In the beginning there was the wine sommelier. Then there was the water sommelier at Alain Ducasse’s now defunct restaurant in New York's Essex House. And when Sake no hana opened last year it had a sake sommelier. Now comes a beer sommelier at Pearl, the New French restaurant in the Holborn Hotel.
The restaurant has developed a new tasting menu designed specifically for beer lovers that matches gourmet brews to an assortment of dishes. Gustavo Bertolucci is the resident expert who has worked with executive chef Jun Tanaka to do the pairing. Think Kasteel Cru from Alsace with crisp salmon in filo and Meantime Chocolate Stout from Greenwich with one of Pearl’s special desserts (£75 per person for five courses, including a special beer with each course; 020-7829 7000).