Dinner by Heston Blumenthal — Restaurant in London

Try once and you’ll never forget!

This is my first time having dinner in a 2 Michelin star restaurant. I found this place from the recommendation from the Michelin app. Do download the app as you will find a selections of restaurants who either do not have (but recommended by Michelin) or do have Michelin stars.

The restaurant is just beneath Hyde Park on Google Map, you can use underground to reach Knightsbridge via Piccadilly line if you need to, and walk a few seconds to reach.

The entrance of the restaurant is rather exquisite as it is located in Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, a 5-star hotel, which feels like a bonus. You will be greeted with the host which will direct you to your seats. Very friendly service I must say, professional in fact, which fits the fame of the restaurant.

Had some fine Krug champagne and some nice slices of bread with a good amount of butter spreads to start off with. After that, the food will be shortly served in a timely manner.

There are a few things you have to try. Meat Fruit dish is one of the starters that you just try. The whole presentation is beautifully executed, with the rich and creamy chicken liver parfait wrapped in a thin layer of skin made of mandarin, which made it seemed like an actual mandarin orange. At the side of it you will have nice toasty slice of bread needed to have with the parfait. Give it a good spread of the parfait, with some of the mandarin skin element, and you will find yourself melting in it when it reaches your mouth. It just melts with flavour and the fine rich texture enhances the experience more. We we’re offered with more bread as a piece of it won’t be enough for the whole parfait. Take it, you surely will need it.

As for me, I ordered the Rice and Flesh starters. Made with saffron and red wine, with a generous beef cheek on it, the flavour will make you stunned in awe and blessings. This is like nothing I’ve ever tasted before! The red wine and saffron refines the taste a little bit more, and with the beef cheek on it, makes it a perfect combination. Do note that all the dishes are inspired and refined from traditional recipes which range from as old as 13th century. Heston just made it even better!

Mains, Fillet of Hereford Beef is a must try and Roast Halibut & Green Sauce is no exceptional. One of the finest cattle breed you can find in the UK, and highly sought be professional chefs, the Hereford Beef just makes the experience more exquisite. Medium rare is the the way to eat but definitely have it the way you prefer, and that mushroom sauce is something you need to have it with. Roast halibut paired with green sauce, essentially a sour based sauce that, to my surprise pairs well with the halibut, as well as when having it with the braised chicory. Very well defined dishes and excellent food quality there.

You can’t miss out the Tipsy Cake dessert. Depending on your preference you might not like itv as it tends to be a little bit strong ont be sweet side, but you know, I have a sweet tooth and this is just something hot and nice to have as the ending. Very nice hot and toasty (the surface above) sponge cake baked with rich syrup of ingredients which I don’t know, but that alone is good itself. Pairing it with the roasted pineapple makes it better than it already is. Definitely Recommended for sweet tooth eaters.

We ended our meal with some teas and some little snacks before leaving.

Overall the food is exceptional, service is professional and the environment is just grand. Do come and have a try if you’re in London (please made a reservation!!!), but do note that it will be pricey. So do some math and budgeting before coming! But I can assure you that you won’t miss out the goodness and the joy of having such a wonderful meal at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, 2 Michelin...

Our visit to Dinner by Heston in London on Dec 10 was part of a culinary trip with my wife to the UK where we went to 3 Michelin starred restaurants in 5 nights (1 Starred - Number One in Edinburgh and finished at the 3 Starred - Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London).

While my wife and I have been to many Michelin starred restaurants, this one had some bright spots but in the end was a let down for a 2 star Michelin restaurant for the ambiance, service and food.

We arrived a bit early and ended up in the bar where my wife and I had a drink and appetizers while waiting to be seated. We eventually made it into the dining room which was very spacious and modern styling. The kitchen was behind glass and their specialty dessert Tipsy Cake room where they roasted the pineapples is clearly on display.

Service started off pretty good. The waiter gave an overview of the menu and of course, the Tipsy Cake that needed 45 minutes of prep time so they recommended we order it when we order the apps and mains. We decided on the octopus and frog legs for appetizers, the powdered duck breast and hereford ribeye, brussel sprouts for a side and Tipsy Cake for dessert.

