Groupon deals always make me think of restaurants that are in a real need of business. It’s not often you see a Michelin star restaurant with actual good reviews pop up, especially at a bargain of £31 for 7 courses (50% off the original price). Needless to say, I was on it.
I visited L’autre Pied during a weekday. The interior is very low key and has a slight rundown feel to it which somehow adds to the character! One thing I would say though is that the restaurant is rather small and tables are quite close to each other. I personally didn’t mind this but I know some people do… if you’re planning a date etc.
We started off with delicious warm bread straight out of the oven and a glass of Reisling for me. The waiter then came by to explain each dish thoroughly in his French accent and obviously made everything sound great.
As an appetiser we were brought fish crackers with mayo. They were delicious! We then got down to the actual 7-course business starting with a small pot of courgette mousse with basil and frozen parmesan. This was an interesting mix and took a moment to get used to. After a few spoons I did like the fusion of flavours and the way the mousse melts in your mouth.
Next up was cucumber ceviche, creme fraiche, dill and crushed ice. This dish was very plain and nothing really stood out about it.
The 3rd and 4th dish were fish. The mackerel was my favorite dish with tomato, miso and quinoa. It was cooked perfectly and went very well with the crispy quinoa. There was a piece of vegetable in the bottom of the dish which tasted burnt though, otherwise it would have been flawless. This was followed by cod with grapefruit, brassicas and pearl barley, yet another dish which wasn’t bad but didn’t really stand out in any way.
The last of the main courses was the meat – lamb, red pepper ketchup, burnt aubergine and spinach.
The dessert was coconut rice pudding, sweet cheese, sake, lime and again…. crushed ice. The chef must love ice – it started to feel kind of repetitive at this point.
Despite 7 courses, 2 hours was more than enough time to enjoy a relaxing meal and we didn’t feel rushed whatsoever. The sizes were reasonable and we didn’t leave feeling hungry or too stuffed. I think the experience was good for the offer, however at face value of £62 I would say you can get much better meals in London. The meal was definitely not bad at all but lacked the wow factor you’d expect from a Michelin Star restaurant.
