Terrace

Savvy travelers have taken notice. Hotel restaurants are no longer dark, stuffy spaces that move in-house guests to yawn and run for their keys. The Terrace, located in Le Meridian Piccadilly, reopened in March 1999 and made a splashy re-entrance into the London dining scene after a major overhaul in the kitchen and dining room.

An expansive greenhouse wall and roof of the bilevel room, one flight up from the lobby, run the length of the building and overlook the lively action on Piccadilly Road. On the opposite side granite blocks and oversized windows continue the cavernous contemporary design. And to tie in with the "of the moment" theme, large dramatic tableware is painted with black and white Picasso-like strokes. Since the cuisine is bistrot-style, a creation of the French culinary master, Michel Rostang, why not serve it on plates that evoke the country where Picasso worked?

Pascal Even, head chef, carries out his mentor's directive with painstaking perfection. Every dish is imaginative and up-to-date. Dinner begins with an amuse bouche of addictive tiny and tasty morsels, fried cheese squares. Rostang likes the contrast of warm and cold elements in appetizers. The tantalizing combination of tangy Beaufort cheese and warm artichoke terrine played off a lightly dressed pourpier salad. Smoked salmon contrasted nicely with barely heated leeks in vinaigrette.

Entrees were outstanding. Tender roasted veal was drizzled with melted fourme d'ambert, a bleu, and paired with savory walnut-chicory cake. Roasted sweetbreads were lethally rich and sided with crispy asparagus in a sauce of Parmesan and Noilly Prat. The chef often uses cheese in his preparations, but the tastes are never repetitive.

The not-too-gooey desserts appeal as a finale to a rich meal. The brown sugary taste of caramelized grilled pineapple combined well with the tart flavor of lemon sorbet and rhubarb cake satisfied the sweet tooth without adding a big sugar rush.

Terrace offers a broad selection of wines by the glass. The fruity Bordeaux, Chateau Bleacher '96 Cotes du Castling is a popular choice.

Terrace Le Meridian Piccadilly, 21 Piccadilly Road, and London WIV OBH. Tel. 071 465 1642. Open seven days, lunch and dinner. Moderately expensive.

We arrived at Putney Bridge one minute late, the kitchen closes at 2:30 p.m., and were denied lunch. The manager offered some snacks in the bar, which took the edge off our hunger. But the food did not demonstrate the chef's skill or perhaps lack of it.

The setting is spectacular. Named for the eponymous bridge, near which it sits on the bank of the Thames, all tables at the modern and stylish looking, two-storied restaurant overlook the river. During the day you can watch the sculling.

Located in a quiet residential outlying area, it is best reached by the underground.

Putney Bridge Restaurant & Bar, Embankment, London, SW15 1LB. Tel. 0181-780-1811. Open seven days, lunch and dinner. Moderately expensive. www.putneybridgerestaurant.com

Spring 1999