Les 110 de Taillevent, Cavendish Square Marylebone- Paris comes to London

Last Updated on February 17, 2020

Les 110 de Taillevent – 110 wines and a distinctly Parisian flavour:

It will come as no surprise to regular readers of London-Unattached that I was keen to visit Les 110 de Taillevent in Cavendish Square.  The London outpost of the iconic two Michelin-starred Le Taillevent sits along one side of Cavendish Square, just behind Oxford Street.  Inside, a contemporary take on the bistro with green leather banquettes and seating with the wines neatly stored behind a bar.  It felt like a classic; comfortable and yet elegant.  And, I was pretty sure, even before I looked at the menu, that  I would want to go back.

Inside, a contemporary take on the bistro with green leather banquettes and seating with the wines neatly stored behind a bar.  It felt like a classic; comfortable and yet elegant.  And, I was pretty sure, even before I looked at the menu, that  I would want to go back.

The full menu at Les 110 de Taillevent is rather fun and appears with a central section listing the food and then two flaps which unfold to reveal the wine recommendations.  One side has the cheaper options (less than £8 and less that £14 for a full glass – though 70ml measures are also offered).  The other side categorises the more expensive options.  I prefer a small measure of wine that matches my food rather than a large pour of something which overwhelms the dish and I like the way the wines are offered here for two reasons.  Firstly, half glasses are perfect for me if I’m matching food and wine.  I can have three courses with the right wine for each course and with a glass of bubbles to start but only drink 250ml of wine in total.  Then, if I’m feeling decadent, I can even ‘afford’ a port at the end of the meal.  Secondly, I am at that stage where I know how much I don’t know about wine.  I LIKE having my wine paired – for the most part, I am confident the chef and the sommelier in any restaurant will have a better idea of what wine will be best for each course that me.  I want the wine to add to my gastronomic experience, not detract from it in any way.  And a good pairing will make that happen.

But what of the food?

Well, that turned out to be rather good too, though we didn’t start eating until we all had a glass of Billecart-Salmon.  Our menus had listed that we would be drinking Laurent Perrier and I asked our host, Nicola Munari, why there had been a change.  ‘

‘Well’ he explained.  ‘I don’t believe in bottles of champagne, only magnums, and we didn’t have any magnums of Laurent Perrier’.  Happy with the explanation (wine experts often say that a magnum is superior to a regular-sized bottle because the ratio of air to liquid is lower in the larger bottle, ensuring the wine ages more slowly), I was also rather pleased by the substitution as I have a soft spot for Billecart-Salmon, one of the last remaining family-owned Champagne houses in France.  Though I wouldn’t turn down a glass of Laurent Perrier either!

Our table did have a set menu, but we were encouraged to mix and match dishes from the a la carte – and while we procrastinated we nibbled on some dishes; a toasted truffle sandwich a little pot of mushroom veloute and some confit salmon.  All delicious, but there was a lot more to come.

After much procrastination, I decided on Cornish Crab to start, with a remoulade, dill and fennel. It was delicious, though both the remoulade and the radish dominated the flavour.

NEXT time I am definitely going to try the Octopus – served a la plancha with a Vierge sauce, Iberico chorizo and squid ink.

Having made something of a song and dance about the wine pairings, I did spot a wine I wanted to try again that was nothing to do with the recommended pairing.  Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2009 Valentini is a delicious white wine from Italy.  Valentini (now the son of the original winemaker) runs is one of the top wineries in Abruzzo and the last time I tasted any Valentini wines I was on a wine tasting trip there.   It is a complex and intense wine that I’d still order like a shot if I saw it on the menu, simply because you never do.  Not in the UK.

My next dish was a plate of wild seabass with celeriac puree, chestnut and shellfish sauce topped with black truffles.  Honestly, once truffles have been added to a dish, I rarely think of anything other than the truffles themselves.  But, this was beautifully composed, the shellfish sauce just adding a necessary touch to avoid the dish being dry and a nicely cooked portion of seabass nestling under those shavings of deliciousness.  Matched for me with Saumur-Champigny La Marginale 2012 Domaine des Roches Neuves, a lovely powerful Cabernet  Franc red wine that worked well with the truffled fish

The pigeon came beautifully presented with confit foie gras cromesquis, a little fan of pomme Anna and savoy cabbage purée.  It was my favourite of the savoury dishes – the pigeon breast was beautifully pink with a crisp skin and I loved the tiny cromesquis.  My pairing, Vacqueras ‘Variation’ 2010 Domain Montvac, a classic Rhone red complemented the dish beautifully

By this stage, dessert was hardly necessary but of course, we continued, with Moscato to drink and I suspect a sample of everything on the menu.  By far my favourite was the Truffle Chocolate, with mascarpone cream and caramel.  When I go back, I will be eschewing any ideas of trying something new and ordering this again.

Mont-Blanc was pretty but, for me, a little disappointing.  But, I have a specific memory of Mont Blanc, in a tea room in Chambery at the age of thirteen.  That memory is my own idea of what Mont-Blanc should be – sweet with chestnut puree, meringue and an excess of chantilly cream.  Anything else is, well, just too grown-up and Les 110 de Taillevent is my idea of a very grown-up restaurant

This is somewhere I’ll be back to again soon.  I love the obsessive wine and food matching menu – and I really love the concept of half measure.  And, of course, I love the food!

Les 110 de Taillevent
16 CAVENDISH SQUARE LONDON W1G 9DD