Spain's master chef visits the capital ... and gets stuck into pie and mash

Could the cockney staple of eel, pie and mash be about to make a debut on the menu of the world's most illustrious restaurant?

Ferran Adrià, of elBulli in Spain, was in London yesterday - tucking into a steaming plate of pie and liquor.

The man whose restaurant has been named best in the world for four consecutive years was enthusiastic as he sat down at a marble-topped table at Manze's in Tower Bridge Road.

First he ate stewed eels (£2.20), then turned his attentions to pie, mash and parsley liquor (£1.95) and a mug of tea (65p). The 46-year-old, whose restaurant boasts a 30-course "tasting menu", is promoting his new book, A Day At elBulli. Last night he addressed 1,000 foodies at the Southbank Centre.

So how did the talent behind dishes such as "fresh liquorice infusion jelly lasagne" and "sole with Cordoba air" enjoy this traditional London dish? "This is good food. The liquor reminds me of salsa verde, a sauce from the Pays Basque region," he said. "I wonder who influenced who in its creation? The pie has a long history - it has been used in haute cuisine for years. When you go to a new place you get a sense of what the food is about. In two months, maybe, I will be cooking something and it will remind me of this place."

As he stepped behind the counter to watch Manze's staff cope with the Monday lunchtime rush, Mr Adrià said: "The eel is so traditional - I like it, it is a fatty fish, the kind of meal you might serve at a Bulli family meal."

Manze's pie-maker Hugh Maguire, 38, who turns out 900 meat pies a day, was asked how he would feel if a version of his dish popped up on the menu at elBulli, on the Costa Brava. "I might be a bit annoyed," he said.