The first let down was when we decided not to order additional drinks as we brought what we had in from the bar. It was almost the waiter felt let down and the service never stood out after this. The serving staff for the food was adequate with some polite conversation and good description of the dishes. It was also getting pretty busy and one has to wonder if there was a shortage of staff as service slowed to a crawl. It took 15+ minutes to get the bill.

The best of the evening was with our appetizers. The octopus and frog legs were plated well, nicely seasoned and overall very tasty. We were happy with these appetizers and we held high hope for the rest of the dishes.

The main letdown of the evening was with the mains we ordered. My hereford ribeye didn’t look too appetizing with a mushroom sauce and bone marrow topping. Tasted okay but was no better than a steakhouse at a third of the price. Triple cooked fries were crispy but too oily and were not appetizing as they were cold! My wife’s duck was not much better. While the duck was cooked well, the skin was not crispy. Nothing worse than a soggy piece of duck skin. Have to say the plating for the duck didn't look too creative at all...seems they were trying to balance the vegetables.

For dessert, we had as many others did, the Tipsy Cake. The roasted pineapple was very good but the cake was far too rich for our tastes.

We really had high hopes for the evening. Service was average but the food except the appetizers, was the ultimate letdown. If you are paying good $$$$ for the meal, you really expect more for a Michelin 2 star. To be honest, we had a much better experience at Marcus Wareing’s just down the street.

One other thing. You would expect that a modern restaurant, a 2 starred Michelin at that, would have had their washrooms located near the dining area. When we asked the waiter for directions to the washroom, they actually walked you through the bar then to the entrance of the Mandarin hotel only to tell you to go down the stairs and follow the signs that led to a washroom at the opposite end of the...

Dining at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park is a journey into the depths of British culinary history, executed with Heston Blumenthal's inventive flair. With a concept rooted in historical recipes, each dish takes inspiration from Britain's gastronomic heritage, researched by food historians with assistance from the British Library. The ambience echoes vintage British charm, immersing you in a space that feels like a time capsule of refined elegance. To begin, we savoured the Hay Smoked Salmon, a homage to 18th-century smoking techniques. This beautifully presented dish revealed the delicate flavours that make Heston’s creations so unique — the gentle smokiness balanced with freshness, showing how tradition can be elevated through modern culinary finesse. The Meat Fruit was a revelation, truly living up to its reputation as one of the restaurant’s most iconic dishes. Inspired by a recipe from the 16th century, this imaginative starter is a feast for the senses, appearing as a vibrant mandarin but actually encasing a luscious chicken liver parfait. The parfait’s silky texture and subtle richness, complemented by the delicate mandarin gel, were both surprising and delightful. Moving onto the Roast Cod & Green Sauce, we found a perfect harmony of flavours. The cod, roasted to tender perfection, was paired with a green sauce bursting with herbs like parsley and basil, blended with olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. This bright, zesty element balanced the cod’s richness, a true testament to Heston’s approach to breathing new life into historical recipes. The Fillet of Hereford Beef, a 19th-century creation, was another standout. This high-quality cut of beef was cooked gently to retain its tenderness and juicy flavours. Paired with a traditional mushroom ketchup, an earthy condiment with a centuries-old history, the dish delivered a depth of umami that enhanced the beef without overpowering it. Then came the pièce de resistance: the Tipsy Cake, served in a cast-iron pot with a golden, caramelized brioche top. The warm, custard-soaked brioche, subtly infused with brandy, was decadent yet balanced. Accompanied by a slice of spit-roasted pineapple, caramelized to juicy, tangy perfection, this dessert was a seamless blend of warmth, sweetness, and a hint of acidity. The Tipsy Cake is a perfect example of Heston’s skill in transforming simple ingredients into something extraordinary, rooted in British tradition yet utterly contemporary. Dining here is more than just a meal; it’s an experience that showcases the artistry and heritage of British cuisine, brilliantly reimagined. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is a must-visit for anyone looking to experience the magic of...