This is one of the best restaurants I've ever been to in my entire life. The dining experience is just one of a kind. The balance that this restaurant strikes between excellent service and a comfortable eating environment is superb. What I mean is that this is a Michelin star restaurant with stellar food, but you don't feel that the atmosphere is so prim and proper that you can't actually enjoy the food the way YOU want to. We were never waiting for anything or anyone; the service was so spot on that they were attentive enough to notice/anticipate our needs, but they didn't suffocate us and hover in the corner of our eyes either. What to get: The meat fruit (liver shaped as a tangerine) Order the tipsy cake at the beginning of dinner! I don't even have a sweet tooth, but this dessert is to die for. Vanilla ice cream because they make it table-side with liquid nitrogen and it tastes perfectly tart as an ending to your meal read more

WOW .... That was goooood. Not sure how I was able to sneak in but the place is legit. I typically discount these celebrity chef restaurants but Dinner should be on your list. I love how they tied each dish to a moment in English history. read more

I've suffered through stuffy, pretentious, and pompous service (yes you marfa, tx and saks #cdmx) in order to eat amazing food. And I've endured bland and mediocre food but been treated to attentive waitstaff. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal marries the best of both! Beginning with the confirmation phone call asking for any dietary considerations or special requests and including walking up to the front podium where Jaime attended to us, remembering the details of our reservation (asking for mariachis, a staff conga line, and cowboy hats to celebrate my birthday may have helped), all the way to the finale of being shown the kitchen up close, the service was impeccable. The food itself was even better than the service! There's no need to list what we ordered because it was all delicious. And based on our observation of tables near us who ordered different dishes, there isn't a plate on the menu that doesn't satisfy. We topped off our two courses of starter and meal with three additional courses of dessert! If you have the chance to eat here, do so! read more

Husband took me here for my birthday - complete surprise. I just knew that it would be somewhere special, just not sure where. Wow is all I can say. We were really taken care by our server, she was amazing. The cocktails were more than lovely, so lovely that the husband had 3. I loved the fact that our server (I won't say waitress, she was more than just a waitress) knew the menu, asked us if we have any food restrictions (I'm lactose-intolerant) and she made some suggestions based on that. Had the Salamagundy for starters (chicken oysters, salsify, bone marrow and some salad leaves), iberico pork chop for mains .. and dessert! We shared 3 between us - tipsy cake, brown bread ice cream and raspberry tart. OMFG that Tipsy Cake was to die for! So light, scrumptious, and so full of booze :-) The Brown Bread Ice Cream was interesting, not to my taste, but it was an interesting experience. I loved the Raspberry Tart, but after the Tipsy Cake it sadly had to come second. The wait staff were quite lovely, I got a little chocolate mousse cup with a birthday message on the plate. So lovely. Highly recommend. We were never rushed, the service was reserved and quiet, but still very pleasant and we felt like we were being taken care of. read more

Ladies and gents, this place.... ! This place had been on my bucket list for the better part of twelve minutes and... what, we know I'm spoiled and I get what I want when I want it, which is NOW, ok? Anyway, so. With my family in town we decided to get reservations for the lot of us and go sample Heston's genius at the Mandarin, and wanted - and I mean CRAVED- being impressed from the get go. To put my review into context, here's a nugget: to date, I've been to close to 40 Michelin starred restaurants globally, and some incredible ones in London. When you go to a 2-star, you expect lottery winning in your mouth. You expect to see sounds, to speak tongues, to feel your insides deliciously twist in that high-school-prom-night-crush way... And this wasn't it. It was good food, mind you. We were 7, so we tried EVERYTHING. The meat fruit was literally just pate in the shape of a tangerine. The frumenty was slightly underwhelming... however, the Savoury Porridge was OUT OF THIS WORLD delish. The duck was cooked to perfection, and it was tender and moist and crisp... but just a duck. The Ribeye was great, but again... just a steak. The pigeon was really delish. As for desserts... all above average ( we had EVERY single one except for the ice cream in the cart) but the Tipsy Cake was INSANE, like unreal. Literally the best thing to ever fall in my mouth ever like EVER. So all in all... I wouldnt go back honestly, it's really expensive and kind of underwhelming for what it is. I much preferred Gordon's Maze for a 2 star... read more

