Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester Review

Set in the heart of London`s exclusive Mayfair district is the rather delightful Dorchester Hotel. This hotel is 5 stars all the way and is adorned with beautiful furnishings and incredibly polite staff. After a delightful cocktail at the bar we were taken to our table in the highly renowned Alain Ducasse restaurant which had been designed by Patrick Jouin.

Let`s spend a second on the design… it`s beautiful! Taking inspiration from Hyde Park opposite, Jouin has created an atmosphere that can only be described as tranquil. Using a mixture of greens, browns and creams combined with some extraordinary shapes, the entire restaurant oozes sophistication and class from the moment you enter its domain. The restaurant itself offers three areas of private dining, one of which is a truly ingenious centre stage within a fibre optic curtain that changes colour… it has to be seen to be truly appreciated.

Now to the service… as you`d expect with French dining the staff are incredibly professional and courteous. Not for one moment will your glass be left empty or your taste buds craving, the entire experience is just one of those things that has to be experienced to be enjoyed.

Now for the food… everything has been overseen by Mr Ducasse himself, and with fine restaurants packed with food devotees in only the most exclusive parts of the world, he must be doing something right! Our evening started with a chilled radish and tomato soup which instantly prepared our palette for our starters – John Dory with curried sauce and Hot & Cold Crab. The food has clearly been carefully thought out by a creative mind, which thoroughly appreciates flavour. Our mains consisted of Dover Sole fillets `Florentine style` and Fillet of Beef and seared Foie Gras Rossini which left us kind of speechless! Desert consisted of a delightful Pink Grapefruit Souffle and a Coco-Caramel Delight which you just can`t leave… no matter how full up you are!

To top it all off we were given a choice of home-made sweets including nougat, toffees, marshmallow and the salted and sweet caramel. If you really don`t have room, they`ll give you a goodie bag to take away with you!

Never has the saying `you get what you pay for` rung truer. The ambience, creative food selection, attention to detail and exceptional service makes this one of the finest restaurants to be enjoyed in London.