Les 110 de Taillevent London, restaurant review: Can the food live up to the wines?

Lisa Markwell is joined for dinner this week by auction prize winner Ronni Astroff

Les 110 is a London outpost of an established French restaurant (Anne EmmanuelleThion)

Well, this is curious. I had put myself – or rather the chance to review a restaurant with me – forward as an auction prize some time ago. The winner was Ronni Astroff, a financial whizz by day, food connoisseur by night. It was a delight to meet someone with such enthusiasm and energy for the job. For once, all I needed to do was be the guest. Over to Ronni…

'I am excited, admittedly overly so. I'm about to embark on a covert operation rather different from my ordinary job of analysing numbers at my desk. My mission: to evaluate the London outpost of an established French restaurant without being detected. This is made more precarious by the 110 different wines on offer. (Perhaps I've gotten a bit carried away, but the experience did involve secret booking names and I have been watching a box set of The Americans, so let me have this one.)

"The mission does not begin well. I arrive a few minutes after my dining companion and the maître d' has seated her at the table directly opposite the door – arguably, the worst in the restaurant. She decorously complains. The manager explains that he is unable to move us, as the restaurant is fully booked. The restaurant seats about 70 across two rooms, and at this point is largely empty. As we dine, the tables fill with suits; we make out Russian conversations left and right.

"Before we can get properly cranky, our waitress comes to reseat us and brings us two conciliatory glasses of Delamotte Brut NV champagne. She hands us a triple-width menu that looks like an accountant's spreadsheet – a column of food, each dish aligned with four columns of wines by the glass, arranged in ascending price. The most affordable group is £8 or less, the dearest more than £20, with certain glasses far above this, to cater to both the wine snob and the everyday drinker.

"There are many uncommon wines on the list, but the sommelier is on hand to help. The selection is truly extraordinary, with established areas and producers side by side with unusual and emerging areas.

"I start with the poached duck egg and its suggested Moroccan Syrah pairing. The egg is poached in red wine and comes with mushrooms, lardons and two mini deep-fried breadsticks (in a refined way). The dish isn't cohesive; the component parts are good, but not remarkable. The wine is the star, fruity and surprisingly excellent. According to the sommelier, it was produced by a winemaker from the Northern Rhône who had taken his vines to a new terrior.

"Lisa offers me a taste of her langoustine ravioli, which is on the sweet side and lacking in any pronounced flavour. We debate as to whether it contains a rogue sun-dried tomato.

"I order the veal T-bone for my main, with an Oregon Pinot Noir. The veal is competently cooked but lacks caramelisation. Lisa has the duck, which she does not allow me to taste, but as it disappears rather quickly off her plate, I can only conclude that she's enjoyed it.

"We order a few side dishes to share. The market vegetables remain untouched in favour of mashed potatoes and mixed mushrooms pan-fried in butter.

"Dessert is the highlight of my meal, topped only by the wine. A dish called Remembering Our Childhood is four classic French desserts in miniature. The stand-out is crème caramel, tasting of vanilla with the perfect balance of creamy and wobbly texture. I could easily have eaten another.

"My dessert wine, or more accurately cider, is not one I'd have chosen had I not already been tipsy. The wines have gone down so well that I can't remember this one – luckily, they all arrive with a label on the stem, which serve as handy reminders to take home. Like good spies, we have gone undetected and haven't blown our cover by obviously making notes. As for the other diners? Who knows their professions…"

Lisa's note I agree with Ronni's assessment of Les 110; a terrific idea for wine fans, from the expert to the enthusiastic amateur. (BTW, there was definitely tomato in the raviolo, and I can't believe I didn't offer a taste of the duck!) But the execution of the food is hit and miss (unacceptable at these prices), and the initial lacklustre service left me a bit cold. Might go back for "Wine Time", though; small plates and lots of lovely new labels to try.

7/10

Les 110 de Taillevent London, 16 Cavendish Square, London W1, Tel: 020 3141 6016. £180 for two, with wine

Four more foodie notes from the past week

Honey & Co, London W1

This tiny restaurant is always full; now I know why. Exemplary Middle Eastern cooking in a most convivial room. Will be back.

Sugar

I'm having none of it this month, raising funds for GOSH. Find out more (and sponsor me!) at justgiving.com/Lisa-Markwell1

Damian Clisby

Watched the Petersham chef cook for a charity dinner. Seeing his egg-yolk ravioli come together made me book a table, pronto.

Cauliflower

Can't stop cooking the Hemsleys' recipe for a whole roasted veggie with spices – one of winter's most glorious comfort foods.