Was looking forward to dining here. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control our son's baby sitter could not make it. We tried to add him to our reservation but they would not let us. Hence we were forced to cancel as we could not leave him alone. They still went ahead and charged us £100 for the cancellation. read more

Dinner definitely deserves its 2 Michelin stars. Located in the Mandarin Oriental, the ambiance is sophisticated, yet relaxed and not stuffy. Glass encases the plethora of wine bottles on both sides as you enter, as well as the kitchen for you to peek into as they do their magic. The menu is a modern take on original British dishes. I'm going to sound like a broken record, but yes indeed, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not getting the meat fruit! I've had quite a bit of pâté in my life--this sits in the #1 spot! Covered in a mandarin jelly, this smooth chicken liver melts in your mouth and leaves a lasting impression. The lobster & cucumber soup is delectable as well, with a light consistency and flavors that blend well together. The cod in cider is one of the best fish dishes I've ever had. The cod falls apart and has a beautiful buttery flavor. It pairs well with the chard and smoked artichokes. The Hereford ribeye is a solid choice. I found it to be somewhat chewy, but the beef is of the utmost quality. Their triple cooked chips are essentially very crispy fries. The mushroom "ketchup" is interesting! If you're up for dessert, don't think about it, just get the tipsy cake--make sure to order it at the beginning of your meal. This unassuming dessert is really something that blew me away. It is one of the best little desserts I've ever had. Their liquid nitrogen ice cream station is interesting to observe, but it melts quickly! Just a few toppings to choose from, but there is a strawberry preserve treat at the bottom of the cone that's a nice touch and excellent last bite to an excellent meal. Service is outstanding of course. Portions aren't huge, but neither are the prices--for the 7th best-ranked restaurant in the world, that is. read more

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My visit to Dinner was a Christmas present from my boyfriend who hates pretentiousness, is largely unmoved by posh food and worst of all is a vegetarian. You could say that it was a somewhat altruistic present, but by the end of the evening even he was completely and utterly won over. I on the other hand was sold from the second we walked into the hotel and proceeded to giggle with delight at the spiced duck (fresh from the sous vide machine) and Tipsy Cake. The Vegetarian had the one meat-free option on the menu, essentially posh cauliflower cheese. But you have to hand it to the chefs, to make up for the sad lack of meat or fish, they really did pull out all the stops on every element and it too was delicious. He finished up with the Chocolate Bar pudding which was stunning, but not as good as my Tipsy Cake (unlucky). We ordered a bottle of house red from the sommelier and he didn't even blink at our plebby choice of vino. My one regret was not having the Meat Fruit starter, but even I'm not mean enough to make a vegetarian pay for delicious but cruel foie gras. Shame. I should add a small disclaimer that I'd never been to a Michelin-starred restaurant before so would probably have oohed and ahhed whatever they'd served, but for me the whole thing was a massive thrill. High recommended. read more

