Mr.N wasn’t too delighted at the prospect of turning 30 as you can imagine. To quote “I feel like I haven’t achieved as much as I had hoped for by 30”. Well that’s just bloody charming! In my head I was thinking errrr hello, you achieved me! In any case, I knew I had to really pull something special out of the bag to give him the most memorable 30th.

From a young age, Mr.N has been fascinated with the legendary Roux family and this fascination has rubbed off on me to the point where every time we attend the Taste of London festival in Regent’s Park, I stalk Michel Roux Jr like a cat on the prowl. I have hounded him for many photos over the years and each time I tell him “it’s funny but I still haven’t been to Le Gavroche”-yeah, maybe not the best tactic!

Established in 1972, The Waterside Inn is the Roux family’s world famous restaurant nestled in the quintessentially English rural village, Bray. The restaurant gained its first Michelin star in 1974, securing a second star shortly after in 1977 and was awarded the ultimate icing on the cake with the highly coveted third star in 1985. It has impressively held onto all three for 31 years!

I booked the signature package and our menu was the Le Menu Exceptionnel, a 6 course gastronomic voyage. Mr.N and I recently made a pact to not eat foie gras and so I emailed the restaurant in advance asking to change our foie gras dish. Whilst we were enjoying our champagne aperitif, we were asked what we would like to change our dish to and we decided on the oysters. Within minutes of us telling them this they had already printed out a new menu reflecting our changes. This is why the restaurant has won The Times best service restaurant 2014/15.

The sommelier gave us an a-z guided tour of all the white wines and we opted for the 2011 Meursault Les Grands Charrons – Domaine Bouzeronsmooth, a velvety and buttery wine which he assured us would complement every dish on our menu.

We were escorted to our table and though it was not next to the window I wasn’t disheartened as it was a dark evening and we wouldn’t have had a decent view of the Thames River anyway. The waitress pointed out that the tiny stool next to my seat was for my handbag. Practical, I like it.

We were served a delicious amuse bouche followed by a seabass and octopus ceviche in a zesty passion fruit juice. I wasn’t expecting such a traditional establishment to even have this modern dish on its menu but it just goes to show how dynamic and adaptive to changing times this place really is.

We were treated to an assortment of six warm oysters each. The oysters were bathing in champagne sauce, a few cushioned in lobster mousse and spinach leaves topped with oscietra caviar and the others had shavings of black truffle sprinkled over them. I don’t usually order oysters but these were beautifully cooked and as a result they didn’t have that slimey texture that makes me feel sick. We all know what they say about oysters, right? With this in mind, I did what any red-blooded wife would do and gave most of my oysters to Mr.N! Wondering if it worked? Unfortunately, my blogs are about Fifty Shades of Food, not Fifty Shades of Mr.N!

The traditional pike quenelle with langoustine tails came out next. The pike quenelle had a soft, spongelike texture which meant it was light to eat. The dish was bursting with the creamy richness from the langoustine without overpowering the pike.

For our mains we had the spit-roasted Challandais duck with garlic scented fondant potatoes, braised baby fennel, green olives and truffle jus. The duck was beautifully presented and carved effortlessly at our table in front of our eyes- it is a treat just to watch this art. The duck was cooked to our taste, it was the right side of pink, perfectly tender and thin. I can see why it’s one of the restaurant’s most iconic dishes.

We had the warm orange soufflé with lingonberries. I enjoyed the subtle orange flavour but I found the taste a bit too eggy on my palette. I think this is personal preference as Mr.N had no complaints. The final dish was the sensational coconut meringue with a pineapple and pomegranate sorbet.

I noticed a small dessert with a candle go to the table diagonal to us only to hear some whispers along the lines “I don’t think this is ours, I think it’s for that couple over there”. I tried to pretend I hadn’t heard anything but they caught my inquisitive eye and I just knew they knew I knew.

Funnily enough a few minutes later the same cake and candle came to our table, it’s ok, it’s the thought that counts and this was a very sweet thought.

I ordered some English tea after our meal and yes, you guessed it, I just wanted the petit fours. Do you think I should change my blog name to Court of Petit Fours? Hmmmm. There were a selection of cute nibbles including madeleines, macarons, lemon tarts, chocolates and more. I was basically having afternoon tea!

The next morning we woke up to a delicious French continental breakfast consisting of freshly baked croissants, rich jams, chocolate spread, teas and coffees. It was just what we needed after last night’s foodathon.

I understand why this restaurant has held firmly onto its three stars. I am no Michelin inspector but even I could see how much effort goes into ensuring every guest’s experience is as memorable as possible. The charming master of house, Diego Masciaga, is always smiling and his warmth and enthusiasm truly permeate through the establishment.

Food: 9.5/10 Atmosphere: 9.5/10 Value: 9/10

If this restaurant were a fictional character it would be…Jay Gatsby, The Great Gatsby- a perfectionist who believes that first impressions last and one who leaves a lasting impression through his charm and grandeur.