New on Wine List Confidential: Pied à Terre

Waiter-turned-dynamic restaurateur and TV personality, David Moore rose from the role of head waiter of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons’ (then unheard of as a Brit) to become a familiar face on TV’s The Restaurant.

The kitchens of Pied à Terre, his flagship multi-level Fitzrovia restaurant, chic bar and private dining room (which was once his bedroom) have helped launch a gamut of great chefs into international orbit.

Personable sommelier, Oliver Christie, who resembles a younger version of Michael Mcintyre, and takes time to listen to guests, began his career not in the cellars, but kitchens of one and two Michelin-starred restaurants, ‘which gave me a greater understanding of flavour and perhaps just as importantly, continuity in a meal,’ he says.

At Pied a Terre, Christie has helped create one of the most diverse wine lists in London, with bottles ranging from the late £20s to more than £8,000 (Petrus ’82) from prominent estates over multiple vintages. ‘One of the advantages of being a restaurant with a 26-year history is we do not have to use brokers and suppliers to find fine wine on the second-hand market. The majority of our fine wines were bought straight from the châteaux on release and have been cellared by us in our purpose-built cellars, or off premises in bond. By housing the bottles properly, we can be sure (as much as possible in the world of wine) that our wines are showing to their full potential.’

As well as high-end bottles, Christie delights in being able to offer more unusual finds, sometimes blind if you wish to play along, such as: Slovenian Malvaisa, Greek Viognier, Israeli Chardonnay, Quibia from Mallorca, an organic Serbian, and even Uruguayan Marselan. ‘Whether you are a professional, or just like a glass of wine, there will be something to surprise and excite.’

Acting as a global hub for wines, Christie believes the London wine market has never been stronger. ‘This is partly due to the city’s proactive approach to combating fraudulent wines as well as London-based buyers having a sole interest in good wine regardless of where it was produced.’

Despite what Christie terms the ‘inconvenience’ of Brexit, ‘leading to price increases throughout the industry’, he can see a silver lining. ‘Regions offering great value for money will see a surge in popularity and this can only make palettes more diverse and experienced…’

Athenian chef, Asimakis Chaniotis (formerly of RIP sister restaurant, L’Autre Pied) creates boldly beautiful plates, available via a range of menus, including a very good value set lunch, and, even better, the lunch ‘complete with wine’, as well as vegetarian and vegan tasting menus, and the seasonal tasting menu using micro suppliers who specialise in ‘singular ingredients’. Dishes may include: starter of 67° Octopus/Squid Ink/Piquillo Pepper/Spring Onion, then French Squab Pigeon/Shallots/Fondant/Blackberries/Confit Leg and Hay/Douglas Fir Smoked Sabayon, followed by, gregariously, ‘Lime Mousse with a glass of Tokaji, Exaltation’ (Nyulaszo, Holdvolgy).

Suppliers are included on a credit roll in the food menu, which also, charmingly features a track list of the musical playlist.

Corkage is £25 per bottle.

To see the WLC position and scores for this review click here

Wine List Confidential, brought to you by the drinks business, is the first platform to rank London’s restaurants on the strength of their wine list alone, providing a comprehensive guide to the best restaurants in the capital for wine lovers.

Restaurants are graded on a 100-point scale based on five criteria: size, value, service, range and originality. For a full guide to London’s best wine lists visit winelistconfidential.com

the drinks business published the inaugural 2017 Wine List Confidential: One to Sixty-One guide last year. We are currently working on a new 2018 edition and are busy re-reviewing top-scoring restaurants and adding new entries to the database. Check back later in the year for final scoring and position of restaurants.