CUT is Wolfgang Puck’s first restaurant in Europe and has stirred a lot of excitement on the London dining scene.

I enjoyed a very relaxed lunch with two colleagues exactly two months to the day after it opened and have to say that all the positive hype is fully justified!  From the moment you are greeted and shown to your table you know you are in for a real treat.  The service is impeccable yet not at all intrusive and you can be as formal or relaxed as you wish, which I like.  The restaurant was full with a mix of businessmen, families, couples and ladies enjoying each other’s company, taking a long lunch together as the sun shone through the large windows across from Hyde Park.

We thought it only appropriate to toast the two month anniversary by starting with a delicious glass of Laurent Perrier 2002.  We then followed with a glass each of an excellent 2007 Pinot Noir from Hartland Court, “Land’s Edge”, Sonoma.  I am told that CUT has the largest American wine list in London and perhaps even the UK.  The menu itself is a simple clear sheet, offering a nice choice of 8 starters.  Two of us went for their signature Big Eye Tuna Tartar, Wasabi Aioli, Ginger and Tosa Soy.  It had a little spicy kick and came with a thinly sliced avocado layer on top and Togarashi Crisps on a separate plate.  Our other choice was a delicious Butter Lettuce Salad with Avocado, Shropshire Blue Cheese, Fennel, Radishes and a Mustard Vinaigrette.

We of course had to have a steak, after all CUT is famous for its steaks.  I opted for the ‘Tasting of New York Sirloin’, featuring a 4oz cut of Prime Black Angus from Creekstone Farms in the US, a 4 oz Casterbridge Angus from South West England and an amazingly succulent 2oz Australian Wagyu/Black Angus from Darling Downs.  My two colleagues had the 10oz New York Sirloin again from Creekstone Farms in Kansas, which is aged 35 days.  All the steaks are grilled over hard wood and charcoal then finished under a 650 degree broiler!  Wow, and they taste fabulous and were cooked to perfection!  We also shared a selection of sides including creamed spinach with an organic fried egg which is then all mashed up together at the table for us.  The soft Polenta with Parmesan was delicious as were the baby carrots, roasted artichokes and Thyme-Honey.  My steak also came with a selection of three sauces: Béarnaise, House made Steak sauce and Armagnac & Green Peppercorn.

I should just add that they also have an excellent selection of fish including one of my favourites, Diver Scallops.

We had to try one of their mouth watering desserts.  So two of us shared the amazingly light Banana Cream Pie, which comes with a thin layer of dark chocolate and tasted out of this world plus the warm Passion Fruit Cheesecake with Shiso Yogurt and Almond Praline, which tasted as good as it looked and again was really light.  We accompanied these with an excellent cup of Espresso to round off what was a fabulous lunch.  Will I go back?  Most definitely, but I would like to try dinner as I think the restaurant will look beautiful dimly lit at night.

CUT is open for breakfast Monday to Saturday from 7am to 10:30am; Sunday from 7:30am to 10:30am.

Lunch Monday to Sunday from 12pm to 3pm and Dinner Monday to Saturday from 6pm to 11:00pm and Sunday from 6pm to 10:30pm.