When in London eat as Heston would like you to and you will be very happy indeed. It's was surprisingly easy to get a reservation 2 days in advance although it probably helped it was during the week and on the earlier side. While it's billed as being a casual atmosphere, it's casual for a European Michelin restaurant not casual like Michelin restaurants in California are. Suits aren't required and there was almost no ties on the diners but the servers were all wearing either suits or waistcoats and dress pants. The decor is formal in a modern way like Eleven Madison Park. I think I may have been the first table sat but it filled up as the 2 hours I was there passed but never got anywhere close to full. Since I was solo dining I decided to stickl to the appetizers and a dessert rather than having a main course. I had three appetizers and one dessert so the cost was comparable to have a 3 course meal. Expect to pay 100 USD per person without drinks. The service was the best I had in service deprived London. The servers were knowledgeable about the dishes, able to answer questions, offer suggestions but weren't omnipresent. I had the meat fruit, the Salamugundy, Chicken oysters, salsify, marrow bone & horseradish cream and the Frumenty, Grilled octopus, smoked sea broth, pickled dulse & lovage. The Frumenty was by far my favorite, it tasted as if I was eating the essence of the sea and the octopus was as good as any I had in Barcelona. It was so tender even though it was large pieces. The Meat Fruit which is his famous pate in the shape of an orange was very good but the look was more impressive than the pate. Of course it was probably some of the best duck liver pate I've had. The salamugundy was my least favorite, the chicken was rather bland and everything else on the plate tasted better than it. But still not a single dish would I ever reject if offered again. I appreciated that they were able to run my bill in USD so I didn't have to pay any transaction fee and it was a much better rate than what my bank would have charged. The restaurant appeared to be wheelchair accessible but the bathrooms were down a flight of stair and did not appear to be accessible. It completely met up with my expectation and I would gladly go back. read more

Believe me, I took great thought about this and it pains me to give this a 3 star, mostly because I was super excited to try this restaurant, heard about it, read about it and booked a reservation months ahead to try one of the world's best restaurants. Not that this was not good, but it was just that, an ok, a good, not extraordinary in anyway. Had I not had this high expectation of Heston, probably this review will go up to 4-star. Even during the dinner, I was trying to convince myself that this was astounding, but after several attempt, I stopped fooling myself and boldly face the reality. Tried the meat fruit, delicious and creamy, but it was just exactly that. Single dimensional taste, the texture was great but after couple of bites, you left feeling wanting to gulp 3 gallons of water just because it was so heavy. But don't get me wrong, it was delicious. For entree, tried the duck breast. Ironically, that same morning I tried duck and waffle and I can't stop my head from comparing this duck to that delicious fried duck. As alluded, after several mind battle to convince myself this was better, I succumbed and admitted that freaking 15pound duck at Duck & Waffle was superior. Tried the tipsy cake too, it was nice and more on the overly sweet side. Also, it was unfortunate that there was only one amuse bouche, maybe I was spoiled, but wasn't it supposed to be more than 1, at least a couple of single-bite dish on one plate or whatever? It was a let down too. Nevertheless, one high point was the service. Very attentive, professional, charming and dedicated. I just wish the food was as good as the service *loud sigh* read more

I regret giving this a 3 star rating but I didn't have the experience I'd read about via yelp or pretty much anywhere else on the internet. I made a reservation months in advance---like one must for Dinner... I made a noon booking on a Wednesday. I requested a table next to the windows so I could gaze at Hyde Park. In a completely empty restaurant I was seated several tables over from the window. When I mentioned this to staff they informed me others had reserved every table near the window and we couldn't be moved. 45 minutes went by with nobody sitting there---I asked again and was moved. Thanks for the awkward table change mid meal. The food was meh. I ordered the cod in cider. The cod was tender yet flavorless. It desperately needed that cider. It was also so tender that it had me slightly worried that it may not be cooked all the way through. My guest ordered the braised celery which was good but a very small portion compared to the cod. Yes, I ordered the meat fruit. No- I wasn't amazed by it. The bread was too hard. The pineapple tipsy cake was the stand out item on the menu if you must know. It's a damn shame I couldn't just order than upon walking in.... who's to say you can't though? Maybe there will be a second time. read more

