Hibiscus

Hibiscus is an interior-designed space in Mayfair with smart flower designs and an uncomfortable seating area. Hibiscus had 2 Michelin stars when it was in Ludlow and is gunning for at least the same number here. Hibiscus has very snazzy crockery, many many black-clad staff and a reverential atmosphere. Oh, yes, and it serves food. However, don't come if you want a fun night out. Do come if you want an extraordinary meal and a wallet-straining bill. We ordered the 'surprise' menu at £75 each (yes, each - the a la carte is £55 each for 3 courses) and received the following 8 courses. Plus very tasty parmesan cheese puffs to start.

Amuse: egg shell perched in salt, containnig a 'lightly poached' (i.e.near-raw) egg yolk at the bottom, topped with a potato foam

First: small tower of chestnut puree and blue cheese sorbet sat on a purple cauliflower bake surrounded by a cauliflower veloute.

Second: crab meat in an open raviolo thing with pear and acaicia honey. Plate strewn with herbs and a violet.

Third: Carpaccio of pollack with black radish and truffle. Great texture, great combination of flavours.

Fourth: Fillet of sea bream with mushroom quenelle and caper sauce.

Fifth: (groan) the famous foie gras icecream. Very rich, too much so for this stage of the meal. Gloopy, with the gloop slightly offset by little bits of crisped celeriac, which were just like rice crispies.

Sixth: Shropshire veal with roasted potatoes and goats cheese. Shropshire is a very nice place and the calf had obviously had a very happy life, ending up buttery and full of flavour. The potatoes were also very good with an amazing herb coating.

Seventh: Pre-dessert of apple puree with lemongrass foam. Yummmmeee. The lemongrass foam was made with cream, flavoured with lemon grass and was absolutely delicious.

Eight: Whinberry cheesecake with earl grey icrecream. Whinberries are blueberries who didn't make the grade.

Will we be back? I don't think so. London has so many good restaurants, which are fun to eat in, which serve great food, with good value interesting wine lists, and where you don't have to worry about whether or not your Amex card trumps your neighbours, that Hibiscus was definitely a once only event. Unless, of course, someone kindly offers to buy me dinner there ...