ON Spy Wednesday Mrs Mark Amory gave birth to an
infant girl, causing joy and merriment all round, so I felt it behooved me to take the proud and marooned father (our beloved literary editor) out to dinner on Maundy Thursday after the feet- washing, such a suitable moment. We went to the Grafton just round the corner from him, at 45 Old Town, Clapham, SW4 (Telephone: 627 1048/8231), open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch, Tuesday to Saturday for dinner, closed on Mondays, Saturday lunch and Sunday evening.
This is a nice little restaurant with about eight well spaced tables on the ground floor (there is more room upstairs), nearly empty the night we were there. They'd all gone off Eastering no doubt.
The food was really excellent. A creamy soup of mussels with saffron and some fresh little scallops in a light wine and parsley sauce to start with, both delectable. We had already been given a little treat of salmon salad to amuse the gueule while waiting. For the main course Mark had saddle of rabbit accompanied by ravioli stuffed with langoustines, prettily served but perhaps not quite enough for a full- grown man, let alone Mark who is a human hoover. I had a curious mixture of pigeon's breasts cut into tiny slices and topped by some lightly cooked salmon surrounded by an aromatic wine and herb sauce, very tender and an interesting mixture which worked. The vegetables were simple old carrots, potatoes and beans on one of those curved side-plates, but at least they were hot, which is unusual.
Three different sorbets in their indi- vidual sweet-biscuit baskets crowned with Chinese gooseberry slices and strawberries were consumed with relish by Mark while I settled for a plate of good French cheeses.
There are hot souffles on offer which Mark was tempted by but was too tired to wait 20 minutes for. Jonathan Meades of the Times said they were the best ever. Good coffee and chocolates ended a very worthwhile repast. The charge for dinner is £20 with a £1.50 addition for the coffee. The service charge is not included so with cocktails for celebration and a bottle of wine at £13.20 our bill crept up to £60.60 with amazing ease.
I was taken to Rue St Jacques, 5 Charlotte Street, W1 (Telephone: 637 0222) (closed for Saturday lunch and all Sunday) by a public relations man and was doubtless given the works. This is a grand, expensive restaurant and strangely similar to the Grafton. We had the same amuse- gueules there and the same nonsense with the waiters taking off the huge silver cloches from your main course with guard- like precision after a meaningful pause. I find this ploy rather embarrassing; you tend to expect a tiny chorus girl to burst out at you with wild applause.
However the chef, Gunther Schlender, is obviously very good indeed, no rot or queening around. His fresh crab terrine with a light crab sauce is heaven, but at £8.85 so it should be; the same could be said of his magret of duck cooked with grapes and almonds — absolutely deli- cious, best duck I have had in years — also of the saddle of hare with noodles in a wonderful dark sauce including foie gras and truffles but both costing over £18. They fell down on the vegetables which were cold and the sculpted potato, nearly raw. We had a magnificent Italian wine smelling of truffles, Ca del Bosco, Mauri- zio Zanella, which was in the £28 bracket. The puddings which sound and probably are sumptuous are all about £6, and the cheese board is one to marvel at. Very good espresso coffee is an added £1.50 and there is a 15 per cent service charge.
I have subsequently been there for the Table d'H6te luncheon with two mates from the Evening Standard. This was a great success at £17.50 a head. The food was as good if not better than the grand menu; my panache de poissons au corian- dre in a peppery butter sauce was a triumph. The others had a fine tranche de gigot marinated in herbs and sliced duck with champagned peaches. The first courses were a clear vegetable consomme, a calves' liver salade tiede and some rather boring asparagus. Then we fell on the cheeses. Sorbets were the alternative and coffee is included in the menu. We drank a bottle of very decent red house wine, a cuvee de la commanderie du bOntemps '82 at £10, which was very fair, so this with drinks beforehand plus the service charge came to £83.00 for three. We sat very comfortably by an open window in a charming spacious room and were served beautifully.
Jennifer Paterson
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