The Wallace, London
Oliver Peyton's third "public space" restaurant opened in September in the Wallace Collection in London's Manchester Square. Tom Vaughan took a break from the art to report
The theme for Oliver Peyton's restaurant at the Wallace Collection in London's Manchester Square, set in a collection of classic Gallic art, from Poussin to Watteau to Géricault, was a no-brainer. "We wanted it to be as French as possible," says head chef Thierry Laborde.
Peyton had already opened restaurants in the traditionally British public spaces of the National Gallery and St James's Park when he approached Laborde to run the Wallace restaurant. In the knowledge that Laborde had spent time working with the Roux brothers at London's Le Gavroche, latterly as head chef, and with Alain Ducasse at Restaurant Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo, Peyton was hiring someone with a good training in classical French cuisine.
Situated in the gallery's courtyard, beneath a glass roof two storeys high, the 120-seat restaurant and café opened in September after refurbishment by interior designer Shaun Clarkson. With embroidered, deep-red cushions adorning gunmetal wire chairs and Japanese maple trees dividing the ample space, the objective was to create a restaurant themed on a typical Parisian courtyard. The feeling of being outside inside is comfortably achieved, and clever use of shrubbery means a potentially vacuous space is not overbearing.
With the restaurant open from 10am to 5pm, plus Friday and Saturday evenings, the menu caters for breakfast, a light lunch and dinner, all with a French twang. The à la carte menu is advertised as "contemporary French", but has a very classical feel to it as well. Simplicity is the key. "To me, simple is beautiful, and Alain (Ducasse) taught me that," says Laborde.
So, for instance, sea bass (for two) comes in a salt crust served with buttered boiled potatoes and spinach (£36); and oxtongue arrives with piquant sauce (£6.50).
Fresh ingredients are central to Laborde's menu at the Wallace. As much produce as possible is imported from France, much of it specifically from his homeland in the South-west of the country where, Laborde insists, the best beef and, naturally, the best foie gras in France is to be had. Pork cutlets, which are served with a gherkin and baby onion sauce (£12.50), are similarly sourced from South-west France.
Other options on the à la carte menu include a tender rump of milk-fed Pyrenees lamb served with autumn vegetables (£17.50), while for fish lovers there's sea bream wrapped in fig leaves which comes to the table with roast figs, wild mushrooms and a lemon confit (£15.50).
Desserts are similarly French, with a classic, melt-in-the-mouth apple tarte tatin (£6), and oeufs à la neige aux pralines (£6), a floating island in custard sauce with pralines.
Laborde is also responsible for the Wallace's café, which puts out light bistro-style dishes such as crabs (£10.50), clams (£7) and oysters (£11.50 per dozen, native), as well as a range of terrines (£6.50 for game pâté or coarse goose pâté among others) and a selection of French cheeses, tarts, salads and omelettes (all priced about £6 to £7). A Parisien afternoon tea with finger sandwiches and French pastries is available for £15.
Laborde's food is obviously hitting the spot with visitors to the gallery. "I was born with something brilliant always going on in the kitchens around me," he says. "So why waste that knowledge?"
What's on the menu
- Duck consommé, £7.50
- Steak tartare Périgord truffle vinaigrette, £9.50
- Marinated salmon with dill and crème fraîche, £7
- Sirloin steak with pomme allumette and béarnaise or pepper sauce, £16.50
- Classic fish soup and garnish, £18
- Crème brûlée à la vanilla, £6
- Bitter hot chocolate fondant, £6
- Rum baba, £6
The Wallace at the Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN Tel: 020 7563 9505
