PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

"Eggplant" is luring savvy diners down to the lower reaches of Chelsea where Chef William Drabble took over from the renowned Gordon Ramsay. Although popular with celebrities, the restaurant remains unpretentious and refuses to pander to the whims of the rich and famous. (Madonna was once refused a late-night booking!) Every dish is satisfyingly flavorsome, from warm salad of truffled vegetables with asparagus purée to roasted monkfish served with crushed new potatoes, roasted leeks, and red-wine sauce. Starters continue to charm and delight palates, ranging from ravioli of crab with mussels, chili, ginger, and coriander nage to terrine of foie gras with confit of duck and pears poached in port. Also resting on your Villeroy & Boch eggplant plate might be mallard with a celeriac fondant, or assiette of lamb with a thyme-scented jus. Another stunning main course is a tranche of sea bass with bouillabaisse potatoes. There are only 14 tables, so bookings are imperative.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's London 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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