The Waterside Inn (***) – Bray, England

Bray is a weird place. With a population of around 9,000, this village in Berkshire is as unassuming as many others up and down the country. Or it would be, if it didn't play host to two of the ten three-Michelin star restaurants in the UK (The Fat Duck and The Waterside Inn; L'Enclume is in Cumbria, Moor Hall is in Lancashire – the only one I've yet to visit – and the rest are in London). Now connected to London via the Elizabeth tube line, one could easily make a day trip to Bray to take in these fine restaurants – and foregoing a taxi from Maidenhead station in favour of a walk could well result in seeing a herd of horses striding through the fields on a clear day.

The Waterside Inn is aptly named; a restaurant with rooms, diners are treated to French cuisine with views of lush greenery drooping over the banks of the river Thames, with this stretch often teeming with aquatic birds. Though Alain Roux has been the head chef of The Waterside Inn since 2002, one would be remiss not to acknowledge the influence of the originators of TWI, Michel and Albert. It has been six years since the death of Michel Roux, who opened The Waterside Inn in Bray along with his brother, Albert (whose passing was one year after Michel's). Together, these two brothers made an indelible mark on the restaurant landscape of the UK: Le Gavroche was opened in 1967, and became the first restaurant to achieve three Michelin stars in the UK, in 1982. In 1972, the Roux brothers opened The Waterside Inn, which received three Michelin stars in 1985, and has held them ever since (the first restaurant outside of France to hold 3 stars for 25 consecutive years).

This latter fact is largely owing to the current chef patron, Alain Roux, who spent eight years at various restaurants in France, before joining The Waterside Inn in 1992. A restaurant as storied as this one serving classic French cuisine, one would be forgiven for thinking that the atmosphere may be stuffy…rigidly formal. This is not the case; though staff are impeccably dressed, sporting shining black shoes and similarly midnight bow ties, service is always friendly, without much in the way of airs or graces.

I dined over the early May bank holiday weekend in the UK, opting for the tasting menu (le menu exceptionnel) of seven courses (excluding hors d'oeuvres, an appetizer, bread, and petit fours, naturally). Of the hors d'oeuvres, the cheese parcel was of particular note for its strength and pleasant mouthfeel, while the foie gras parfait was merely a portent for the pan-fried foie gras yet to come. The appetizer of steak tartare with kimchi, though not slated on the menu, was a gentle way to start the meal, focusing on clean, crisp tastes, the only punchiness coming by infrequent slivers of ginger mixed into the kimchi. The potato crisp also added slight salt and textural variety.

The lobster ravioli that followed could easily be considered the surf to the former dish's turf. A similar emphasis on soft flavour profiles, the lemongrass accent of the consommé worked well with the lobster, and acted to offset the occasional bitter shard of celery. Pan-fried foie gras followed, accompanied by dried capers, croutons, and caramelized orange. The orange made for a wonderful pairing with the foie gras, the citrus nicely cut due to the caramelization process. Despite being my second favourite dish of the evening, one can't help but see that the plating is…not great. Further, a quick look through one of the magazines offered at the restaurant shows that there have been at least two iterations of this dish (one with carrot, the other peaches, both in place of the orange) that look distinctly more refined than the plate offered on this menu. A shame, but I'll take something that tastes this good, and suffer the rest.

Another excellent dish followed in the taste department, though the John Dory appeared to be slightly overcooked. Technical qualms aside, the flavour profiles of the dish were on-point, with the artichoke purée next to the Jersey Royal providing body to the slightly acidic beurre blanc. Next came the best dish of the evening for me, Pyranean lamb with stuffed morrel and a minted hollandaise sauce. Fun to eat and to savour, the lamb and its jus were exceptional on their own. Accompanied by the mushroom, vegetables, and the rich and creamy hollandaise, and there was variation in every bite. It may not reach the heights of the Pyranean lamb at Le Louis XV in Monaco, but it's pretty close.

Then came the cheeses, where a trolley was presented, and a choice of three per person given. I opted for a mild goat's cheese, Stinking Bishop (naturally), and comté (a safe choice), none of which disappointed. The pre-dessert that followed was a strawberry palate cleanser, consisting of Gariguette strawberries (an early-Spring French strawberry, with a sweet and tangy flavour) and sorbet, along with a helping of champagne. This gave way to the rhubarb soufflé, the only dessert, and sadly not one that will enter my unwritten list of desserts to remember. The baveuse extended almost to the outer edge of the soufflé – too much by half. This was disappointing, and sadly the muted flavour didn't really make up for it.

Thankfully, the meal did end on a high note, with the petit fours (consisting of a canelé, strawberry macaron, coconut and passionfruit-filled chocolate, nougat, and signature chocolate) being roundly excellent.

Despite the imperfections (and those should not be downplayed), I enjoyed my meal at The Waterside Inn because the flavours (notwithstanding the soufflé) were spot on. Similar to the aforementioned Le Louis XV, I would return to The Waterside Inn, but not for the tasting menu; rather, the à la carte, and perhaps some of the table service options.

Menu:

1. Hors d'oeuvres

2. Appetizer of steak tartare with kimchi

3. Native lobster ravioli, lemongrass-flavoured consommé, vegetable pearls

4. Pan fried foie gras Grenobloise, caramelised orange, bean sprouts

5. Braised John Dory fillet, baby artichoke scented with kaffir lime leaves, oscietra caviar beurre blanc sauce (pictured first)

6. Duo of roasted Pyranean milk lamb, baby vegetables and stuffed morrel mushroom, minted hollandaise sauce

7. Trio of French and English artisanal cheeses

8. Gariguette strawberry sorbet with champagne and lemon verbena infusion

9. Warm rhubarb soufflé enhanced with raspberries

10. Petit fours