[London] Fera at Claridges (One Michelin Star) - Summer '16 Tasting Menu
Address: Claridge’s, 49 Brook St, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR, United Kingdom
Hours: Everyday; 12–2pm, 6:30–10pm
Price: £110 (dinner tasting menu) + 12% service charge per person (without beverages or tip)
Verdict: Worth trying, if you're a fan of fairy food. Every dish and crumble is elegantly and beautifully presented; the tastes fresh and exquisite. A very polished meal (a little ironic since Fera means "wild" in Latin). Don't come for the Michelin star; come if you want to be dazzled by food art and treated like a medieval lord. Both the waiters and dishes are very dressed to impress.
Reservations necessary. +44 20 7107 8888; reservations@feraatclaridges.co.uk
http://feraatclaridges.co.uk/
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Seaweed cracker, lemon sole, sea herbs
July '16 Dinner Tasting Menu
- Stewed rabbit with lovage
- Seaweed cracker, lemon sole, sea herbs
- Puffed barley, mushroom, celeriac and junipe
- Pea mousse with cod and calamint
- Mackerel in coal oil, marinated tomatoes, seaweed and fennel
- Rose veal tartare, oyster, apple and kohlrabi
- Leeks with pork jowl, chicory, sunflower, apple marigold
- Cod with roe sauce, courgette and lemon verbena
- Goosnargh duck, roasted radish, turnip, rhubarb and oxalil
- Fig leaf mousse with gooseberry, sorrel ice, almond meringue
- Meadowsweet cake, cherries, pine and sheep’s yoghurt
I distinctly point out that I came for the July '16 dinner tasting menu because Chef Simon Rogan's food here is heavily influenced by season and climate. "Our menus are inspired by the constant changing of the seasons," says their website. "We only use exceptional, mostly homegrown ingredients that are harvested in their prime. This is why our à la carte and tasting menus change as often as the weather in which our ingredients are grown."
I had a very delightful, refreshing dinner. For 11 courses, the full-flight meal was satisfying without being overbearing. Sauces were light, subtle and precise. I'm impressed because it's difficult to make fine food tasty without putting much burden on your digestive system.
My favorites of the night: pea mousse with cod & calamint, rose veal tartare and the meadowsweet cake (that really isn't cake but more like icy flavored crisps). I'd visit again for the creativity and grace of its presentation. Sure, the restaurant receives criticism for its almost 'too-perfect' glossy feels. It's ornate. Extravagance disguised in hushed rustic tones. But let's not kid ourselves, what were you expecting? Stepping into Mayfair and into one of London's most sophisticated hotels... you knew what you were getting into.
Seaweed cracker, lemon sole, sea herbs
Rose veal tartare, oyster, apple and kohlrabi
Goosnargh duck, roasted radish, turnip, rhubarb and oxalis
Meadowsweet cake, cherries, pine and sheep’s yoghurt
Leeks with pork jowl, chicory, sunflower, apple marigold
Puffed barley, mushroom, celeriac and juniper
Pea mousse with cod and calamint