Mandarin Oriental
Hyde Park
66 Knightsbridge
London
This is a remarkably good restaurant with exceptional food and service. The food here does not subscribe strictly to Heston Blumenthal's molecular gastronomy, but pays tribute to good ol' British cuisine, with a modern twist. Each item is listed in the menu with its corresponding provenance, and while some require explanation, i.e. "Salamugundy", which is a plate of chicken oysters and marrow bone (not pictured), others require none, i.e. "Chicken cooked with lettuces". In the end, this is a fantastic place of gastronomy, absent any inkling of snobbishness despite its location. The sommeliers are friendly and helpful, and make it a priority to match the wines with the food ordered. The spiced pigeon, cooked to a shade of peach pink, explodes with gamy flavor. The ale reduction atop which the pigeon sits is rich and dense. The grilled artichoke, with a sliver of smokiness, goes extraordinarily well with the game meat and the blooming dark fruits of the 2011 Terenus Reserva from Portugal.
3 stars to the restaurant, and 3 stars to the spiced pigeon.
Artisan bread.
"Rice & Flesh (c.1390)": saffron, calf-tail and red wine.
"Chicken cooked with lettuces (c.1670)": grilled onion emulsion, spiced celeriac sauce and oyster leaves.
"Spiced pigeon (c. 1780)": ale & artichokes.
"Tipsy cake (c.1810)": spit roast pineapple. The pineapple.
"Tipsy cake (c.1810)": spit roast pineapple. The cake.
Nitro ice cream.
