London, UK Restaurants: La Dame de Pic; Elystan Street.

La Dame Du Pic

This is the London outpost of Anne-Sophie Pic, currently the only female French holder of 3 Michelin stars and former winner of the 50 Best Restaurants of the world "best female chef in the world".

Ameuses:

Cucumber and tomato consomme flavoured with verbena, fennel and basil.

From the top: bon bons of chartreuse, green apple and cinnamon leaves; marshmallow currie and cashew nuts; jerusalem artichoke and licorice leaves.

House made breads with pulverized coffee infused butter that had been refrigerated over 24 hours. The butter was hauntingly good and the coffee flavour quite subtle.

Mousse of cauliflower, cumin and coconut with grated cured egg yolk and espalette pepper, generously sprinkled with grated mimolette cheese. The flavours and texture were memorable!

Asparagus marinated and roasted with pastis, green anise and licorice on a bed of asparagus "tartar" with lemon verbena ice cream. Once again, a remarkable breakthrough of flavours.

Scottish scallops served raw, marinated in black cardomom and jasmine tea, topped with shaved radish and green apple, accompanied by apple granite infused with sake and fennel and also, bavarois of sake lees.

Scottish langostine seared in shellfish butter with heirloom carrots and a carrot bouillon infused with pine tree buds and geranium.

Monkfish roasted with sobacha (roasted buckwheat tea), accompanied with Chantenay carrots, sea asparagus, morels that had been cooked in camomolle butter flavoured with clam jus and razor clams.

Kalingo chocolate with aromatic herbs (mint, micro mint, basil, Thai basil, Mexican tarragon and butterfly sorrel), cocoa nibs and chantilly. Another breakthrough of new flavours.

Petit fours: Raspberry and mint tart; Black currant bon bon of concentrated black current gel, lavender and fennel pollen (to be eaten in one bight).

Elystan Street

Ravioli of scallops and prawns with sardine vinaigrette. octopus, piperade and orange.

Hand cut strozzapreti with chicken oysters (the best part of the chicken), peas, girolle mushrooms, tarragon and parmesan. A very well conceived dish.

Salmon with crushed Jersey royal potatoes (my fave), spring onions and a veloute of watercress. 

Brillat Savarin cheesecake with meringue and verbena and mellon ice cream.