I have reviewed many restaurants over the years, and I have seen everything from the bland to the breath-taking. But my visit to The Cristal Room turns even the most impressive restaurants on their heads. The Cristal Room is absolutely spectacular, and I have not seen anything quite like it before.
We dined in 'The Living Room', we were immediately taken back by the large Baccarat Crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. It's hard to describe just how beautiful these are, you can't help but keep glancing up at them to marvel at all the sparkling catching your eye. Baccarat Crystal are responsible for some of the most breathtakingly spectacular looking jewellery. It has a superbly high finish.
The interior design has been revisited by Phillippe Strake, but remains timeless and has majestic pockets of wow wherever you look. This is an experience to be savioured from start to finish, and to say we were looking forward to our food is an understatement. We sat down for the 5 course tasting menu, and were treated to a range of splendid dishes as follows:
The menu entitled 'Baccarat 250 Years Menu', the first dish was Oysters ’Princesses de Kermancy’, with Watercress Jelly and Horseradish Cream. Paired with a glass of Bordeaux, Le Gygne, 2011, a strong aromatic white wine. The food was absolutely delectable, seafood and wine is a perfect starter for waking up the palette.
“This was an exquisite dining experience, simply fantastic food and service.”
The second course was Scallops Carpaccio with Clementine, with New Zealand Spinach and Red Meat Radish, paired with a glass of Cotes de Provence 2012, a fruity rose with a smooth delivery of flavour. Scallops can taste very different from restaurant to restaurant, but these go down as one of the best I have tasted. Very soft and juicy, absolutely delicious.
The third course was Sea Bass browned with Sweet Spices, Candied Chicory and Red Endive, Citrus Emulsion. The spices used on the sea bass were incredibly tasty, brought out the rich fish flavour and really left a good impression. This was paired with a glass of Cotes du Jura, a powerful, dry white wine. Cleverly helps accentuate the flavours of the meal and is a real joy to drink.
The forth course was a dish of Deer fillet cooked to the Plancha, Chestnuts and Butternut Squash with Brown Cocoa Nibs, and Jugged Sauce. This dish came out looking like a masterpiece, clearly prepared and presented by some delicate hands, and crafted with a great deal of care. Seeing food so meticulously prepared is something that gets me excited, it's a real pleasure to eat meals like this. The deer was paired with a deep red Chilean wine, Camenere Cabernet Sauvignon. A complex blend of flavours, but a simple wine to drink. Complimenting meat perfectly, I haven't had a more suited pairing.
The final dish being the dessert, it was an Exquisite Harcourt Citrus Fruit, with Tangy Granita. A refreshing and delicious end to an evening of excellent food. Paired with a glass of Beaukett, a sweet South African that worked perfectly with the citrus and tangy flavour of the dessert.
The sommelier at the Cristal Room is clearly a master of his craft. He changes the pairings on a daily basis, and captivated us with his wealth of knowledge and the poetic manor in which he explained each pairing. This was an exquisite dining experience, simply fantastic food and service. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
The Bill: £130 per head
