Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London — Hotel in London

Lunch at Dinner? That sounds appealing simply from the name and the fact it's Heston Blumenthal's foray into the London dining scene is just icing on the proverbial cake. In this case it was a birthday cake as we were heading to the Chef's Table to celebrate a close friend and fellow foodie's birthday. I'd been to Dinner almost a year ago for my own birthday (courtesy of my cousin and a close friend), but the Chef's Table tasting menu was a special draw so I happily signed on to the excursion.

I'll give you the highlights rather than my typical 10 page rundown - that's going to the blog though if you are interested. As you'd expect, the tasting menu includes two signature and most well known dishes from Dinner: the Meat Fruit and the Tipsy Cake. The Meat Fruit is a light silky chicken liver and foie gras parfait which is moulded into a sphere before being dipped in a mandarin gelatine. Served with a thick slice of grilled buttery bread, the net result is a beautifully presented dish that is very moreish - a rarity given the richness of the ingredients.

On the other end of the meal, the Tipsy Cake is a segmented brioche which has the same texture as what I imagined a cloud would have (as a child - before science and knowledge ruined the fantasy). It's soaked with a sugary icing glaze and served with spit roasted pineapple. It's rare that I love a dessert that completely abstains from chocolate, but I'd eat this at every meal if I could.

I've had both before, so while I enjoyed it my socks remained on. It was a dish in the middle of the menu called Frumenty that really surprised me. The dish with the oldest history, c1390, it's composed of grilled octopus served in a smoked sea broth - only Heston could decide to smoke the sea - and intricately presented with different layers of taste and texture. It's the octopus that really steals it as each piece was tender enough to be cut with a fork and melted over your tongue. This is not a sensation I'd ever attribute to octopus which tends to be chewy at the best of time and rubbery at the worst.

Yes the cocktails are good and the wine pairing superb. Even though it was the on the lowest end of the wine pairing range (which goes from £100-£500pp), our pairing enhanced the food and kept us in high spirits. Really, that's all you can ask for. .

The food was spectacular and for £150 well worth it. It was by far the best fine dining experience I've had in London, far better than HKK and Ametsa, and even managed to top our meal at Texture. When you add on the great banter from the staff, the personal touch by Chef Dale, and the freedom to ask questions and poke our nose into the kitchen, it was almost a bargain. Save up if you need to (or settle in to pay the credit card bill), but don't miss out on this place.

Looking back, while I really enjoyed it, the wine was a bit too much for my wallet and although I'd happily go back for the food I would probably stick with one bottle. It would also help with not leaving the place feeling...

Our family of five recently stayed at the Mandarin Oriental in London, and it’s safe to say this trip will stay with us forever. While the hotel itself is stunning, what made our stay truly exceptional was the incredible butler service—especially the care and attention shown by Musa, the head butler.|Traveling with three children (twin boys that are 9, and our daughter who is 7) can sometimes feel daunting, but Musa and his team made everything feel effortless. From the moment we arrived, he welcomed us not just as guests, but as if we were family. He remembered the children’s names right away, spoke to them with such kindness, and even found little ways to make them feel special—whether it was a surprise treat waiting in the room or simply taking the time to listen to their stories. Seeing how comfortable and happy our kids were set the tone for the entire trip.|For us as parents, Musa was a quiet hero throughout our stay. He anticipated our needs before we could even think of them, like ensuring my favorite tea was readily available, with lemon and extra honey, and even helping us keep the inevitable whirlwind of kids’ belongings perfectly in order. He made sure to check, with us, every room to see if we forgot anything, and even helped one of my twins find his lost bracelet lost in the living room couch. Everyday, we had fresh fruit waiting for us. He knew our kids loved fruit, and he made sure there was plenty. We had our own WhatsApp thread with the entire butler team, where we could text anything we needed, like when I requested they turn the air conditioner up in our rooms when we were out all day, and having breakfast delivered on time on our last morning. Every detail, no matter how small, was handled with such grace and thoughtfulness.|What stood out most was how genuine his care felt. Musa wasn’t just providing a service; he was creating an experience. Making sure our family could focus on enjoying time together without a single worry. That kind of warmth and professionalism is rare, and it turned what could have been just a nice trip and hotel stay, into a memory our children are already asking to relive.|To Musa and the entire butler team: thank you for giving our family an experience we will never forget. The Mandarin Oriental will always hold a special place in our hearts because of you, and your...

I’ve been here twice now. First time was brill. We came, we ate, we conquered. Did the whole shebang, Meat Fruit, Tipsy cake, Triple cooked chips. We loved it. Service was impeccable, as you’d expect, drinks were lovely, food – exciting. Overall it was a lovely birthday meal for a friend. I raved about it for a while and finally dragged my boyfriend there.

Cocktails to start were lovely. Not the best we’ve ever had, but nice all the same. Took a while to come, but you’d expect that from a busy bar.

Bread to start, lots of lovely salted butter. I had the Meat fruit the first time I went, which was really, REALLY good. If not a little much for the bit of bread you’re given, but good all the same. So the bf had that. I love the surprise on his face when he sees it. Looked like mine the first time I saw it. So I had “Rice and Flesh” which was promised to me by a friend of a friend as “The best thing she’s ever eaten.” Meh, it was ok. A little sickly after a while as it’s SO rich.

Mains, I had the Blackfoot pork chop, based on the fact that my friend had the Pork last time and I had major food envy. It was delicious. But I’m afraid I may have built it up in my head a little too much as it just wasn’t as life-changing as I remember. But it was excellent. He had the pigeon. Which was tiny compared to mine so we ended up going halfsies. It was lovely though. A lovely little few mouthfuls.

I’d had the brown butter ice cream, tipsy cake & chocolate bar before, which were all beautiful but the ice cream really, REALLY nailed it. But we skipped dessert – although we had mentioned it was our anniversary and they brought us a complimentary chocolate pot and wafer each which was beautiful and thoughtful. As I said, service was impeccable.

All in all – I liiiikkeeddd it, but if I’m honest with myself, it just didn’t live up to the magic that was there before. And I know why – Heston’s is a place you can only really go once. And that once you are blown away by the menu, the names of the food, the magic of what looks like an orange, but tastes like parfait, the service and the decor. Second time, you’ve been there done that, got the t-shirt. So do me a favour – definitely go to Heston’s, but only got there once. It’s like a Birthday candle wish, it only works the...