From Petersham to Mayfair

Saturday, February 07th , 2026

The Cocochine’s cooking continues to develop, with some new dishes at this visit, including a langoustine canape and a new dessert, as well as an interesting lobster kedgeree dish (pictured). As ever, the quality of ingredients here is dazzlingly high, with the restaurant being blessed by an investor who owns a large farm and also a private island with a fishing port in Scotland. The restaurant gets first pick of the produce from both these sources. The chef, who was formerly head chef of Michelin-starred Petrus, is well versed in classical technique but now adds Sri Lankan touches to many of the dishes to reflect his heritage. For me, this is very interesting and brings a distinctive element to the cooking.

The Dysart, whose kitchen is run by Roux Scholar Ken Culhane, is one of my most regular fine dining haunts. It has a particularly relaxed dining room, with widely spaced tables, no music blaring and very welcoming service. The cooking is sophisticated, using top-quality ingredients and old-school classical technique. Sauces and stocks are made from scratch. Some dishes, like the charred bream, are fixtures on the menu, but others vary, such as a lovely Arnaud Tauzin chicken dish at this visit.

Both Dysart and Cocochine are places that I actually prefer to the current crop of 3-star Michelin restaurants in London. In other news, I did an interview that was posted in online food magazine Luxeat.