The Grill at The Dorchester

New chapter

The Grill lobster thermidor tart

The Dorchester is blessed with a 3 Michelin stars restaurant in the name of Alan Ducasse and a popular Chinese restaurant China Tang. However, its less formal British restaurant, The Grill, somewhat is not much loved at all. Every time when I walk past it, it hardly has any customers, and I got to say, looking at the menu, it is dull and expensive. The hotel clearly is trying to inject life and excitement into The Grill, by appointing Tom Booton as its head chef, Tom is a serious talent with working experience from the like of Alyn Williams, L'Autre Pied and Hide. At the Grill, he has come up with a brand new menu with plenty of British classics, with modern refinement. 

Bread with black pudding butter

Cumbrian beef tartare, radish, oxtail jelly

Baby artichoke salad, foie gras snow, loaded skin, truffle

Scallop ceviche, chestnuts, orange granita, oyster leaf

Beetroot, ketchup, ricotta, pecans, smoked sturgeon

Mushroom soup, potato dumpling, crème fraîche, tarragon

Glazed veal sweetbread, lentils, maitake, celeriac

From looking at it set menu, I noticed he brought over some successful dishes from his Alyn William days, such as the beetroot and ricotta. It was as good as I have remembered. Refreshingly light, the softness of the ricotta, together with the thinly sliced beetroot turned out to be such a perfect pairing. The veal sweetbread was another well-executed dish, no trace of unpleasant bitterness at all, with a lovely crunchy texture from the celeriac. The hero dish, the Grill lobster thermidor tart, is what luxury is all about. Underneath of the perfectly cooked lobster, It was loaded with cream, butter, and mustard, along with an intents lobster bisque. I also got a chance to try out the beef Wellington, and it was a classic dish done at such a high level. The beef was so tender and the pastry work was excellent.

Prawn Scotch egg, warm tartare sauce, pickled gherkin

Cornish mackerel, bouillabaisse

Grilled brill, broccoli, brown butter, brazil nuts

Beef Wellington

Pineapple tarte tatin

Double Decker

Banoffee tart, roasted banana ice cream

Compare to Tom's Alyn William's days. The cooking at The Grill is more rooted in British cuisine and less complex. This is not necessarily a bad thing as the menu is easy to the eyes and no gimmicks whatsoever. I have no idea how often will they change the menu, will it play it safe and always have the classic dishes there? Anyway, based on my lunch experience, The Grill is clearly stepping in the right path under Tom, and I would love to come back another time to try out other dishes on the menu. What I especially like is while it is located inside such a posh hotel, but the restaurant itself is very casual and relaxing, which is a rarity for a 5 stars hotel restaurant. 




Food 4/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£65

53 Park Ln, Mayfair, London W1K 1QA

https://www.dorchestercollection.com/en/london/the-dorchester/restaurants-bars/the-grill-at-the-dorchester/