Helene Darroze at The Connaught

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Helene Darroze at The Connaught

There are so many new London restaurants opening in the past couple of years, but sometimes I just love heading back to the tried and tested places. Helene Darroze at The Connaught is without a doubt one of those places, the 2 Michelin starred hotel restaurant had just done a revamp. The decor is now much brighter with a much lighter colour tone and the installation of modern tables. The menu also had a makeover, it is some kind of a tasting menu and a la carte hybrid. Guest now has a choice of opting for 5 courses or 7 courses, picking dishes from a menu that contains about 17 dishes in total. The beauty of it is that your table is not restricted to having the same thing, meaning you can be much more flexible, as sometimes the traditional tasting menu format can be an issue when there are dishes that are not appealing to some when dining in a large group.

Crab, brown and spider crabs, pomelo, lampong pepper, “txangurro”

Mackerel, tomato, pimento del piquillo, basil, “gazpacho consommé”

Smoked eel, lentils, sage, black garlic

Hake, balck pudding, sorrel, artichoke

Turbot, leek, dill, caviar

Foie Gras, melon, sancho pepper, koji rice, sake

For my 7th visit to Helene Darroze at The Connaught, I got the chance to sample pretty much all the dishes from its new menu thanks to the new menu format, apart from those that require an additional supplement. The Cornish spider crab dish looked simple but the taste was fabulous, the freshness of the crab, along with the pomelo really gave the dish an uplift in both umami and sweetness. I also enjoyed the foie gras, the seasoning was spot on, and the melon and pepper created a fine balance to the earthy profile of the foie gras, it was solid. The turbot was cooked well but was only lukewarm when it arrived on our table. The leek and dill worked well with the fish, but the dish really offered no excitement and taste sensation at all. All the desserts were weak. The chocolate and plum lacked refinement and I felt like it was just a few ingredients tossed together, it had no sophistication whatsoever, both in presentation and taste.

Sweetbread, cauliflower, hazelnut, Chasselas grape

Grouse – beetroot, wild blueberry, Mexican molé

Grapefruit – Florida pistachio, greek yogurt

Fig – Var fennel, “vacherin”

Chocolate – plum, tarragon

While I enjoyed the new decor of the restaurant, I felt the food wasn't heading in the right direction. There were plenty of great dishes, but also some average ones. The overall quality was 1 Michelin star level at best for me. When you look at other 2 stars places like The Ledbury, Core and Kitchen Table, Helene Darroze at The Connaught is just not in the same league. The service was also inconsistent, some courses were explained to us and some were not, and on a few occasions, plates got dropped on to our table rather than placing down gently. It is a shame as I am a fan of Helene Darroze, and I still recalled I had one of the best dinners in London at the restaurant a while back, when it was newly promoted to a 2 stars restaurant. Of course, it is hard to judge based on just one lunch, but I do fear Helene will do a "Marcus", and get demoted to a 1-star restaurant given the quality I have witnessed from my meal.



Food 4/5

Executive chef: 
Helene Darroze

Average cost without drinks and services :
5 course: £125

Carlos Pl  London W1K 2AL

http://www.the-connaught.co.uk/mayfair-restaurants/helene-darroze