As I made my way through the side streets of Knightsbridge and Belgravia to Pétrus for lunch on a recent hot summer’s day, I was expecting the Michelin-starred restaurant to be somewhat stuffy given its location. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Yes, Pétrus is an upmarket eatery, but it is also a place in which you are made to feel welcome and comfortable, with a relaxed and surprisingly informal atmosphere and without too many airs and graces.
The clientele was a mix of locals and international visitors the day I was there, casual but smartly dressed, with very few suits and ties in sight, apart from the staff that is. I noticed some nice little touches too, like handbag holders for the ladies. Smaller bags can hang on a little hook you simply attach to the side of the table and for larger bags, a little stool positioned by the side of the table so it can be easily accessed during the course of the meal.
The cosy circular dining area is intimate, elegant and sophisticated, with a large floor to ceiling circular glass wine cellar as a central focal point, housing over a thousand world-class wines with exceptional vintages from the restaurant’s namesake, Chateau Pétrus. There is also a ‘Harry Potter’ cellar which houses the white wines, spirits and soft drinks.
Named after one of the world’s finest wines, the wine list features a number of different vintages of Château Pétrus and is also the very first restaurant in Europe to offer it’s wine by the glass. The comprehensive wine list offers diners a wide range of labels from many of France’s top vineyards as well as other fine and rare European wines. And last year Pétrus was recognised as the World’s Best Medium-Sized Wine List by The World of Fine Wine.
Head Chef Orson Vergnaud has put together a dynamic and ever-evolving contemporary menu that captures the essence of modern French cuisine, using the finest seasonal ingredients, creating dishes that go with the changing seasons that pair exceptionally well with the restaurant’s world-class wines.
There are five menus to choose from that include the Prestige Menu, the Discovery Menu, an à la carte menu of course and a four-course lunch set menu which is available during the week at the very reasonable price of £47 per person and is what we had.
As we gaze upon the enticing menu, enjoying the warm sourdough bread and butter, some very moreish amuse-bouche arrived, consisting of a Chicken Liver Parfait, Heritage Carrot Tartlet and Croustade of Taramasalata and Caviar.
The lunch menu got off to a very good start with a delicious Cured Salmon with Nori (seaweed), horseradish and tapioca. That was followed by a mouth wateringly superb Lobster Ravioli, accompanied by a finger lime and fennel bisque. The third course was a beautifully succulent Chicken Breast with miso cabbage and chicken velouté.
We were looked after extremely well throughout our meal by head sommelier Miléna De Waele, who advised us on the best wine pairings to go with each dish, taking into account our personal taste preferences, starting our culinary journey with a 2023 Thierry Douin Mâcon-Bussières Le Vieux Puits. This elegant and pure wine has rich aromas of vanilla, pear and pineapple, complemented by white floral notes and a citrussy finish, giving it all the charm of a great Mâcon and pairing beautifully with the salmon.
The Lobster Ravioli was paired with a 2023 Pieropan Calvarino Soave Classico from the Soave region of Italy. Made with the Garganega grape variety, it has a straw-yellow hue with green nuances and a complex bouquet of ripe citrus fruits, apple and acacia flowers, along with a hint of vanilla and almond. This fresh and lively white wine has a rich and creamy texture coupled with a vibrant acidity and degree of minerality.
The next wine to complement our chicken was a 2020 Domaine des Ardoisières, Argile Rouge made from 100 per cent biodynamically farmed grapes sourced from 40-year old vineyards in Saint-Pierre-de-Soucy and 60-year old vineyards in Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte in Savoie.
This fresh, light-bodied and fruity red wine has a very deep, dark and almost opaque blackish-red colour to it with a slightly blueish hue. It has aromas of fresh forest fruits, some peppery spice, a little bit of gunpowder smoke, light notes of crowberries and fresh blackberries, sweet red fruits and a floral touch of violets. You can taste the intense and substantial flavours of brambly blackberries and fresh crowberries, along with gravelly mineral tones and hint of sour red plums and crushed peppercorns.
As the proceedings drew to a close, we were offered a basil and strawberry sorbet to cleanse the palate before being presented with a “naughty but nice” white chocolate and cherry Black Forest dessert. This was paired with a smooth 2013 Sandeman Quinta do Seixo Vintage Port. Deep purple in colour, it has intense aromas of cherry, raspberry, plum and blue berries, coupled with spicy notes of pepper and nutmeg and hint of cedar wood.
An assortment of petit fours and an espresso rounded off what was an excellent lunch in the most convivial setting before we were taken downstairs to the busy kitchen to see the Chef’s Table. Ideal for those looking for a more intimate meal, the bespoke menu and setting gives you the opportunity to see how a Michelin-star kitchen works in practice.
Would I go back? Most certainly. Pétrus is a hidden gem tucked away in the back streets of Belgravia and easily missed if you didn’t know about it. The lunch menu offers extraordinarily good value for a restaurant of this quality and is the perfect place for a business lunch, partner rendezvous or date night. If I lived in the area, it would be one of my regular haunts. Ramsay offers an unforgettable dining experience and it’s a real treat to dine at this unpretentious Michelin-starred restaurant.
The Details
Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay, 1 Kinnerton Street, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 8EA, England.
Tel: +44 (0)207 592 1609
Website: www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com
Email: petrus@gordonramsay.com
Petrus is located between Belgravia and Knightsbridge and is a just short 6 minute walk from Knightsbridge Tube station on the Picadilly line. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Thursday for lunch from midday to 2:15pm and for dinner from 6:00pm to 9:15pm. Friday to Sunday for lunch from midday to 2:15pm and for dinner from 6:00pm to 9:45pm. It is closed all day Monday.
Type of Restaurant: Fine Dining Michelin-starred French Restaurant
Price Band: Medium to high
Insider Tip: You can’t beat the value of the lunch menu at £47 per person. I would also recommend asking the sommelier for the best wine(s) to pair with your meal.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10/10
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is a UK-based travel and motoring journalist and editor, a former member of The British Guild of Travel Writers and professional photographer.
Photographs courtesy of Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay
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