L’Etranger, in Gloucester Road, might appear from its name and initial appearance to be the very model of a neighbourhood French restaurant. Closer inspection, however, reveals an altogether different beast. Under the guidance of Executive Chef Jerome Tauvron and Head Chef Kingshuk Dey, the cuisine here is a bold and successful mix of French and Japanese cuisine, a less alarming prospect than it might originally seem; after all, Joël Robuchon’s empire has been built on similar principles.
In addition to the excellent a la carte menu, which allows you to stick to French or Japanese cuisine exclusively if you so wish, there are a selection of tasting menus which allow a combination of the restaurant’s influences, including the ‘Degustation’, ‘Opulence’ and ‘Champagne et Poissons’, the latter of which boasts a bottle of Dom Perignon and such delicacies as caramelized black cod with miso, scallops and black pudding and tuna tartare with seruga caviar. The slightly more restrained Opulence menu offers excellent Wagyu beef fillet Rossini as well, as well as the amazing-tasting Tofu Yuzu ice cream. The sommelier will suggest a range of unusual and interesting wines (from the restaurant’s extensive cellar) to go with the food if so desired, including a sparkling sake to complement the tuna tartare. Service is, as you’d expect, impeccable, making this mildly experimental establishment a pleasure to visit.
36 Gloucester Road, SW7 www.etranger.co.uk
