Aubergine

Gordon Ramsay is long gone from this delightful Chelsea restaurant, but the high standards continue under the very able direction of head chef William Drabble. The room is pleasantly small and dressy without being formal - the floor is wood but there are gilt frames on the paintings and the back of the restaurant is saved from perpetual twilight by a glass roof. What's on the menu is haute cuisine, with excellent, specialist suppliers, hard graft in the kitchen, and complex, beautiful food on the plate. There are several set menus, and you might want to consider the seven course menu gourmand - there's a price with and without accompanying wines. This comprises Mr Drabble's greatest hits in small portions - you might find game soup, foie gras mousse with grilled girolles, warm salad of truffled veg, fillet of beef with celeriac puree and Madeira jus, scallops with puree of pea and artichoke. For pud they do this chocolate sort of volcanic concoction that is to die for. There are nearly"A formal restaurant with a talented chef called William Drabble heading up the kitchen. The menu is, mercifully, seasonal and dishes are well balanced, even when they are at their most inventive. Service is smooth, the wine list extensive and there is an outstanding lunch deal. - © Evening Standard 2003 / Charles Campion" - Critic reviewAverage price - £70 (€99)