The original Sir Terrence Conran incarnation of Orrery, located above The Conran Shop on Marylebone High Street, opened in 1997 and took its name from the intricate clockwork models of the solar system which so captivated him. The new Orrery by Pierre Minotti has just as much energy as the restaurant did when it first opened, with a front of house who know that securing a coveted Michelin star is the equivalent of a successful rocket launch and will garner almost as much attention from fine dining lovers and locals of this cosmopolitan area of London which is strangely lacking a single restaurant with Michelin star status.
Although Orrery doesn’t have one yet, I’m willing to bet that they will achieve it in their first year. It’s always strange to see a chef’s name above a door when you’ve never heard of them, but Pierre Minotti, originally from Jura in Northern France, makes a memorable first impression with refined food paying tribute to classical French techniques and influenced by his time working as head chef for the Michelin-starred Greenhouse and Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal; the latter restaurant having caused ripples when he achieved two stars from a standing start and just six months after opening.
Alongside a lunch menu offering excellent value (£85 including a glass of champagne), evening diners can choose between five (£140) or seven course (£185) menus for the ultimate showcase of Minotti’s food. An extremely ambitious young chef hoping to replicate Dilling’s success, with several members of staff having also previously worked at Michelin-starred establishments, their combined knowledge has resulted in a flawless experience. Still, it’s one thing to understand what goes into making a Michelin experience and quite another to deliver it, so the apparent effortlessness of their achievement in no way undermines it.
Belonging to the Evolv Collection, formerly D&D Restaurants, the group’s reputation for operating a fleet of well-respected venues including Sartoria, Coq l’Argent and German Gymnasium, should inspire diners with confidence. Orrery is already one of Evolv’s most luxurious restaurants and is intended to equal the success of the group’s flagship 1 Michelin-starred, Angler.
Orrery’s elegant interior featuring skylights, half moon-shaped, Art Deco-style windows and a semi-circular bar to mirror them, along with a striking blue carpet designed to represent the sea, has remained faithful to the original but now offers a more feminine, romantic feel thanks to plush red velvet upholstered seating and white voile curtains draped between tables for a sense of intimacy.
Inconsistency from front of house can often let Michelin-level chefs down and, given that Orrery has only been open for a few months, you wouldn’t be surprised if there were still some teething problems, but the enthusiastic assistant general manager, Paula Gondim, is very much in control of her ship. Diners would assume that the rapport between her crew members is due to many years of working together and it’s largely thanks to Gondim’s ability to unite staff in a mutual goal that makes them so remarkably well co-ordinated.
It’s good to see that head sommelier Julio Sierra, whom I remember fondly from past dinners at Orrery, has remained presiding over 800 wines – something which makes me almost embarrassed to announce that my husband and I no longer drink. But Sierra is just as prepared with alcohol free wine suggestions; offering us a chilled glass of the premium 0% sparkling rose, Wild Idol to partner a refined selection of hot and cold canapes which showcase the kitchen’s attention to detail.
Diners are offered the choice between two starters, main courses and desserts, but would do well to push the boat out with the signature Devon smoked eel cream, a dish as delicious as it is elegant, accompanied by lightly cured sea bass on a crisp potato disc for added texture and flavour, so too the decadent Exmoor Oscietra caviar (£30 supplement). Next follows the delicately barbecued brill with Dorset crab, encased in spinach and finished with a rich butter sauce featuring cockles and grey shrimps; indulgent, perfectly prepared with bursts of sea-saltiness.
Ahead of the main course, we were invited to the bar for a traditional Trou Nourmand palate cleanser, reimagined as a lovage sorbet with Minotti’s favourite liqueur, Chartreuse. Palate cleansers, some kind of fruit sorbet more often than not, are usually something I can take or leave and I can certainly never recall being wowed by this element of a tasting menu, yet this was the most delicious culinary interlude imaginable ahead of what was an outstanding main course.
The aged Creedy Carver duck with black pudding, grelot onion and Manuka honey is a signature for a reason; tender pink breast with well-rendered skin and a glossy and intensely flavoured sauce – always the ultimate test of a chef – so my husband was delighted that this dish was presented with bread and butter which diners are encouraged to use to mop up every last drop. A vast improvement on the ‘tasting spoon’ don’t you agree?
I only wish that you could taste the ‘Fraise Gariguette’ dessert; an extravaganza of British strawberries served with a wibbly wobbly elderflower jelly, French meringue, strawberry sorbet and a cheesecake-flavoured Chantilly cream of which I had second and third helpings. Inspired by the classic Eton Mess, Minotti’s take on the seasonal favourite is unrecognisably delectable; seemingly simple but as vivid a taste of summer as you can possibly imagine.
Minotti’s dishes are not only utterly delicious but visually and technically brilliant – executed to the same Michelin standard as those of his mentor Alex Dilling – so there’s no doubt that he will put Orrery firmly back on the map. Coffee and exquisite petit fours concluded what had been a magical evening revisiting a favourite restaurant, now home to one of London’s most exciting chefs.
Orrery by Pierre Minotti, 55 Marylebone High Street, London, W1U 5RB. Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner, with lunch service from Wednesday. For more information and reservations please visit the website.
Photography by Justin de Souza.
