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London magazine Time Out has passed over three Kiwi cafes in its annual Eating & Drinking awards, instead giving top honours to the Spanish-influenced Fernandez & Wells.

Sacred, Bullet and Flat White, all run by New Zealanders in the English capital, were three of the five finalists, having gained a loyal following for their top quality espresso and New Zealand-style cafe food.

In an environment where high street chains have long dominated the coffee market, New Zealanders have been instrumental in raising the standards of the once-dismal London coffee scene.

The judges from Time Out, which this year celebrates 25 years of informing Londoners on where to eat and drink, heaped praise on the Kiwi entrants, but Fernandez & Wells, supplied by Monmouth Coffee Company, whose roasters are largely New Zealanders, took out the top spot.

The Wallace Collection decided it was time to pull its restaurant back into line. In 2000 the Wallace Collection put up a spectacular glass roof over its sculpture garden and created a magnificent light and airy restaurant in the central courtyard as well as other improvements to facilities for visitors. The feel was of a unique destination restaurant, not simply a museum café. But five years on, the foodservice operation had drifted from the original intention and a re-appraisal was needed.

  “The Wallace Collection initially sought a review from us as we had developed the strategy for the original restaurant back in 2000,” says Tricon’s John Dowman. “We were able to identify the shift in market position and this led to the invitation for proposals from potential new operators.” 

The Wallace Collection was formed in the 19th century by successive Marquesses of Hertford and by Sir Richard Wallace, the illegitimate son of the fourth Marquess, whose widow bequeathed it to the nation in 1897 to be preserved as a national museum ‘unmixed with other works of art’. The Collection contains paintings from the British, Dutch, French, Italian and Spanish schools, miniatures, sculpture, French furniture and porcelain, European and Oriental arms and armour, goldsmiths’ work and ceramics. It opened as a museum on 22 June 1900.

“As outsiders we could look at the foodservice operation without prejudice and identify the most important considerations for the potential restaurateur,” says Dowman. “The restaurant, as an intrinsic part of the Wallace Collection, needs to reflect the atmosphere of the building and encourage in outside diners. It was important that the offer captured the essentially French character of the Collection.”

Set in the heart of the West End, just a five minute walk from Oxford Street, the restaurant faces tough competition and as it needs to contribute financially to the Collection, it requires a successful commercial operation. As part of Tricon’s initial investigations, first-hand experience of the restaurant service was essential.

“We visited unannounced as mystery diners on a number of occasions and commissioned an independent restaurant critic to appraise the service,” explains Dowman. “We felt that the service standards and food quality had been slipping in the old restaurant and the menu was no longer seen as good value for money by many of its customers. Our view and that of the independent critic was of significant movement away from the original target position in the market.”

Tricon made recommendations for the setting up of the new restaurant and guided The Wallace Collection through the selection of the new restaurateur. A foodservice prospectus was prepared outlining the commercial opportunities, the Collection’s objectives and the responsibilities of the new restaurateur who was also expected to invest in improvements in the facilities as part of the contract. Innovation was needed to satisfy visitors to the Collection and attract casual diners, workers and residents in the surrounding area, competing against a number of well-known restaurants in areas such as St Christopher’s Place.

“Once the bids came in the choice was evident,” continues Dowman. “Top of the list was Oliver Peyton, a restaurateur committed to giving good service and full of ideas with a string of diverse and successful venues behind him. He captured the ethos of the Collection and the integrity of a traditional French brasserie.”

The new restaurant, called ‘The Wallace, now offers a classic French all day menu or à la carte menu, courtesy of head chef Thierry Laborde, featuring seasonal dishes with most ingredients imported from France. With the atmosphere of a French brasserie harking back to an age of informal elegance, The Wallace is open from breakfast and lunch through to afternoon tea, and dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Wallace Collection, tel +44 (0) 20 8591 5593, www.tricon.co.uk

Kheiron describes itself extravagantly on its website as “the place where gastronomy meets mythology and arts.”

As soon as you enter the restaurant, the cigar cabinet of Cohibas and Montechristos signals good taste. The bright and atmospheric restaurant, which is divided into a smoking and non-smoking section is decorated with Greek gods and modern Spanish paintings. The background salsa and merengue music is unobtrusive, even if fairly standard.

The four-language menu gives a clue as to why the restaurant has been named after Chiron, the centaur of Greek mythology: the restaurant’s chef clearly likes mixing together different foods that one would think don’t belong together. Alongside Mediterranean classics and delicacies like beef fillet carpaccio for HUF 2,790 and aubergine roulades with feta filling for HUF 1,390 the restaurant also offers the surprise of “Hungarian” tapas as a starter for HUF 1,890. The aubergine roulades have a full flavour, fresh herbs and are well suited as antipasti.

The waiter, who also speaks English on request, charmingly offers a selection of daily specials, for example the salmon filet with Chardonnay sauce for HUF 3,890, which not only looks good, but would also win over lovers of fish. The beefsteak “Budapest style” is described as a speciality of the house: the two tender medium grilled steaks are covered with freshly-made Hungarian lecsó sauce. The potatoes on the edge of the plate, however, have unfortunately only been cooked to medium, like the steak, and it’s hard to imagine that they also count as a speciality of the house.

Desserts range from Gundel pancakes for HUF 990 to “New York” cheesecake for HUF 890. Even if you skip dessert, a good way to end the meal is with an Italian espresso.
Just as Chiron was famed in mythology, the same can be said of the cuisine and the boldness of the chef. He has come up with a skillful mixture of culinary elements that have never been seen together before on a menu, but which people may speak of for time to come.
 
Kheiron Restaurant
Open daily from 10 am to midnight
District V, Arany János utca 17, Budapest, Hungary
www.kheiron.hu
Tel: 269-1176