When I met her 14 years ago my wife lived round the corner from L’Etranger: we always promised ourselves we’d go but somehow never penetrated its somberly dark Kensington frontage. Having now taken my colleague Jackie for lunch, I found a formal, minimalist, slightly sterile dining room and high-end French cuisine surprisingly inflected by Japanese flavours and cooking styles. There’s ‘menu a detox’ featuring tofu, raw scallops, grilled vegetables and fish Shabu Shabu (hotpot), plus a selection ofSushi, Maki and caviar. Or there’s a hi-tox menu for two which is basically a fish platter and a bottle of Krug Grand Cuvee for £120.00: L’Etranger prides itself on its wine selection and has its own adjacent ‘cave’.
For a non-bibulous lunch, Jackie went a la carte while I stuck to the set lunch (£16.50 for two courses, £19.50 for three). My seafood spring roll was perfectly crisp and acceptable, nothing special, though the avocado salsa was a nice touch. Jackie’s Charolais beef tartare was better: silky, not over-seasoned. They clearly do beef well here. My main-course Wagyu burger was almost creamy in texture, richly flavoured and succulent, though the home-made potato wedges and cheese fondue were bland enough to make the £7 supplemental charge seem a bit steep. Again, Jackie chose better: her caramelized black cod with Miso was deliciously sticky without, firm and juicy within.
The closer the food steers to Japan, the better it gets, although head chef Kinshuk Dey has, perhaps wisely, steered clear of Japanese puddings. Jackie’s Macadmani Nuts and Caramel Tart with Apple sorbet was another triumph, a lovely mix of the crunchy and the chewy in brittle, biscuity pastry. My Macha tiramisu was watery by contrast, the flavours artificial. Coffee and mint tea great, but a general fussiness about crockery extends to espresso cups which are hard actually to drink from.
Clearly, here, you get what you pay for. With its superior wine list and premium ingredients, it’s foolish to try and go cheap at L’Etranger. When I finally take my wife, it’ll be Krug, oysters, and Wagyu fillet with truffles, all the way.
L’Etranger Restaurant et Les Vins de L’Etranger, 36 Gloucester Road, London SW7 4QT (+ 44 (0)20 7584 1118, etranger.co.uk)
