Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester — Restaurant in London

We've been lucky enough to have frequented Michelin starred restaurants on a few occasions but until our visit to Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester we hadn't been to a three star. So we were both a little bit apprehensive about what the experience would be like. Would we feel out of place? Would we find it too stuffy, as we had done at a couple of previous meals at high-end restaurants? We needn't have worried. From start to finish our evening was an absolute delight.

Our visit began with being warmly welcomed into the plush interior of the restaurant and guided to our comfortable seats near the window looking out onto a rainy Park Lane. We'd decided in advance to choose the tasting menu, and after a small amount of deliberation we plumped for one of the three choices of wine flights to accompany it. We hadn't originally intended to, but as it cost not much more than the bottles of wine we were considering we thought we'd push the boat out.

A couple of tasty canapes and some excellent bread with the most fantastic fermented curd (which I kept sneakily eating at various points throughout the evening) kicked off the meal before the first starter; which was Dorset crab enclosed in crunchy celeriac with a dusting of decadence in the form of some caviar. Next was terrine of foie gras - not a full-on hunk of liver but a more subtle slice of pate to be smeared liberally across the deliciously-crisp brioche which accompanied it.

The restaurant's signature dish was to follow - sweet discs of lobster with a tremendous bisque and immaculate quenelles of chicken and truffle. Again the flavours were immaculate, clean and subtle rather than overpowering, though the bisque was packed with taste. So much so that our waiter encouraged us to mop up the remainder and provided more bread with which to do so. We did just that and were not disappointed.

A hunk of buttery-smooth turbot was our main fish course and, unusually for a restaurant such as this, chicken was the main meat. What chicken though! Soft, tender and intensely chickeny and served with woody wild mushrooms and Swiss chard. Each of the savoury courses was matched brilliantly with the relevant wines - mainly whites but a terrific light and spicy red with the chicken.

Pleasingly, a cheese course was included with the tasting menu and it was a trio of classically-French fromage: an intense Roquefort, a creamy Brie and a swan-shaped sliver of Comte, which I'd never tried before. The Comte was my favourite, Parmesan-like texture with a hint of crunchy sweetness.

A pre-dessert sorbet cleansed the palate nicely before the dessert of raspberry sorbet with watercress and a duo of meringues, one of which was an incredible pair of olive oil flavoured meringue leaves which just dissolved in the mouth. We finished off with coffees which were preceded by wonderful mini pastries including a lemon meringue pie which evoked all the memories of the Sara Lee favourite but in one tiny morsel. Then, for a final surprise, Clare was presented with a tempered chocolate leaf covered in nuts and freeze-dried fruits as we left the restaurant on our way back through the hotel lobby.

The service all night was just magnificent. Warm, knowledgeable and at times funny with not a hint of snobbishness. It really felt like our waiting staff knew how special a night this was and made sure we felt totally comfortable throughout. Being encouraged to mop up sauce from our plate was not what we had expected!

Of course it wasn't cheap - it's a three Michelin star restaurant in an incredibly plush hotel on Park Lane. However the meal, service and whole experience made it feel like money well spent. We left the restaurant feeling incredibly lucky and privileged to have enjoyed such a treat. We may never get such a chance again and we'll never, ever forget our evening with...

Fine dining is one of my greatest sins, and every time I experience an exceptional meal I am reminded of the lengths it takes to be awarded a Star, let alone three. It's a feat Alain Ducasse knows too well, having amassed and defended 21 Stars over his four-decade long career.

For restaurants who carry the burden of a 3-Star distinction, every facet of the meal needs to be pored over, thought through, and executed to perfection. Even then, it's not enough, for the experience itself needs to be neatly wrapped and delivered with genuine hospitality that is coupled with knowledge and best-in-class produce elevated by the kitchen's cooking prowess.

It's exacting and exhausting, and you must have watched documentaries where a poor busboy is wielding a plastic ruler to measure the centimetres between each utensil and polishing of glasses against a light source to erase any rogue fingerprints.