Items Selected: Rustic Sourdough Bread and Unsalted English Farmhouse Butter Meat Fruit (c.1500) - Mandarin, chicken liver & foie gras parfait, grilled bread Nettle Porridge (c.1660) - Frog's legs, girolles, garlic & fennel Powdered Duck Breast (c.1670) - Smoked confit fennel & umbles Pommes Puree Brown Bread Ice Cream (c.1830) - Salted butter caramel, pear & malted yeast syrup Baked Sussex Pond Pudding (1670) - Lemon caramel & Tahitian vanilla ice cream Tipsy Cake (c.1810) - Spit roast pineapple Americano with Biscotti and Olive Oil Chocolate Pudding Liquid Nitrogen Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Toffee Topping Undoubtedly overrated at No.5 by the S. Pellegrino list with prices proportionate to hotel owned 'celebrity chef' spots back home in Las Vegas it was with admitted skepticism that I went to Dinner and yet with flawlessly executed cuisine delivered by educated servers in a style I'd see replicated thrice more in Bray I can only say that if Heston Blumenthal ever opts to venture across the Atlantic I'll be booking reservations as soon as I can. Obviously a unique story from his self-training to Michelin's third star it has been with a seemingly relentless focus on both the science and psychology of how we eat that Chef Blumenthal has ascended the world's ranks and while ostensibly choosing not to follow his 'mg' pedigree but rather to reinvent British history with Dinner the true beauty lies at the crux, each classic plate succeeding as a result of high quality products invigorated with modernist magic. Offered strictly in an a la carte format with servers encouraging a traditional three-course meal it was with little regard for rules and warnings of large portions that I approached the annotated menu and eschewing alcohol in favor of several sweets it would not be long before the show began, the classic bread served at each of Heston's restaurants proving warm and irresistible with top quality butter until the creamy meat fruit arrived proving every bit deserving of its considerable praise. Indulging in the foie gras slowly while watching the kitchen work with fervor behind a sheet of glass it would not be long before my second plate arrived and having seen the team literally inject each frog leg with butter the vegetal porridge proved a divine backdrop to otherwise unctuous aromatics, a similar effect achieved in the well-brined duck breast and offal which found an anchor in smoky fennel plus sweet gastrique. Turning attention towards desserts after wiping clean a pot of potatoes on par with those of Robuchon it was in a trio soon to become a quartet that I invested and running the gamut from near-savory brown bread ice-cream to the bright citrus of lemon curd before culminating in boozy brioche and an after-dinner tableside show not a single bite would prove unrewarding - even the Americano delivered with a few bites plus a signed menu and well wishes for my meal at The Fat Duck just two days later. read more

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Loved the starters Frumentry c 1730 Main powdered duck breast c 1850 Dessert Tipsy cake c 1810 Totally yummy! read more

Having previously been to Fat duck Heston's stake house is very different much more casual with a bar at the entrance. The menu was short but very much a storey that took many months to create focusing on inspiration gained from recipes as far back as those used by the Royal Courts of King Henry VIII, UK produce. What was interesting is finding Hereford on the menu coming from Asia and Australia where the craze is wagyu plu9 marble score in competition to Kobe beef. The lobster starter was so good followed with a large steak for two which was very tasty but tough read more

