Although L’Autre Pied has earned its own Michelin Star, it will always be compared to its sister restaurant Pied à Terre. So, the question is, how does it measure up?

The Venue
L’Autre Pied is a pretty restaurant that doesn’t veer into the realms of unnecessary pomp. A couple of cute outdoor tables are a nice touch for the summer months and inside they take inspiration from nature, with simple wooden tables (albeit with a fine layer of gloss) and an artistic centrepiece of walls and backlit-glass depicting flowers in an Oriental-landscape-meets-English-country-garden style. The tables might be a little bunched but the white walls and windowed frontage make the space seem airier and lighter than it is in reality, which is a clever decorative twist.

The Atmosphere
Being located where it is, businessmen schmooze clients here, looking to impress with their expense accounts. And, as the sounds of deals being sealed fills the space, it borders on feeling just a little bit corporate. Luckily, the staff offer a flawless service and there’s an overriding sense of calm that's infectious and, ultimately, dining here is a pleasant experience where you feel very well looked after indeed.

The Food
With main courses costing £20-£30, the seasonal tasting menu represents excellent value for money with five courses priced at £49.50. If you pay another £30 on top of that then the sommelier will choose matching wines and present them to you with each course.

To start, a bowl filled with a delicate, beautifully presented pile of feta cheese, hazelnuts, onion and basil oil is laid before you. The staff then pour on a vibrant, green and chilled courgette velouté, adding a sense of theatre and occasion to the dish. And it lives up to its promise, being creamy but light with the cheese adding a tangy depth and the hazelnuts a delicate sweetness. This is followed by an equally dainty piece of pan-fried cod served with a sauté of baby artichokes, wild celery and crab emulsion. The flavours are quite hard to discern, but the freshness of the cod is such that the dish is a success.

For the main event, expect pressed belly of suckling pig – a beautiful cut of meat lauded in foodie circles. Unfortunately, despite the perfectly crisp crackling and tender meat beneath, it tends towards over-saltiness. The lightness of the broccoli and sweetness of the sauce goes some way to lifting it, but ultimately it isn’t the quality you’d expect from a Michelin-starred kitchen. Luckily, this is rescued by the baked Alaska. Beautifully presented with delicate little peaks, the cardamom ice cream it’s filled with has a beautiful, subtle flavour that works impeccably with the sweet, slightly tart poached Yorkshire rhubarb.

The Drink
Wine, understandably, dominates the drinks list at L’Autre Pied and whether you’re ordering a seasonal or tasting menu, or are just going a la carte, then it’s worth asking the expert sommelier to select a glass of wine per course rather than putting all your eggs in one basket with a bottle. The list covers a range of budgets – from reasonable bottles in the £20-£30 mark to the downright expensive – and also includes a range of unusual grapes and regions. Be sure to try the delightful Slovakian wine, Versus 2010 (an unusual wine made with just the Petit Verdot grape), that’s got an exquisite lightness that makes it a perfect match for any delicate starters.

The Last Word
L’Autre Pied certainly boasts a weight of expectation, both from its Michelin Star and its big sister, Pied à Terre. You expect a lot from this place and, for the most part, it duly delivers.

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