Le Comptoir Robuchon - Mayfair, London

Joël Robuchon's influence on the world of fine dining was palpable. At the time of his passing last year at the age of 73 after a long battle with cancer, he had earned 32 Michelin stars across all of his restaurants, reinvented counter dining as we know it and blazed a new trail in culinary thinking, rusticating nouvelle cuisine. We were a little heartbroken to hear that L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon was closing last year but after a short wait were surprised and elated with the news that Le Comptoir Robuchon was opening on Mayfair's Clarges Street. 
 
The dining room is exceptionally recherche, given a light and airy design to keep it contemporary. Darkwood parquet flooring contends with white marble tabletops, both at a high-top sharing table and along the pistachio leather banquettes, which are hemmed in by slick rattan-backed seating. We opted for the chef's counter where you can interact with the chefs, including kitchen captain Jeremy Page who spent thirteen years working for Robuchon at the L'Atelier in St Germain Paris. 
 
The menu is split into two sections: La Saison and Les Eternel. The former changes yearly while the latter is a heavy-hitter compendium of Robuchon's all star dishes. One such dish is the caramelised quail stuffed with foie gras and served with an herb salad - a masterclass in refined earthiness. On the other side of the spectrum is an excellent plate of mackerel with kohlrabi and horseradish, which ravishes with freshness. However, our favourite dish of the evening was handily the pig's trotter with tarragon and mustard, evincing a take no prisoners richness. 
 
France has some of the world's best chefs and it also has dolmens - Neolithic burial mounds dating back to 5,000 BC. In a way, Le Comptoir Robuchon is his dolmen: his legacy will live on in his cooking and people will travel from afar to experience it.

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