Luxury French dining at Hype Park
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| Scottish scallops, crushed celeriac, crispy skin and Truffle chicken jus |
When the 1 Michelin starred Celeste first opened the door back in 2015, I experienced one of the finest meals in London at that time. Back then, the restaurant menu was developed by the 3 Michelin starred chef Éric Fréchon from Paris, with Florian Favario was running the kitchen. Fast forward to 2019, it appears many things have changed. The restaurant is no longer using Eric Frechon's name on the website so it seems like he is no longer involved. The kitchen also has a new head chef in the name of the Steeven Gilles, who worked at 2 stars The Ledbury, as well as 3 stars Epicure in France. As it has been such a long time, I headed back to Celeste with an open mind. One thing for sure, however, is that the dining room is still as luxurious and elegant as ever.
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Céleste
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| Baked cauliflower, crispy onion tempura and curry dressing |
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| Seasonal mushroom, roasted cèpes, trompette, chanterelle, perfect egg |
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| Cod ballotine, crushed potatoes and provençale sauce |
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| Risotto, carnaroli rice with fresh truffle and aged parmesan |
I opted for the classic a la carte format, the Scottish scallop was stunning, it was cooked to perfection, really tender and the chicken jus totally enhanced the boldness of the shellfish, it was as good as you can get for a scallop dish. The turbot, which was cooked on the bone was magical, it was flaky and meaty, and well seasoned. The garlic, along with the wild ceps offered such a fine balance to the whole dish, beautiful. Celeste was known for its exceptionally crafted desserts but it seems it is no longer the case. The baked Alaska looked ordinary and so was the taste, it was refreshing with a nice hint of sweet and sour tone, but I was expecting something much better than that. The same went for other desserts as overall, it was a downgrade vs the early days of the restaurant.
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| Turbot on the bone, roasted cèpes with garlic butter |
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| Venison Wellington, roe deer saddle, truffle mushroom duxelle |
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| Baba, orange marmalade and yuzu cream |
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| Tiramisu, marsala gelato and mascarpone cream |
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| Mille feuille, crunchy puff pastry, chestnut parfait and mandarin reduction |
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| Baked Alaska, lemon and mandarin frozen mousse, fresh meringue |
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| Baked apple, cinnamon brioche and Calvados gelato |
Besides the Ritz, I think Celeste has perhaps the most spectacular and classy dining room in London, and the service I had was pretty great too. Overall, the meal was very enjoyable. The savory side of the meal was sensational, but the dessert was fairly average, and nowhere near to a 1-star level. I also noticed the cooking got a lot simpler with less technical skills and presentation. Usually, I do not bother with that as long as the food tastes great, but with a dining room like Celeste, I felt it is such a great stage for that type of extravagant drama, in line with the true French haute cuisine fashion.
Food 4/5
Average cost without drinks and services:
£105
Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA
https://www.oetkercollection.com/hotels/the-lanesborough/restaurants-bars/restaurants/celeste/
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