I was half expecting Oompa Loompas to burst out singing a song, turning on a chocolate river, and then Heston donning a Willy Wonka hat and plucking meat fruits from his meat fruit tree. (Suggestion to management) Aside from than the lack of Oompa Loompas, dinner at Dinner was lovely. It was a much more traditional restaurant than expected, with its safe dishes. Not that the 50 Best Restaurants list matters much at all, but I would definitely argue Eleven Madison Park is way ahead of Dinner in terms of taste and innovation. But overall, we did enjoy our evening here. Starters: We ordered the £15 meat fruit, creamy foie gras encased in a citris gel which came with a piece of toasted bread. Found it quite puzzling they gave only one slice, when the foie gras portion clearly demanded 4 slices. The waiters are very generous with providing more table bread though. Had to agree with Yee Gan O who noticed it was a bit bland. Also ordered the £14 Savoury Porridge, which came with frog legs and a green, brothy porridge. Frog legs were fried and juicy (tasted like chicken in case you were curious), wasn't excited about the consistency of the porridge. Mains: Ordered the £34.00 Spiced Pidgeon and the £30.00 Pork Chop, as well as green beans and buttered black cabbage (£4 each, I would skip them unless you really want vegetables). Both meats were prepared very well. Our waiter told us the pork was prepared at low heat for 16 hours, and it shows- the pork was incredibly slippery and buttery. The pidgeon was prepared medium, and it was amazing how easily my knife slipped right in. Desserts: £12 Tipsy Cake was served with a caramelized brioche doused in a creamy sauce and grilled pineapple. Like the £10 Quaking Pudding (which has some serious wobble skills), the Tipsy Cake was good but nothing memorable. Drinks: Drinks are pricey here, running from £13 to £20. They have an extensive selection with images of the types of glasses used for the drinks, but I found the drinks we ordered a bit disappointing. Saigon Sling was served in a cool O shaped glass. Service: Very friendly service. If you sit next to the kitchen, you can watch the kitchen staff at work behind the glass window. read more

What a let down. Maybe it's my fault for being sucked into the whole "celebrity chef" thing. For the starter I had the smoked salmon. Yeah, it was nice. But so was the packet of smoked salmon I got from sainsburys the other day. After waiting about 30 mins (the wait staff did apologise) for the main of pork belly I was not impressed. It was not slow cooked. The skin was still fatty. I couldn't eat it. The wait staff did offer the fish dish but by this stage I was over it. Amazing service (although it took forever) but the food was a major let down. And for the price i'd never return. read more

In my (little-used) kitchen, I have a number of menus, which I've framed, hanging on my walls. I've got menus from El Bulli and from Jiro. I've got a menu from The Fat Duck from nearly ten years ago now. I'll soon have another, from Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. My dinner was superb. Starting with a glass of NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé, it took only a few moments to decide what I wanted to order. (I'd looked at the menu on line earlier.) I started with a Earl Grey Tea cured Salmon (lemon salad, gentleman's relish, wood sorrel & smoked roe) from a recipe dated c1730. The flavors were subtle. The fish was perfectly prepared and the smokiness from the roe floated above all the flavors of the dish. Moving into red wine territory, for my entree course I ordered the Black Foot Pork Chop (Hispi cabbage, lardo, ham hock & Robert sauce) prepared from an 1820 recipe. I believe this was the best pork chop I've ever eaten. I'd also ordered a side of buttered carrots with caraway. (Apparently these carrots are slow cooked in butter for hours but they maintain their structure and do not get soggy or too soft.) The unctuous fattiness of the pork with the sweetness of the carrots was off-the-charts good. For anybody ordering the Pork Chop I highly suggest you pair it with the carrots. Dessert was Brown Bread Ice Cream salted butter caramel, pear & malted yeast syrup (c. 1830). Wow. Very contemporary...salted caramel flavors are highly popular and this hits it dead on. Spectacular. At the end of my meal I was treated to a surprise. A custom made ice cream cart wheeled up and a miniature ice cream cone was prepared. The ice cream was simple...vanilla custard treated with liquid nitrogen and cranked to offer a superbly smooth concoction which was covered in some sort of apple candy crunch. The liquid nitrogen offered an understandably fun presentation with clouds forming during the cranking. Finally I'll add that the waitstaff offered the proper balance of formal and informal service. Friendly and professional. Very attentive without hovering and always easy to find. The ambiance was surprisingly contemporary which offered an interesting juxtaposition to the antiquity of the recipes. A restaurant of this size and reputation must be terribly difficult to run...especially when you have a platform like Yelp for diners to let their (often idiotic but sometimes insightful) opinions be known. Chefs are a creative bunch. There is a large waitstaff. There is a public with high demands and little commonality other than the ability to afford to eat there. I would not want to be in the shoes of the man who must run this enterprise. The GM, Paul Downie, introduced himself to me last night after letting my admittedly gushing opinion known of my dinner. We chatted for a few minutes and he gave me a short look into the working kitchen. It was Ballet Mécanique as all busy, high-performing kitchens are. He is seemingly making this all work at the highest levels...and he was smiling during the height of Saturday night service. Impressive on all fronts. Most highly recommended. I will be back. read more

