The hype behind the opening of Heston Blumenthal’s first London restaurant, Dinner, has been deafening. Probably the most anticipated launch since Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, it has excited people far beyond the foodie world. Giles Coren’s review in The Times not only declared it ‘the best new restaurant in the world’, but was run as a news story, such was its importance thought to be. Virtually every critic has visited, and pronounced it a triumph. At the time of writing, it is fully booked until the end of May, thanks to its (admirable) refusal to turn tables. Several dishes on the menu have already become iconic. But, underneath all the hoo-ha and palaver, how does it work as a restaurant?
The good news is that Blumenthal’s venture is a resounding success, an absolute pleasure to visit. If you were expecting a metropolitan spin-off of The Fat Duck, you’re going to be disappointed. Although there are welcome touches of experimentation, the fireworks are saved for the kitchen. Blumenthal and his head chef Ashley Palmer-Watts have produced a relatively short but focused a la carte menu which takes inspiration from traditional English cooking, with pleasingly unusual results. Therefore the unappetisingly named ‘Rice and Flesh’ turns out to be an exquisitely conceived risotto with calf’s tail, saffron and red wine, maintaining just the right balance between lightness and full flavour. Apparently this dish dates from the 14th century; clearly the medieval Britons understood the basics of fine dining even then. One wonders how they managed to forget it for the next six centuries if so.
I started with what’s probably already the most famous dish, the so-called ‘meat fruit’. It’s a beautifully silky and tender chicken liver parfait (with, one supposes, a touch of foie gras) that gets its name by being presented as if it were a mandarin, coming in an orange shell. The effect is both comically amusing, but absolutely delicious, with toasted sour dough a hugely effective compliment to it. On a future visit I intend to have the scallops with cucumber ketchup, which sounds equally delicious.
The bar had been raised very high, but I then had what was probably the best pork chop I’d ever eaten, served simply with sauce Robert and lettuce. It’s hard to describe the flavour but apparently Heston has described the Black Foot pork that he uses as the porcine equivalent of Kobe beef, and it has the same sumptuous, full and rich flavour, with the sauce complimenting it beautifully. A glass of Rioja went down exceptionally well and brought out the taste exquisitely. Dessert was the equally divine ‘tipsy cake’, a kind of cross between doughnut and brioche, served with roasted pineapple. The service throughout was genuinely friendly and engaged; as with all restaurants that are genuinely proud of their food and atmosphere, the staff at Dinner know that they’re onto a winner. In fact if I had to search for something to criticise – and that scraping sound is the bottom of the barrel being investigated – the choice of bread isn’t wildly inspiring, being wholemeal sourdough. But given how exquisite everything else is, this really is nitpicking.
So, Dinner is a triumph, all things considered. A triumph for Heston Blumenthal, who has reinforced his claim as the most interesting chef working in Britain today. A triumph for the Mandarin Oriental, who have, with this and Bar Boulud, a good claim to have the best food offerings of any of London’s leading hotels. And, most importantly, a triumph for the customers, who, paying prices that easily stand comparison to other Knightsbridge restaurants, are being served delicious and innovative food that will make this one of the most memorable meals that you’ll ever savour every morsel of.
66 Knightsbridge, SW1X. www.dinnerbyheston.com
