Restaurant of the Week: Bonheur by Matt Abé

What was once the Roux brothers’ two-Michelin-starred Le Gavroche, on Upper Brook Street, has changed hands to become Bonheur: a more modernised take on French cuisine and the first solo venture of Gordon Ramsay’s long-time protégé, Matt Abé. Stepping into the mellow ochre surroundings, I set out on a mission to discover whether the two Michelin stars granted to Bonheur earlier this year truly sparkled through its dishes, or whether the awarded stars simply came with the famously foodie Mayfair address.

There are two tasting routes you can take at Matt Abé’s two-Michelin-starred Bonheur: a dream or a journey. The latter is the shorter of the two menus, with five courses. This may seem short for a menu named after an expedition but, beyond those five core courses, there are waves of canapés, a tantalising amuse-bouche, a sweet finish of petit fours and a bread side you aim to only nibble, at risk of becoming too full, yet can’t help but demolish. It’s these seemingly small accompaniments that lift a menu up to be deemed a true tasting menu or, in this case, a journey.

The amuse-bouche became the most addictive addition of all. A cup was placed before us, and a chardonnay-toned liquid filled it. Was this the first spot of wine being served? No, it was the tomato dashi. Before being carefully clarified through muslin cloth, the consommé-like drink is infused with kombu seaweed. This is mainly because of its pectin, which binds to the tomato and sinks it to the base of the solution, but also for the salty-soy edge it brings to the finish of every sip. If the smell of stepping into a greenhouse of fresh, ripe tomatoes became something you could consume, it would be this amuse-bouche.

Seaweed is a star ingredient that crops up repeatedly in this menu, not only as part of the dishes, but as the element that lifts them that extra notch. In the fish course, a supple fillet of Cornish turbot with cucumber and coastal herbs, it’s the seaweed beurre blanc that elevates the dish entirely. It was a favourite of our waiter for the evening and, as we scraped every last drop of sauce from our plates, we could see why. This flavourful super alga also makes an appearance in the lobster salad canapé, a light and citrusy bite dappled with wild-harvested Gamtae seaweed that I could easily have devoured three more of.

After a gentle appetite warm-up from the mosaic of canapés placed before you, the starter of their take on a “quiche lorraine” certainly dips you in at the deep end when it comes to richness. While it is melt-in-the-mouth buttery, it was easily the heaviest dish of the evening and one I’d recommend taking your time with. The sommelier recommended a Domaine Albert Boxler Sylvaner to pair, which, after tasting the two together, I felt was a near-necessity for the dish, helping to cut through its luscious density.

Like all the items on the menu, I must say the presentation is down to the minute detail and so gracefully crafted that you feel a slight pang of guilt in digging your fork into it. All became clear when the sliding door connecting the kitchen with the low-lit dining scene opened to reveal a uniform line of chefs, tweezers in hand, working like mechanical arms to delicately place every leaf with exact precision. The quiche lorraine is as rich as it gets for the menu, leaving the other dishes to balance it out neatly through the evening. Even the Herdwick hogget, served with courgette and olive, was surprisingly delicate for a red meat dish – the skin left crisp and the cut a beautiful medium rare.

The light finish to a tremendous journey was the dessert, île flottante (floating island). A ring of meringue, so airy it seemed soufflé-like in texture, floated in its decadent pool of crème anglaise, centred with a colourful arrangement of fresh fruits and a swirl of sorrel ice cream for an earthy twang. It was a well-executed French classic to complete what I can confirm was a very bon heur, as we sank into plush burgundy velvet with the signature tunes of Fleetwood Mac and The Stone Roses echoing around us. 

Dare to dream? Book your table at Bonheur by Matt Abé via bonheurbymattabe.com