<a target="_blank" href="https://www.waterside-inn.co.uk/">The Waterside Inn</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.waterside-inn.co.uk/">

</a>Ferry Rd

Bray

Maidenhead SL6 2AT

BY NEAL MARTIN | JULY 22, 2022The Food:

Lightly-grilled
Orkney scallops with minted pears and beurre blanc sauce

Baby
red pepper filled with courgette, caper puree and paprika oil

Pan-fried
red mullet on aubergine caviar, grilled vegetables and reduced jus flavoured
with sweet piquillo peppers

Pan-fried
lobster medallions and ginger flavoured vegetable julienne with a white port
sauce

Chopped
veal served with caramelized shallot tarte tatin, sautéed girolle mushrooms and
savoury-scented jus

Artisan
cheeses

Warm
raspberry soufflé

Desserts
of Alain Roux

The Wines:

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>1999
 Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises</td>
 <td>91?&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2009 Domaine Jean-François
 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru&nbsp; &nbsp;</td>
 <td>98</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>1983 Domaine de la
 Romanée-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru</td>
 <td>94</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2018 Domaine Ostertag
 Muenchberg Grand Cru Riesling</td>
 <td>91</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2003 Gruaud Larose</td>
 <td>86</td>
 </tr></tbody></table>

 Where
would Britain’s fine dining scene be without the Roux family? Would our
Sceptred Isle be dappled with so many Michelin-starred restaurants along its length
and breadth? I doubt it. In an enlightening interview in Noble Rot back in
2017, Albert Roux recalls arriving on a train at Victoria Station to what he
described as a “gastronomy desert”. And it was. Together with his brother
Michel they established La Gavroche in Mayfair in 1967, which welcomed everyone
from Chaplin to Chagall, The Beatles to the Rolling Stones. Five years later,
they bought a rundown boozer in the nondescript town of Bray, a 30-minute drive
outside London overlooking the Thames. The Waterside Inn became the first recipient of a star in
1974 and added another in 1977, then a third star in 1985. It has retained
those stars ever since and become the UK’s longest-serving three-starred
restaurant.

The
business was divided between the brothers, Michel Roux Senior taking charge at
Waterside and Albert at the helm of La Gavroche, subsequently passing them on
to their sons, Michel Roux Junior and Alain Roux respectively. Michel Senior
passed away in 2020 after a glittering career, though Alain had already been at
the helm since 2002.

I have
to confess that having lunched at The Waterside Inn a couple of times over the
years, I departed rather…nonplussed. These were preorganized lunches with a
large party from the wine trade, and though thoroughly enjoyable, I could not
understand what made the cooking special or why it deserved its status. Therefore,
I bided my time and waited the opportunity to dine there as a regular patron,
which finally arose in June when a good friend from the Far East booked a table
and guess what. It turned out to be potentially my favourite dinner this year.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1658500007100-1-waterside+river+shot.jpg">I
took this shot as we returned to the restaurant after our river jaunt. 

There
are a number of reasons. Firstly, we picked a glorious evening. Close to the
summer equinox, the setting of The Waterside Inn was idyllic. Bray is a
picturesque village that boasts not one but two three-starred restaurants, The
Fat Duck just round the corner. It lies far from the hustle and bustle of
London, so tranquil and calm, located down a tiny street that ends with a
slipway down to the river, currently obstructed by a huge swans’ nest. Its rear
garden backs straight onto a willow-flanked bank, rowing teams gliding by every
other minute. A motorboat is moored at a private jetty, guests at liberty to
take a half-hour jaunt downstream to wave at picnickers and gawp at salubrious
riverside mansions. On this evening, the entire rear of The Waterside Inn was
opened up to create an open air feeling and enhance the relaxed ambiance
impossible to create in an urban setting.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1658500029948-2-waterside+jetty.jpg">The&nbsp;motorboat is moored at a private jetty. 

The
cuisine was in a different league to my previous experiences. Alain Roux’s take
on French cuisine is exquisite from start to finish - kudos to Belgian head
chef, Fabrice Uhryn who oversees a team of 25 chefs. We warmed up with a couple
of amuses-bouches, my favourite, tartlets of peeled courgette and yellow
peppers.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1658500082320-3-waterside+scallop.jpg">Lightly-grilled Orkney scallops with minted pears and beurre blanc sauce. 

The
first entrée consisted of lightly-grilled Orkney scallops with minted pears and
beurre blanc sauce. Perfection. The scallop was perfectly cooked and
married beautifully with the peas and beurre blanc that had a tempered
richness so that it did not overwhelm the nuanced flavours of the scallop. Delicately
adorned with flowers and pea shoots, this was the perfect summer starter.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1658500235607-4-waterside+pepper.jpg">Baby red pepper filled with courgette, caper puree and paprika oil. 

The baby
red pepper filled with courgette, caper puree and paprika oil kept the standard
high, the tangy puree offsetting the delicately-flavoured pepper, the grilled
courgette lending texture and the paprika a welcome pinch of heat.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1658500279029-5-waterside+mullet.jpg">Pan-fried red mullet on aubergine caviar, grilled vegetables and reduced jus flavoured with sweet piquillo peppers. 

The pan-fried
red mullet on aubergine caviar,
grilled miniature artichokes and reduced jus flavoured with sweet piquillo
peppers was the standout for me. The ingredients were in absolute harmony and
the crisp texture of the fish was textbook. Its simplicity belies the detail of
this dish, how the heat of the piquillo peppers was exactly measured so that it
complemented the mullet.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1658500312351-6-waterside+lobster.jpg">Pan-fried lobster medallions and ginger flavoured vegetable julienne with a white port sauce. 

