Heston Blumenthal’s visionary Knightsbridge restaurant
The Chef’s table at Dinner is one of a kind
Heston Blumenthal’s name is synonymous with the cutting edge world of molecular gastronomy. He is a pioneer of experimental cuisine, famous for pushing boundaries and deconstructing normality at every corner, and most recently for concocting a series of dishes for astronaut Tim Peak to take with him to space. The Fat Duck at Bray established Heston among the culinary elite, but his next Michelin-starred venture Dinner, the in-house restaurant of the Mandarin Hotel in Knightsbridge, is a somewhat different kettle of fish. We sat down at the esteemed ‘Chef’s Table’ for an unforgettable culinary experience.
Dinner’s décor is suave and innovative, far from the dated setting of many of the traditional French establishments that have dominated fine dining in the capital. It is modern, with vast sweeping glass panels and polished wood throughout, yet each aspect is designed with a conscious nod to the past.
The Mandarin
Every detail of the interior has a lengthy back-story: the light fittings on the walls are custom–made sconces in the shape of antique jelly moulds, and the sculpted wooden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling are an oblique reference to the window panes at Westminster Abbey. Even the kitchens are modelled on the historic pantry of the royal court, with a £70,000 spit being rotated by a pulley system. Even the Mayfair location, with stunning views over Hyde Park, was chosen for its historic importance. While much of this goes straight over the diner’s head, it is indicative of the obsessive attention to detail that is so characteristic of Heston.
Dinner is a modern celebration of all that is great about historic British cooking, catapulting seven centuries of weird and wonderful British recipes into the 21st century. Working with historians to research medieval cookbooks and manuscripts, Blumenthal draws on recipes from as early as the thirteen hundreds for inspiration. He has expertly blended the ancient and the modern to finely craft each dish on his à la carte menu, using hyper-modern techniques and culinary equipment to create his dishes. From this, some of the best have been adapted to create the 9 course taster menu for the chef’s table.
Ashley Palmer-Watts
Of course, all of this archive-digging would be pointless if the food itself was anything less than sensational. Thankfully, Blumenthal and executive head chef, Ashley Palmer-Watts, do not disappoint, and each of the nine courses we sampled was exquisite. The signature dish, “Meat Fruit”, based on a 15th Century recipe, is a particular delight and an absolute must. It has the appearance of a perfect mandarin, complete with convincingly real dimples and a stalk, but when cut open, the creamiest and most flavoursome chicken liver and foie gras parfait is revealed. This work of art has a childish Willy Wonker appeal, and is made by dunking frozen parfait into melted mandarin jelly at a precise temperature before being frozen again and defrosted; the dimpled texture a happy side effect of the defrosting process. The delights continue right through to dessert and the nitro ice-cream trolley, where liquid nitrogen and custard are dramatically combined to instantly create a perfect scoop.
Ashley Palmer-Watts
A different wine (or champagne, and in one case Japanese sake) accompanies each dish, and throughout the meal our expert sommelier explained the grape blend of each wine, and even the careful selection of glassware chosen to fully enhance its flavour.
A meal for six at the renowned Chef’s Table, with front-row views into the kitchen and your own personal sommelier and waiter will cost over a grand, but it’s so worth it.
If you’re not feeling up to a four-hour, nine-course shenanigan complete with booze and a private tour of the kitchen don’t worry though, because they also have a very reasonable three course set lunch menu for £40.
Splashing out on the ultimate culinary experience. If money is no object, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more memorable and exclusive dining experience anywhere in the country.
The Mandarin
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
