Unauthorized

I have wanted to eat at this London restaurant since Pierre Rovani told me he had one of the finest meals of his life at The Square. While I would not rank it quite that highly, it was certainly first rate. The wine list is extraordinary, but intimidating in price, particularly if you are paying with the devalued American dollar. In any event, the impeccable cuisine began with some hors d’oeuvres that were both beautiful to look at and tasty to eat, being crunchy, texturally intriguing, and flavorful. It is hard to argue that one of the world’s finest shellfish comes from Scotland, their langoustines, and the Square’s chef did a fabulous job with them. They were served simply, but with definitive flavor intensity. These shellfish possessed wonderful sweetness, and the portions were generous, but not over the top. The tenderloin of lamb, which was wrapped in abundant herbs, was very flavorful, but it did not exhibit the intense lamb flavor I often associate with French lamb raised in Brittany or Provence, or the Colorado lamb I have enjoyed stateside. Nevertheless, it was a delicious dish.

The wines began with a Billecart-Salmon non-vintage brut, which never disappoints. That was followed by two gorgeous reds, including the 2000 Mordorée Châteauneuf du Pape Reine des Bois, which is just beginning to approach its peak of maturity. It offers beautifully sweet black cherry and blackberry fruit intermixed with notions of smoke, earth, lavender, and licorice. My dinner guests, Neal Martin and his wife, Tomoko, brought a bottle of 1985 Mouton Rothschild, which performed fabulously well. Fully mature, but revealing the classic Mouton crème de cassis characteristic, this medium to full-bodied, opulent, fleshy 1985 was drinking beautifully (as many 1985 Bordeaux are doing).

The restaurant offered us some complimentary desserts, but not being a real sweet enthusiast, I did not indulge. However, they all passed the highest critical test aesthetically, and my wife, Neal, and Tomoko had no problem consuming them with great enthusiasm.