Petrus - the wine, the restaurant

Petrus means different things to different people. To some, it is a small boutique wine estate in the Pomerol region of Bordeaux, producing one of the most sought after and expensive wines in the world. To others, Petrus means the legendary restaurant at The Berkeley Hotel (until that is the acrimonious split between Marcus Wareing and Gordon Ramsey took place). To some, it means the new restaurant that Ramsey has opened, just footsteps from its old location, within a stones throw from Wareing's fabulous restaurant at The Berkeley.

To me, Petrus means all three.

Petrus, the wine, to most is almost unobtainable. A deep, rich, powerful Pomerol of such intensity that it can't help take your breath away. Its produced in such small quantities each year that its release price is always astronomic and continues to grow in value to the point of ridiculousness as it ages. Go on line now and you'll see single bottles trading for several thousand pounds and cases routinely selling for tens of thousands. If you are ever lucky enough to have the opportunity to try some of this amazing wine make sure you grasp it with both hands.

In terms of Petrus, the restaurant, I was never able to visit the original in The Berkeley. However, I have been to its new incarnation down the road from its original haunt. I can't compare the new with the old, but can report that the new one is very much on the money.

I went for a Saturday lunch after a morning of wandering around the Knightsbridge shops. I ordered salmon and lobster cannelloni as a starter which was served with a nice tangy vine tomato sauce. A lovely steamed piece of sea bream followed served on a bed of fennel and apple whilst a hazelnut parfait finished things off nicely. To supplement this I had two glasses of Puligny Montrachet. Very tasty indeed.

The dinning room is light and airy, built around the central wine cellar which is made of glass. As the tables look inwards towards this focal point it gives you a glorious view into what is on offer. Service is efficient and to the point, which I like, and the tables are nicely spaced so you don't feel like you have to eaves drop on the table next door. All in all, there is not much to grumble about.

Of course, any restaurant called Petrus must pay tribute to its namesake wine in some shape or form. In this regard, Petrus, the restaurant, scores grandly. Never before have I seen a wine list with so many Petrus vintages on it. I think I counted sixteen. Although, to be honest, I lost count after about ten, as I noticed the prices getting higher and higher as my eyes were drawn further and further down the list.

You may expect a restaurant named after one of the most expensive wines in the world to be a tad pricey. However, at £25 for the three course set lunch, plus the obligatory amuse bouche and pre desert, you can't go wrong. I'd recommend it for a nice weekend lunch, although you will need to book ahead as its busy (we had to book a month in advance to get a table). Just make sure that while you are there you stay away from the offerings of Petrus, the wine. Unless that is you have several thousand pounds burning a hole in your wallet.

Bar Boulud, Failure to Lunch

Daniel Boulud has taken up residence at the self titled Bar Boulud in Mandarin Oriental's Knightsbridge hotel. Boulud's flagship New York restaurant has won plaudits the world over for its innovative take on french cuisine, and is rightly regarded as one of the main players in that cities extensive dinning scene. With this in mind, his arrival on these shores comes with considerable expectation.

Bar Boulud promises much form the start. It has its own entrance to the side of the hotel, directly off the busy streets opposite Harvey Nichols. The reception/bar area are modern and spacious and you are greeted with genuine warmth by the front of house staff. However, once you move through the bar area and are sat down at your table it starts to unravel alarmingly quickly. The tables are too close together, the waiting staff seem to be going through the motions and to top it off the food is just not that special for the prices being charged. Yes, the young, rich and beautiful may fill it day in day out, but that does not necessarily mean you should also choose to eat there.

Its not bad. I should be clear about that. But I expected much more and was left feeling fairly indifferent to the place. It all just felt a little too formulaic. This is probably the best way to describe Bar Boulud. It does not really stand out from the crowd. The decor is nice without being stunning, the food is alright without being impressive and the overall experience sufficient without being memorable. I can't actually remember what I ate there, which just about says it all.

To be honest the Mandarin Oriental deserves better. Especially since the faultless Foliage was, in part at least, closed down to make way for this new venue. Hopefully Heston Blumenthals "Dinner by Heston" will right this when it too opens at the Mandarin Oriental later this year.

If you fancy some french cooking and a nice lunch go up the road to Helene Darroze at the Connaught. Its a little more expensive than Bar Boulud but oh so much better value.

Positano Bites Deep..

So wrote John Steinbeck in a piece for Harpers Bazaar in 1953. He was right. Anyone who has been to Positano will understand exactly what he means. Italy's Amalfi coast is without doubt beautiful, but Positano has to be its gem. The array of multi-coloured houses and villas clung to almost vertical cliffs, that open up into a bay with deep, blue, clear waters cannot fail to impress even the most soulless of beings.

The drive from Naples airport to this Amalfi hideaway is all part of the Positano experience. Out of the bustling Naples airport, past Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum, along the Bay of Naples and finally the cliff clinging roads around the Gulf of Salerno. Its a glorious drive, although if you don't like cliff edge roads with sheer drops to the sea below its probably best to sit on the left hand side of the car. Steinbeck talks about a mad taxi driver who was intent on doing the journey in record time when he visited. Things have not changed much in this regard. Italian chauffeurs still seem intent on trying to break the land speed record whenever they get behind the wheel.

When staying in Positano, there is only really one place to rest your head. Le Sirenuse is that rare find for a hotel these days. Privately owned by the same family that started it originally. It sits at the top of Positano with a prime vista over the harbour, shops and eateries below. Rooms are fresh and elegantly furnished with a range of antiques. Service is second to none. From the moment you enter you are treated almost as if you are a family friend visiting and staying for a few days. Nothing is too much trouble and a glass of champagne in the oyster bar at sunset is a simply stunning intro for dinner.

The restaurant at Le Sirenuse, La Sponda, is a Michelin starred wonder. Set on a terrace, lit by a hundred candles and overlooking the gulf of Salerno its location is perfect. At night time you can dine under the stars whilst gazing out at a few of the super yachts that have taken up port for the night below. The food is expensive, you can eat much cheaper down in the town, but to miss out on a treat such as this at least once would be a crime. We ate here twice in the four nights that we stayed. Both times we had the eight course tasting menu. On visiting the second time, and commenting that we had had the tasting menu two days ago, our waiter told us that if we wanted it again they would provide eight totally different courses to the ones we had eaten earlier that week. With this offer we had to accept. How many Michelin starred restaurants would do this for their guests. Not many I would venture and for me typifies why La Sponda is truly special. Of course the food is good, the wine is excellent and the location perfect. But as I have said before you need more than this. In the case of La Sponda its the staff and service that make it stand out. The waiters are knowledgeable, chatty and efficient without being overbearing and intrusive. The sommelier guides you towards whatever suits your budget without the distain that some in city restaurants have. In all its a thoroughly professional affair carried out in a relaxed but classy environment.

Steinbeck's Positano article is now almost 60 years old. However, if he were to visit again today I doubt he would find that anything had changed. Its was perfect then, and still is now.