What do the Michelin inspectors look for when they're dishing out the stars? It used to be stuffy dining rooms, starched linen and spotlit table settings. Perhaps a snooty waiter would sweep past to correct your napkin placement, and to hold a chair out for you when you return from the bathroom. Flourish, foie gras and foam were the classic tick! tick! tick! of a menu that was aiming high, with a price to match it. Happily there was no fussiness, and, given the high ceilings, I was surprised by how quiet the main dining room was, since most of the tables were taken. Clever acoustics.

Pierre Yovanovitch's sensational interior sets the perfect tone for an intimate dining experience. Coral shades, curved lines, and deep velvet and leather seating reflect the restaurant's warm, approachable concept. Exposed wooden tabletops and blue blown-glass chandeliers add a bold, contemporary edge. Almost every feature is custom-made, placing craftsmanship in the spotlight.

The food, the food, the food; where does one begin? There is the option of two tasting menus, one of 5 courses and the other of 7. With each course, you are surrounded by a wealth of colourful plates and bowls filled with captivating textures, flavours and smells. We opted for the Wagyu (£87.50!) supplement to accompany our tastings. That decision was one-fold - it was my birthday. Usually, supplements on a tasting menu are a bug bear of mine. My new age is letting me down.

Graciously starting with a bottle of Perrier-Jouët to start, I knew that great things were to follow.

A few snacks arrived to kick off the meal. Seaweed Meringue with liver parfait came sitting on a bed of moss, while fresh trout doughnut, incredibly delicate, with Vadouvan spices rested on a shell-shaped disk.

*Sardine, cucumber, almond, gooseberry and tarragon*

Beneath the mass of perfectly star-shaped cucumber was raw sardine topped with almond, gooseberry and tarragon. The dish played clever tricks on the tongue; the rich flavour of umami was in a clear jelly, while the clean, fresh sweetness lay in the creamy almond discs. I swiped the plate clean with dense, malty sourdough.

*Westcombe Ricotta, coeur de boeuf tomato, water celery, spinach and Belotta consommé*

A beautifully plated, crunchy, vibrant and tart offsets a dish of deeply flavoured, Westcombe ricotta, coeur de boeuf tomato and water celery drenched delicately with Belotta consommé, which was incredibly refreshing. We looked with lustful eyes at our neighbour's XXL Scallop; a minute or two later, a taster portion was set down before us with a wink. This was further up my street; perfectly panned, the intensity of the scallop flavour mellowed with sweetness and spiciness of the Tandoori spices, a spike of tang from the citrus and carrot.

*XXL Scallop, tandoori spices, carrot, citrus, coriander*

*Brill, violet artichoke, bronze fennel, kaffir lime and “bagna cauda”*

The fish course was perhaps the least memorable, which was in part due to what followed. Still, the square of red mullet we had was heightened by raw taggiasca olives ‘gremolata’ and a swoop of courgette. It's not that it wasn't good. It was just that the next course was such a highlight. It was Highland Wagyu with a generous dollop of bordelaise sauce, and if wasn't the best damn thing I've eaten for a while then I don't know what is. Creamy on the tongue, sweet from the herbs and flowers and slightly orgasmic in fragrance, it made you lick your lips and go back for more. I was genuinely upset it had finished.

After such a rich and flavoursome array of savoury, the Chocolate Araguani with buttermilk and lemon was positively cleansing. Shards of dark chocolate, and hidden within was a quenelle of ice cream, so what you had was a creamy mouthful, followed by the slight tang of the lemon. It was incredibly clever. The classic Darroze Baba (an obligatory choice!) with strawberry and long pepper was a plate of contrasting texture, fluffy from the mountain of cream, paired well with the gradual autumnal warmth in flavour of the Armagnac.

*Signature Darroze Baba with 1990 Armagnac, strawberry and long pepper*

*Chocolate, Arguani from Chocolaterie Valhrona, buttermilk, tarragon and lemon*

Service was discrete when we were in deep conversation, but open and friendly when we were distracted. Hélène Darroze at The Connaught was one of the best meals I've had so far this year; it eased me into the autumn season gently with plenty of earthy flavours, executed elegantly. I don't mourn the hot stickiness of summer anymore - bring on rich game, slow-cooked stews, and - most importantly - hot booze. I'm ready.

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Address: The Connaught, Carlos Place, Mayfair, London, W1K 2AL

3* Hélène Darroze at The Connaught

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