessert for £12.50.
We went for the fish starter: red mullet served on a bed of fennel and bottarga bisque. The fish was perfectly cooked, and the bisque was sensational. Next up, the main — our choice was the French quail ballotine served with fricassee and avgolemono sauce. The silky, creamy egg yolk, mixed with the vegetables, made the perfect sauce for the quail.
3 Conclusion
I’ll get straight to the point: this is probably one of the best set lunches I have had in a very long time. The cooking operates on a level that simply confirms why Pied à Terre has endured for 35 years whilst so many of its contemporaries have long since closed their doors.
The food was exceptional, the service warm and knowledgeable, and the whole experience felt genuinely special — which is remarkable at any price point, let alone at £35. If you are looking for a special-occasion lunch that won’t decimate your bank balance, I cannot recommend this highly enough. Pied à Terre has earned its place as a London institution, and this anniversary menu is the perfect introduction to find out exactly why.
One final note, I recently went to another well-known London restaurant to try their set lunch, and we were given the à la Carte menu. When we asked to see their set menu, we were met with a less-than-enthusiastic response. It was obviously the restaurant’s policy not to offer the set menu; at Pied à Terre, it was pleasing to see that both the à la carte and the anniversary menus were brought to us together on arrival, and that every diner arriving whilst we were eating at the restaurant was also offered both menus.
4 The Anniversary Menu – What You Need to Know
The £35 anniversary set menu is available for lunch Wednesday to Saturday and includes an amuse-bouche, starter and main course, with options for both omnivore and plant-based diners. One important note: you must mention the anniversary menu when booking — it isn’t offered automatically. Evening slots are available Tuesday to Friday (5:30pm, 5:45pm and 6:00pm for early sittings; 8:45pm, 9:00pm and 9:15pm for later), though note the menu is not available on Saturday evenings.
5 Where to Find Pied à Terre
Pied à Terre
34 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2NH
www.pied-a-terre.co.uk
Nearest station: Goodge Street (Northern line)
