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You can find the review of my 2nd visit to Ambassade de L’ile on Londoneater’s blog as I am featured as a guest blogger. This meal was back in December just before Christmas and I do apologize that the review has taken quite some time before it was published. Here is a quick summary:
The meal began with the same assortment of vegetable crisps although this time they were less well executed than on my first visit. Still, a comfortable 8/10. An amuse bouche of baked clam with brunoise vegetables and truffled butter had sweet, juicy and slightly salty clam although the truffle butter was somewhat muted. (7/10) Better was a second amuse of deep fried boudin noir with quince syrup – the richness of the boudin noir matched by the acidity of the syrup. (8/10)
Foie gras, au torchon was served in a brioche mousseline with some quince ketchup on the side. The foie had good liver flavour with the lightest brioche I have ever had the pleasure of eating although the dish itself was not remarkable despite being well executed. (7/10) Brill and Prawn ‘Fish and Chips’ was disappointing let down by soggy, batter although the dish itself was somewhat rescued by a very good tomato bernaise sauce. (5/10)
The highlight of the meal was the Canard au Sang in two services. First, the duck breast was served with a few pickled turnips and the beautiful, velvety civet sauce. The breast was so tender you could have cut it with a spoon. The dish, despite having so few components to it, emphasized that a dish can be brilliant despite its simplicity. A second, serving of the leg was much lighter with a frisee salad dressed in good quality balsamic vinegar and almond oil. (10/10)
Desserts still remain their weak point. A lemon confit and chestnut tart had good pastry, with the sharpness of the lemon balanced by the smoked chestnut but ultimately the final dish felt like a sum of all parts. (6/10) More interesting was a white truffle and white chocolate dessert (8/10). Petit fours were as before from my previous visit with an interesting liquorice ice cream, star anise sweet and gingerbread cone thrown in for good measure (8/10).
The cooking here seems to be of a high level. At its best, Ambassade has produced some of the best tasting dishes I have had the privilledge to sample. Even the ‘mediocre’ dishes are at a 6/10 level. As such it baffles me that Ambassade only received 1 Michelin star in the 2009 guide while other places like L’Atelier and the Capital have 2.
gen.u.ine.ness 
It does make you wonder sometimes how they made their decisions… Same with the Zagat guide. One place will have a 26/30 and be far superior to a place that has a 28/30… Go figure !
I quite agree – people like AA Gill and Giles Coren have been so rude yet Andy Hayler and others like yourself rave about the place. I’ve only been for lunch – so far. The more I hear about the pressed duck, the more I feel a special dinner excuse coming on. Is this the only restaurant in London which does this pressed duck? I’ve only seen in in Quebec prior to this?
Clare – as far as I am aware of, yes this is the only restaurant to do the pressed duck.