Claridge’s will always need to be a treat and this time it was for Tuula’s birthday. Having said that, the lunch menu at Fera at Claridge’s – Simon Rogan’s restaurant – is far better value than you might expect. We really enjoyed our lunch. It was also good to observe that even amid the grandeur of Claridge’s, the restaurant has what I have described before as an ‘informed informality’, which is such a contrast to the over-serious, over-deferential and stuffy London fine dining of the past.

Lunch got under way with a delicate amuse bouche of a Chickpea Wafer with Fresh Cheese, but we also added some snacks from the à la carte menu. These were divine and fabulously creative. There was a smoked potato mousse with duck hearts – a beautifully smoky concoction with, we thought, some blue cheese; a seaweed wafer with smoked scallop roe; and a stewed rabbit ‘ball’ that was sensationally light. Adding the snacks turned our three-course menu into something more akin to a tasting menu.

To start, Tuula had Egg Yolk Confit with Wild Garlic Cream, Oyster Mushroom and Caramelised Cabbage. This was stunning – Tuula described it as ‘like a blanket’. The textures were so soft and complementary, especially the wild garlic cream and egg yolk, but with the caramelised cabbage providing contrast.

My Hake and Parsley Mousse with Pork, Pickled Mushroom and Onions and Radishes was more immediately spring-like – in its colours, its lightness and its tastes and textures. The pork was not much more than a few morsels of bacon, but they were almost a pivot for the dish, balancing the soft mousse, almost more a cream, against the little bursts of vegetable.

I was pleased with my main course choice because I am not sure I would have enjoyed a whole plate of Tuula’s Steamed Cod with Asparagus, Buttered Kale, Salsify and Shrimp Cream. This was a highly delicate dish but unmistakably of the sea. I think I would have found the cod just too soft, and dare-I-say fishy? Tuula thoroughly enjoyed it. It was also an interesting transitional dish – I am not sure I have seen salsify and asparagus on the same plate, but it turns out they are great partners.

I was extremely happy with my Chicken with Assorted Onions, tiny Jerseys, Tarragon and Smoked Celeriac Puree. Once again there was that sense of transition with jerseys and celeriac together. While this was a chicken dish, it was the onions that held centre stage – spring, rings, pickled, hearts – and they somehow linked the chicken to its accompaniments. Brilliantly executed, and how you can make onions so many different ways look beautiful, I have no idea.

My dessert was also a dish that brought together elements that would not ordinarily occupy the same plate: Buttermilk Custard, Squash and Blood Orange. I suppose it’s why pumpkin pie with custard works, but this was nothing so obvious, with the orange cutting though and yet marrying the other ingredients. By contrast, Tuula’s Earl Grey Ice Cream with Pickled Apples and Anise Fritters seemed almost normal. Needless to say it was executed with precision and presented an impressive and stimulating array of flavours.

The sommelier’s recommendation was a great surprise: 2013 Vidonia from Tenerife. It was terrifically complex – particularly in the sense that it managed to deliver differently with each dish – but beautiful. There was a saltiness, some sherry notes (ah-ha, said the sommelier, it’s made from the grape that makes some fino), biscuits and some distinct minerality – or was I just imagining Mount Teide? But then there were also blossoming floral notes, white fruits and riesling-like petrol. A great choice, and a wine we would never have chosen without the recommendation.

A really memorable birthday lunch, which delivered in all the ways we wanted of a special occasion. Highly recommended!