I
passed on the foie gras for dietary reasons and looked on enviously. But my
substitute was wonderful. The pan-fried lobster medallions and ginger flavoured
vegetable julienne with a white port sauce was heavier than previous courses,
which I felt I deserved since hitherto the dishes had been lighter. I am not an
ardent lobster fan, but the meat was succulent and perfectly seasoned, the
white port sauce not overly reduced.The
main course comprised of chopped veal, served with a caramelized shallot tart tatin
with sautéed girolle mushrooms and savoury-scented jus. Stunning. The meat was so
tender that it had a melt-in-your-mouth consistency, so good that it needed the
accoutrements to play supporting roles, which the tarte tatin did with aplomb. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1658500360218-8-waterside+souffle.jpg">Warm raspberry soufflé. 

The
soufflé is legendary; this warm raspberry iteration was light, subtly-flavoured
and could bring a grown man to tears. I wanted to elope with it on the
motorboat outside. Maybe someone has tried to do that in the past? Petits-fours
completed the evening, by which time my taxi had already been waiting outside
for 20 minutes.

Our host
has been certified as Hong Kong’s most avid oenophile and had prearranged some
very special bottles from the extensive list. As you can probably guess, the
list leans towards classic regions, though I was pleased to see good
representation from the New World. Prices are not inexpensive, then again, take
your time and you will find that their policy of cellaring bottles for long-term
consumption means that market prices have leapt ahead. As a consequence, though
these bottles were undeniably expensive, they would cost far more if I went out
and bought them on the current secondary market. I must complement head
sommelier Michael Trenga, who is clearly knowledgeable and amiable. Whereas
some sommeliers occupying these lofty positions can come across rather snobby
and pretentious, Trenga was chatty and relaxed, a guiding hand rather than
someone imposing their tastes.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1658500443218-9-waterside+bolly.jpg">We
began with the 1999 Vieilles Vignes Française from Bollinger,
disgorged in July 2008. It was an interesting opener. I must confess that I
found this bottle more oxidative than I expected. Grilled walnut, pressed
flowers and ginger spring up on the nose, the palate is intense with a fine
bead of acidity. That oxidative element is quite powerful, and I find it rather
distracting, especially compared to the purity expressed by the 2000 that blew
me away a couple of years earlier. I wonder if there are better bottles out
there? <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1658500464539-10-waterside+coche_copy.jpg">There
were no reservations about the stellar white. The 2009 Meursault Les
Perrières 1er Cru from Domaine Jean-François Coche-Dury is riveting
from start to finish. Laser-like precision on the killer nose, it threatens to
overwhelm the olfactory senses. Struck flint, citrus peel and linden, it gains
intensity with aeration without ever losing an ounce of its breath-taking
delineation. The palate followed suit with ethereal balance, perfect acidity,
astonishing energy and a mineral-rich finish that leaves you lost for words.
After 13-years, this Meursault is at its peak, though I cannot foresee any
decline in the near future. Such is the magic of Coche-Dury. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1658500486722-11-waterside+la+tache.jpg">The 1983
La Tâche Grand Cru from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is a vintage
that to my knowledge, I have never encountered before. The growing season does
not boast a top reputation, with many growers suffering rain-induced rot. It
split commentators upon release and does to this day. This bottle contradicts
some dismissive reviews that I have read elsewhere. Melted red plum, burning
embers, hints of dried blood and black truffle unfold on the nose that develops
more floral nuances with aeration. The palate is gentle and refined,
well-balanced with pliant tannins, pretty red fruit with subtle sous-bois notes
percolating up with time. Maybe it’s damning with faint praise but the sheer
drinkability of this La Tâche resulted in the bottle being finished far quicker
than intended. Isn’t that what wine is for? <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1658500507831-12-waterside+alsace.jpg">So we
ordered a few more bottles from the list. We ventured to the volcanic soils of
Alsace courtesy of the 2018 Riesling Muenchberg Grand Cru from Domaine
Ostertag. Yellow plum, pawpaw and light white peach notes burst from the
glass with wonderful definition. The palate has a slight viscosity on the
entry, a fine bead of mineralité underlying the concentrated,
tropical-tinged finish that lingers long in the mouth. Probably too young, I
would afford it another three or four years in bottle. We finished with 2003
Gruaud Larose. I have never been a huge fan of this vintage. After almost
two decades, it retains its decadent bouquet with black plum, cassis and
touches of dark chocolate. Powerful, yet just a little monotone? The palate is
expectedly ripe and opulent, dried blood infused black fruit with a voluminous
finish that again, just misses the nuance and personality that this
Saint-Julien can deliver in a much cooler growing season. It just hasn’t
journeyed anywhere in bottle. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1658500529201-13-waterside+silhouette2.jpg">One final photograph of the setting sun silhouetting the riverbank.The Waterside Inn is everything that one could wish for. Not only with the standard of cuisine, exquisite as it is, but the service, ambiance and without question, the setting. Sitting at the table, watching the sun begin to set and silhouetting the riverbank, I nipped out to take one final photograph. We even had a comedic interlude when one of our party typed in “Waterside” into his Uber cab, only to end up at an alternative namesake miles away in Berkshire. It schlepped miles around the motorway to arrive three courses in – but that’s the pull of such a restaurant and of course, being able to dine with friends after all the restrictions. Prices are typical for this level of fine dining, though less than some places that I have seen in the capital.My only
regret? That I had not booked a room for the night. Assuming that it would cost
££££, I was pleasantly surprised by how reasonable the lodging is. If you are
travelling from afar, likely given its out-of-town location, do inquire about accommodation.
As it was, my taxi driver was patiently waiting outside. 

“Nice
dinner?” he asks as he turns the ignition. 

“Best
this year,” I reply. © 2022, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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