Alain Ducasse hits all the high notes early on: within minutes of settling in we are proffered leather-bound menus, our glasses are filled, and the ordering is underway. The food is fantastic, as you would expect. The amuse-bouches were not particularly impressive, and I found the seed cracker to be overly earthy and reminiscent of bird feed. My companion's starter outshone my Pumpkin Tart: he opted for the Soft-boiled Egg Parmentier with Truffle, which was served with a perfectly molten yolk and perfumed lightly with truffle. The wines that accompany the lunch set are inexpensive, and a quick search online showed that all four bottles offered for lunch came under the £20 mark, presumably because of their young age. Atypical for a three-star outfit, but the overall taste of the wine proved that you don't have to drop a bomb on a good pour, and nobody is going to say no to a lunchtime tipple.

The mains were memorable, and my seared halibut in particular left an impression. I am not one for seafood, but it was difficult to not be won over by the flakiness of the fish, which can only be achieved by fresh, first class produce. The desserts too were excellent, with exceptional mignardises. On the sweets front, the chocolates stole the show. Alain Ducasse has ventured down the chocolate rabbit hole, and the meal is closed off with some unforgettably luxe chocolates from Ducasse's Parisian chocolatier. The rectangular bar covered in specks of coconut was divine.

Let's talk service. Pre-meal, I tore open a wet wipe to disinfect my hands and left it discarded in a ball at the side of my table. Within minutes, a waiter had clocked it, deftly picked it up with a pair of metal tongs, and disappeared just as quickly as he appeared. Little, 'forgettable' moments like this I relish the most when reflecting on my experience, for they hint at seasoned waiters who have perfected the art of hospitality. If anything, the service was a little stiff and lacked warmth and charm, but here I'm just being unfairly pedantic. The overall bill came under Singapore $200 per person, and for this quality of service and food, I'd say it's well worth the money.

As we exited the restaurant, two waitresses flanked each side of the exit and each were holding up a coat. I was standing on the right and surely, a waitress was standing to my right with my blue coat. My dining companion was to his left, and there his waitress was, expectantly holding out his grey coat. It's not magic, just painful attention to detail and a well-oiled system calibrated to the nines.

In the words of the Standard, who could begrudge Ducasse at The Dorchester it's Third Star?

More food reviews over at @VichelinGuide...

Wow! Writing this the morning after the night before it feels almost surreal…my fiancé also commented that it could have been a dream like having been to the opera or the ballet.

We currently live in different countries. I am spending the Summer in London so we advance booked a restaurant to try every week. We were at week five last night and Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester is the runaway favourite for both of us.

We don’t photograph our food. And even if we did, we don’t have phones that could do this justice! Everything was beautiful. From the serving dishes, the cutlery, the linens, the lighting. All obviously carefully considered and totally hitting the right style notes.

We struggle with tasting menus as there’s always too much food. We opted instead for à la carte with wine pairings of the sommeliers choice.

All the food was amazing! From the opening canapés to the finale petit four, it became more and more obvious why this restaurant holds three Michelin stars. suffice to say each dish was complex, balanced, aesthetically beautiful and delicious.

The wine pairings were spot on! An amazingly creamy Chardonnay, a surprisingly rich New World Pinot Noir and truly memorable 1985 port. The sommelier was knowledgeable, interesting, funny and obviously carefully considered his choices!

The service was exceptional. Stuffiness could almost be expected at this level but the staff were all charming, personable, attentive, knowledgeable, chatty and added so much to the overall experience. I can’t imagine that anybody dining in the restaurant is not made to feel truly special and appreciated. We loved the theatre that they added to serving - we’ve never before felt more anticipation, suspense and excitement for cheese! When it did arrive it was completely deserving of the build up.

We love Le Meurice in Paris and wondered if this could ever compare. Well it does.

The cost is fair for the overall experience and for a special occasion there would be none better. This will undoubtedly be the venue for my foodie daughter’s 21st birthday … she’s only 12 so I have time to save up.

*second visit ….. We returned, this time with friends. It’s actually hard to put into words just how good this restaurant is! The three stars are so deserved. The staff, the tableware, the food, the ambience, the wines ….all faultless. This is beyond food or even an ‘experience’. It’s theatre, it’s a waking dream, it’s a sensory explosion. We all had the seven course tasting menu and all said it was the best meal we’d ever had. And we’re...