When we spoke to our chefs about their favourite season for ingredients, there was one overwhelming favourite... Autumn!
So this October we're letting them freestyle, with our foodie celebration: The Wild Table. Bring on the truffles, the game , the shellfish and root veg AKA the finer things in life for a month of menus, supperclubs and much more, with a little added sparkle from our partner Champagne Laurent-Perrier...
WHAT'S HAPPENING?
LANGOUSTINES AT ANGLER
South Place Hotel's Michelin-Starred rooftop restaurant, Angler, is going to be hosting an evening dedicated to langoustines on Tuesday 11th October, with seven spectacular courses from Executive Chef Gary Foulkes and his brigade, with the option to pair each dish with a different Laurent-Perrier champagne, hand-picked by sommelier Benoit Allauzen. Dishes include langoustine tartare with white soy, wakame and oyster leaf, and roasted XL langoustine with marjoram and beach mustard. The dinner will be held in Angler's Chef's View dining area, with a window into the kitchen so you can see the kitchen at work, and tickets are priced at £120, with an optional £80 supplement for the Laurent-Perrier flight.
CAVIAR AT LE PONT DE LA TOUR
Down by the riverside, Le Pont de la Tour's Head Chef Frederick Forster is teaming up with King's Fine Foods for a night of serious luxury. A caviar tasting, exploring the differences between four varieties (Beluga, Oscietra, Aquitaine and Imperial) before sitting down to a delicious three-course meal. The event is taking place on Thursday 13th October, with tickets including the tasting, three courses and half a bottle of wine, all for just £75.
FEASTING WITH SOUTH PLACE CHOP HOUSE
This summer South Place Chop House opened its doors celebrating the best of British food, with a major focus on expertly-sourced meat (as the name might suggest...). Get a taste of the action on Tuesday 18th October, when Executive Chef Gary Foulkes will be serving up an indulgent feasting menu, in the hotel's beautiful Peel Room. The menu includes roasted duck and suckling pig with all the trimmings, all served family style. Places are priced at £50 for three courses and a glass of Champagne Laurent-Perrier. Cheers to that!
THE THREE AMICOS AT SARTORIA
Sartoria's Chef Patron Francesco Mazzei has assembled a dream team for his Wild Table event, with legendary Head Sommelier Michael Simms manning the wine selection, award-winning guest bartending superstar Simone Caporale mixing the cocktails, and Francesco himself cooking the dinner! On Wednesday 19th October the Savile Row favourite will be serving an exclusive autumnal Italian menu kicking off with burrata and smoked aubergine, followed by Grana Padano and pigeon risotto, before wild terbot with pickled truffles and mushrooms, ending the night with a selection of sweet treats or pasticcini. Every guest will receive signature cocktail from Simone on arrival, and enjoy an Italian wine with every course, handpicked by Michael, too. And all that for only £85!
TRUFFLES AT ORRERY
Orrery's annual truffle dinner is one of our favourite nights of the year, and this time it's going to be better than ever! Chef Patron Igor Tymchyshyn has been hard at work crafting five spectacular, truffle-laced courses, all paired with fabulous wines and presented by truffle supremo Alfredo Romano. The event will be held on Wednesday 19th October in Orrery's chic private dining room, overlooking Marylebone High St, and will kick off with a flute of Champagne Laurent-Perrier. Tickets are priced at £160, but be quick... This one ALWAYS sells out.
CUTTING THE MUSTARD AT COQ D'ARGENT
Now, a mustard tasting menu might sound a little bit odd, but when Coq d'Argent's exceptional Head Chef Damien Rigollet has created it in partnership with legendary French brand Maille you know that the result is going to be seriously tasty! From 25th October the rooftop restaurant will be serving a limited-edition six-course mustard-infused menu, with dishes including duck foie gras ballotine with pear, honey-mustard and white truffle chutney and homemade brioche, as well as a seared fillet of sea bass with handpicked Devon crab and white truffle risotto and wholegrain mustard. Yes there's a lot of truffle in there too. It's priced at £90, or £150 with matching wines, and if you go for it then DO NOT MISS the honey mustard macarons!
THREE OF THE BEST
Three of our top chefs are going to be cooking together, for one night only, in aid of an exceptional cause, on Wednesday 26th October. This one-off event will be held at Blueprint Café, is named Changing Course and is in aid of London-based adoption chairity Coram, but now for the most exciting bit... The food! The starter will be prepared by Gary Foulkes, Executive Chef of Michelin-Starred Angler restaurant, the main course will be cooked by Le Pont de la Tour's Frederick Forster and Sartoria's Francesco Mazzei is on dessert duty. There's also going to be a charity auction with a celelb host prizes including a cross-Channel dining experience, kicking off with breakfast at German Gymnasium before boarding the EuroStar and whizzing across to Paris for dinner at Alcazar! Tickets are priced at only £80, including champagne and canapés on arrival, three courses and half a bottle of wine, per person.
AUTUMNAL DISHES AT QUAGLINO'S
The team at Quaglino's will be cooking up a selection of delicious autumnal dishes, inspired by Chef James Hulme's love of foraged ingredients, and each will be paired with a glass of Champagne Laurent-Perrier, for a touch of extra luxury. So what's on the menu? Cauliflower and truffle velouté with baby squid, fresh linguine with white truffle and roast guinea fowl stuffed with truffle, roast crosnes (Chinese artichoke), charred leek and wild mushroom, jus. They will be available from 24th October.
THE BLACK FOREST AT GERMAN GYMNASIUM
German Gymnasium Executive Chef Bjoern Wassmuth is paying homage to Germany's Black Forest with a limited-edition menu, made up of all the region's most famous exports. Black Forest ham is followed by truffled potato soup, then venison with spatzle, sprouts and lingonberries, finishing with a chocolate and cherry dessert. Available from 3rd October, you can tuck into all four courses and a glass of Champagne Laurent-Perrier for only £45.
GAME ON AT BLUEPRINT CAFÉ
The team at Blueprint Café have been hard at work on a snazzy new wine list (hint: there's going to be A LOT of really brilliant natural wines on offer) and stumbled across the ultimate wine match for grouse... Gamay, from the magnum. Throughout October they will be serving up magnums of Domaine Jean Foillard Morgon Côte Du Py 2014, Beaujolais, France by the glass (£10), matched with roasted breast and confit leg of grouse, with black pudding, roasted apple sauce and toasted sourdough (£30). YUM.