Reach the summit at the Mountain restaurant
As you know, I’ve long had a real passion for counters, because they’re less formal than a classic table, and the exchange between staff and guests can take place in complete relaxation. As I enter the restaurant, I’m lucky enough to be seated opposite an MK2 turntable and a huge loudspeaker playing Grace Jones’ (only) hit “I’ve seen that face before (Libertango)”. A choice spot that allows me to observe a service provided by tattooed youngsters, with piercings and tousled hairstyles (is this really the return of the “Mulet” haircut?) galloping to the four corners of a crowded restaurant. Clothes don’t make the man. Professional to the core, they take real pleasure in advising, talking to and guiding customers in a jovial, good-natured atmosphere. Without falling into the cliché of the big chains that are reproduced all over the world, Mountain gives off a special vibe.
A feast on the plate
A megalopolis like London can boast this kind of gastronomic nugget. This two-storey restaurant is an invitation to travel and share, with its simple yet highly sophisticated cuisine, and its emphasis on products of the sea and land. As you enjoy soubressade on toast with a dash of honey and straciatella topped with a drizzle of anchovies on farmhouse bread, the decibels start to rise. Mind you, the party’s on the plate and in the glass, not on the tables with staff waving napkins and clapping their hands as if warming up a room before a bad concert.
You couldn’t be happier than I am, sitting at this counter, in this restaurant and at this very moment. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t expecting anything like this. As Bob Marley belts out the ditty from “Buffalo Soldier”, an omelette stuffed with tourteau crumble is placed in front of me. A culinary gem of perfect structure. After a delicate incision, the still-running heart makes every bite delectable. A feat of taste whose apparent ease conceals the difficulty of execution. As for the delicate piece of beef, it retains its raw, braised appearance.
Night dream
A free-flowing cuisine, young people eager to blossom in a difficult professional world, all factors that make us leave the restaurant with our hearts beating and our spirits upbeat. Hats off to you! We stroll the streets of the English capital in the fading night, letting ourselves be carried away by the rhythm and palpitations of the city. Mountain has charmed us in every way, and we fall gently into the arms of Morpheus, our heads still full of dreams…
