Apsleys

Last night I dined at Apsleys, an Italian restaurant at The Lanesborough in Hyde Park Corner. It was created three years ago by Heinz Beck, whose restaurant La Pergola in Rome has three Michelin stars.

First I had poached lobster, which had lots of lovely fresh flavours from the fish to avocado, tomato and bean sprouts which added an interesting taste and texture. It also looked beautiful, with a strange purple garnish which tasted like popcorn!

Then I tried what was called "Fish Crudo" - crudo means 'raw' in Italian, so this was effectively a platter of sashimi, just my sort of thing. The little plates just kept on coming, it was almost overwhelming! There were lots of completely different ways in which the fish was served, one even in a cocktail glass. I particularly liked the sea-bass, which was coated in a crisp cannelloni-shaped crust, on a bed of melon. It actually tasted a bit like seaside scampi. There were three different types of tuna - my favourite was the yellow-fin. I also enjoyed the scallops, which were in a sauce that tasted of white miso paste.

For my main course, I had a fantastic risotto with langoustine carpaccio, continuing the fish theme. The risotto was rich and creamy and the langoustine delicate and flavoursome. The little 'crisps' on top gave a nice, contrasting texture. I've never had a risotto quite like this before.

For dessert, I started with a fruit salad which was full of lovely exotic fruits and served with a great ice cream. The raspberry sauce was delicious with a very intense flavour.

And finally, I had this stunning dessert. The Amadei 'Chuao' chocolate dome, which has an unbelievably rich chocolatey flavour, was accompanied by hibiscus ice cream and berries, and adorned with a beautiful white spiral.