THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Petrus

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Petrus Restaurant Review:

PÉTRUS HAS CHANGED ITS NAME TO FLEUR. Pétrus, as its name suggests, sets out to be a serious French restaurant. How serious is evident when you look at the wine list: the '47 Pétrus is £12,300. The surroundings, too, announce an expensive establishment: well-spaced tables, huge 'Old Master' oils on the walls, top napiery, cutlery and glassware, enough staff to run a restaurant twice the size and well-heeled customers. On to the menu where dishes offer plenty of luxury ingredients: eight starters included a stunning but simple carpaccio of tuna and swordfish, lemon oil vinaigrette and white radish salad; and a more complex pan-fried red mullet with peas à la crème and lentil velouté. Of the four main fish dishes, roasted sea bass with oysters, braised lettuce and a velouté of chervil with oyster sauce was flavourful; of the four main meat dishes, the cannon of lamb with baby onions, fried aubergines and black olives and basil jus evoked the best Provençal tastes. Desserts, which are rich, included a not wholly successful mix of tastes in a pistachio parfait with chocolate tuile and banana ice cream, and a truly wonderful caramel and praline mousse layered with chocolate thins with a caramel sauce. The chef, Marcus Wareing, was previously down the road at L'Oranger, and is financially backed here by Gordon Ramsay. With such ingredients and polished cooking, the prices are still a very good value (though dinner is up from £28 last year). Service is over-solicitous, even though you often wait too long for your main course. The Pétrus on the wine list starts at £370 and goes sky-high, but you can enjoy non Pomerol wines at fair prices. It seems churlish to quibble at such an establishment, but Marcus Wareing is a better chef than shows currently at Pétrus. Perhaps he should spread his wings a little, become less impeccably French and more adventurous. Set 3-course lunch £22; set 3-course dinner £35, 6-course tasting menu £45.