The story
Pied à Terre in London has held a Michelin star continuously since founder David Moore opened the Charlotte Street doors in 1991. Current Head Chef Aggelos Kassais returned to lead the brigade after years as senior sous chef and formative work at Bibendum, bringing a refined approach to modern French cuisine. His cooking marries classical French discipline with clean Mediterranean principles, using induction equipment to maintain precise temperatures while applying minimal intervention to premium ingredients. This culinary framework supports both omnivore and plant-based tasting menus without ever compromising technical rigour.
The Good Food Guide recently noted how the kitchen balances indulgence with lightness across its set courses and à la carte options. Compressed watermelon arrives dressed as tuna crudo alongside cucumber ponzu, while Japanese sea bream rests in leche de tigre with daikon and toasted rice. A delicate cod fillet pairs caviar and smoked eel with a Champagne sauce, prompting the restaurant to serve a spoon with every plate so nothing goes to waste. Desserts follow this exacting standard, featuring thinly shaved Tête de Moine cheese with apple chutney or a white chocolate crémeux built around yuzu and lemongrass.
Guests settle into a skylit dining room where polished surfaces meet a deliberately unhurried pace. Service remains attentive without crossing into formality, a balance maintained by Moore himself during evening passes. The beverage programme carries equal weight, holding over eight hundred bottles selected specifically when they reach drinking readiness. Joint top rankings in recent wine list surveys reflect this patient curation, which sommeliers guide through tailored flights or Coravin tastings.
Recognition
Details
History
3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
*Chef Alberto Cavaliere has left to pursue a new project. He has been replaced by former senior sous-chef Aggelos Kassais, who has returned to head up the kitchen.* It may have opened in 1991 but Pied à Terre barely shows its age. On our most recent visit, the bijou skylit dining room looked sleek, glossy and plush ( although it comes with a relaxed vibe and surprisingly straightforward service) – and it was good to see that the place c ontinues to be a crowd-puller. Indeed, owner David Moore’s reputation for launching the careers of some of the UK’s leading chefs looks set to continue, thanks to the culinary magic of Alberto Cavaliere, who arrived at the beginning of 2025. Cavaliere has simplified the menus, offering a set three-course lunch, à la carte, and lunch/dinner tasters. Beyond these anchor points, he reveals a true understanding of flavours and textures, partly because of his ability to combine indulgence and lightness – no doubt reflecting his time spent at Marcus at the Berkeley, Robuchon and Sabor. He packs a lot of flavour into an intense hit of ‘tuna’ crudo (aka compressed watermelon) with cucumber ponzu, ditto slivers of Japanese sea bream in 'leche de tigre' with daikon and toasted rice. Sauces are a real strength, playing off against ingredients of outstanding quality, whether a sweet scallop complemented by a dice of rich, softly yielding pork jowl with a light, delicate burnt crème fraîche and Minus 8 verjus sauce adding gentle acidity, or a nugget of cod topped with caviar, smoked eel and Champagne sauce – all reflected in the provision of a spoon with each course to ensure that every drop of sauce can be savoured. Like everything else on offer here, desserts are clever and innovative – standouts at our visit being thinly shaved petals of Tête de Moine (cheese) with a pineapple and apple chutney (so simple yet so satisfying), as well as a joyous assembly of white chocolate crémeux, yuzu, lemongrass and basil. A list of truly wonderful wines is presented on an iPad. Should that prove too confusing, a sommelier is on hand to proffer exemplary advice.
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