Sept. 19 (Bloomberg) -- What's the best restaurant in London?

I'm often asked that, and find myself tripping over the meaning of ``best.'' The perfect spot for a date may not be ideal for your parents. The finest steak in town isn't a draw if you're a vegetarian. Is a great establishment costing 150 pounds ($270) a head better than a very good one charging 50 pounds?

Sometimes, though, you just have to give a straight answer to a simple question. So if pushed to name London's best restaurant, my response would be Petrus. Or, to give it its full new name, the Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, which is what the establishment became on Sept. 15, after the chef's acrimonious split with his mentor, Gordon Ramsay.

The dispute is now officially resolved. Ramsay plans to open a new place called Petrus at an unspecified site in Mayfair next year. He's taking with him his wine cellar and the maitre d', Jean-Philippe Susilovic, best known as a star of Fox Entertainment Group's ``Hell's Kitchen.'' Wareing keeps the restaurant he has spent nine years building, service by service, dish by dish.

I interviewed Wareing on the night of Jan. 23, 2007, when he won his second Michelin star, and saw him a couple of times during the dispute with Ramsay, when he was stressed and anxious. Back in his kitchen this week, he was smiling broadly and doing what he most likes to do: cook. He was the happiest and most relaxed I've seen him since the night of that second star.

Marinated Quail

Wareing, 38, is known as a chef who is in his kitchen day and night. If you eat at Marcus Wareing, you can be reasonably confident he has both conceived and executed dishes such as the Scottish scallop with peas, cucumber and apple accompanied by Alsace bacon. Or the roasted and marinated quail, hispi cabbage, Pommery mustard and baked potato.

Two main things strike me about Wareing's cooking. The first is how clean the flavors are. There's no muddle, no over- egging the pudding, no unnecessary bells and whistles. He works out which flavors will work together, and his choices are often inspired and not immediately obvious.

He then decides how to present the flavors, meaning that the ingredients may show up as foam, jelly, puree or ice cream. This is classic gastronomy enhanced and enriched with modern methods. Though it's technically sophisticated cooking, it's not about technique. It's about finding ways to take great, seasonal ingredients and ratchet up the pleasure.

And there's plenty of pleasure to be had at this restaurant. Even before you order, you may receive freebies such as confit of foie gras sandwiched between thin slices of puff pastry dusted with blackcurrant powder and served with a quince puree; or pork-belly croquettes with a white-onion dip.

Tasting Menu

The tasting menu (90 pounds) is as good as it gets, filled with surprises and lovely dishes such as best end of lamb, charred leeks, coddled quail's egg, English watercress and creamed caviar; or lemon creme, brioche crisps, popcorn, and what the menu calls milk ice cream.

If you are pondering job losses, or just on a budget, the set lunch is great value at 35 pounds for three courses. These might include poached and roasted rump of Cornish lamb, coco beans, Swiss chard and ventreche, followed by baked egg custard tart, strawberry jelly, strawberry ripple ice cream.

I had a wonderful lunch on Tuesday, and the only dish that fell short was a confit loin of tuna, lobster Caesar salad with aged parmesan. The salad was just so good and fresh that it outshone the main ingredient, whose flavor got lost in the mix.

While Wareing is cooking up a storm in pursuit of his third Michelin star, he hasn't lost sight of the importance of service. His wife, Jane, heads the reservations service, while the front of house combines professionalism with a friendly, conversational style that's pleasantly relaxing. This approach is exemplified by the young sommelier, James Lloyd, who manages to appear more interested in your enjoyment than in selling you expensive wines.

One of his matches during dinner on Wednesday night was a 2008 vintage: Klein Constantia Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa.

If all this sounds a little glowing and uncritical, there's a reason. Marcus Wareing is just that good.

Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, 1 Wilton Place, London, SW1X 7RL. Tel. +44-20-7235-1200 or click http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk

The Bloomberg Questions

Cost? Three courses for 75 pounds.

Date place? In spades. You may find yourself proposing.

Inside tip? Ask if you can meet Marcus.

Special feature? Chef's Table.

Private room? Yes.

Will I be back? Yes.

Rating? ****

What the Stars Mean
****         Incomparable food, service, ambience.
***          First-class of its kind.
**           Good, reliable.
*            Fair.
0 (no stars) Poor.

(Richard Vines is the chief food critic for Bloomberg News Opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this column: Richard Vines, in London, at rvines@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 18, 2008 21:43 EDT