Upping the Beverage Game from Start to Finish, with Nick Lander, restaurant critic

Upping the Beverage Game from Start to Finish

With Nick Lander, restaurant critic

Nick Lander, often referred to as “he who must be obeyed,” is a prominent figure in gastronomy. His expertise spans across various roles, including being the esteemed restaurant critic for both and the Financial Times.

Moreover, he is recognised as a chef and a food service consultant, lending his invaluable insights to an array of arts organisations and development projects.

In 2012, Lander's book, titled "The Art of the Restaurateur", received widespread acclaim. The book delves into the intricate craftsmanship and unparalleled dedication required to excel in the realm of restaurateurs. Lander takes readers on a captivating journey behind the scenes, shedding light on the challenges and triumphs that restaurateurs face in their quest to create extraordinary dining experiences.

Building on the success of his first book, Lander went on to publish "On the Menu" in 2016. This work focuses on the often overlooked, yet vital aspect of restaurant menus. With meticulous attention to detail, Lander delves into the thought processes and creative decisions that shape a menu's composition. Through his insightful analysis, he unveils the hidden psychology behind menu design and its impact on diners.

With this in mind, we asked Lander about the evolution of drinks programmes as a reaction to changes in consumption patterns, which is seeing marked interest in beverages beyond wine, even amongst fine dining consumers. According to Lander, the evolution is occurring amongst a variety of beverages including spirits, cocktails, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages and the demand for the broadening of drinks programmes, is a “process started in the US and the rest of the world is playing catch-up.”

With changing drinking preferences, particularly amongst the Millennial and Gen Z generations, it begs the question if sommeliers, and beverage managers, we’ll need to adapt and become more versed in all beverages to prosper in the next generation of fine dining restaurants. Asked if he thinks classic fine dining restaurants, even the most exalted Michelin 2-star and 3-star, need to ‘up’ their cocktail game, Lander retorts “I think that most restaurants, whatever their rating, are trying extremely hard. No press release comes today without the name of the mixologist.”

It’s not just consumer demand for cocktails, spirits and beer that are leading to change at the world’s best restaurants. An ever growing sober-conscious population, because of shifts amongst preferences amongst age groups and an increasingly cultural diversity amongst high-end diners is asking sommeliers and beverage managers to consider the role of non-alcoholic in their drinks programme. Restaurants such as Copenhagen’s Geranium, New York’s Eleven Madison Park, and Chicago’s Alinea, the latter even producing a cookbook titled ‘Zero’ featuring exclusively nonalcoholic drinks, have jumped fully into the non-alcoholic pool. Lander agrees with their decisions. As he says, “I think non-alcoholic drinks are extremely important and particularly profitable. Anybody who ignores them does so at their peril.”

In recent years, there has also been a notable rise in the prominence of tea service in fine dining restaurants, marking a shift in the way beverages are perceived and appreciated in the culinary world. Traditionally overshadowed by wine and other alcoholic beverages, tea is now garnering attention for its complexity, diversity, and ability to enhance the dining experience. Tea is also experiencing a rise in consumption thanks to consumers seeking healthier alternatives.

As will explore later in this issue, another contributing factor is the rise of specialty teas and the increasing demand for artisanal, single-origin, and rare tea varieties. Just as with wine, customers are becoming more discerning and curious about the origins, processing methods, and flavour profiles of teas. While traditional afternoon tea service as performed by the likes of London’s Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong’s The Peninsula, New York’s St. Regis Hotel, and the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok are showcases of the traditional, other top restaurants such as La Maison Pic are also responding to this demand by curating extensive tea menus, featuring teas from different regions, and showcasing the expertise of their sommeliers. Tea, and coffee, are two items Lander suggests should not be an afterthought. He concludes “I was always told that 'last impressions are the most important'. The tea, coffee offering has to be as interesting as the menu and the wine list. But it must not be pretentious.”