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. I think that pretty much say it all. Well, maybe not everything... Over the years I have had some pretty shocking experiences at restaurants owned by famous chefs. And after a series of bad experiences, I must admit, I became a bit jaded. Does a famous owner really mean the restaurant will be great or is it simply a badging exercise to inflate the prices and create a bit of buzz for the hotel it inhabits? Until I visited Dinner by Heston, I was beginning to believe the latter. But Heston, you have changed my mind. It's not cheap and it's quite difficult to get a reservation, but just get over it and put a note in your diary to ring for a reservation (respectively). I stared with the famous Meat Fruit - a fantastic illusion. Yes, it's a pate in the shape, colour and texture of a mandarin orange. There's quite a lot of it, and it's rich as hell, but somehow when you finish, you still want just a bit more. I then moved on to the sweetbreads (i have a thing for sweetbreads). They were amazing - perfectly tender and seasoned. I could not have asked for anything more. I finished with the Brown Bread Ice-cream. I'm not always a huge dessert person so this being a slightly savoury dessert suited me just fine. I can't claim to have studied the wine list. Instead we simply asked the sommeliers for a bit of help. We had a series of fantastic wines - sparkling, white, red and finally a sweet. Finally, the service was absolutely impeccable. Sometimes service can be stiff or overbearing, but this was refreshingly polite yet casual. It was the way modern service should be with mutual respect between diners and wait staff. They were knowledgable and could tell you the history of each dish in great detail (impressive). So along with a lovely dinner, we got a bit of a history lesson - win/win. read more

Late Night Dinner Date during our Eurotrip! Atmosphere: 4/5 The decor was lovely and being able to see into the kitchen from the main dining room was an additional plus! I love being able to see inside the kitchen, it's like having a show with your dinner! I recommend requesting to be seated at a table by the kitchen if you'd like this extra experience because there are several tables that can't see the kitchen. The atmosphere lost one star for me because I prefer fine dining restaurants to have dimmer lighting. The lighting was a bit bright for my liking which causes the noise levels to rise slightly, and gives the restaurant a more casual feeling than I expected. Service: 5/5 our server was charming, friendly, helpful, and very attentive! We took his recommendation on nearly every dish we ordered and we were happy that we did! The sommelier was knowledgable and helpful as well. Food: 5/5 nothing bad to say here! We came in with high expectations and were not disappointed! For starters we ordered the Meat Fruit (which I saw other yelpers recommend) and it was phenomenal! The presentation was truly a piece of art. We also ordered the Salamagundy, which was quite good, but I preferred the Meat Fruit. For our main course we had the Bone in Rib of Hereford Prime cooked medium rare. The steak was delicious! It was cooked perfectly and had a great smokey flavor. The sauce served with it was a bit tangy, sweet, infused with some spices, but light and really brought out the flavor of the steak. Perfect pairing there! It also came with fries and a mushroom ketchup. The ketchup was very unique, but tastey! For dessert we ordered the Tipsy Cake and the Brown Bread Ice Cream. The Brown Bread Ice Cream was good and well presented, but the caramel was a little over powering for me. The Tipsy Cake was the best part of the entire meal for me (I'm a dessert person!) I would come to this restaurant again just for this dessert; it was that good! The "cake" was served hot in a small pot with a slice of pineapple on the side. At the bottom of the pot was where I found my little piece of heaven! A delectable vanilla, rum sauce soaking into the bottom of the cake! Wow! Overall: 5/5 all of my high expectations were met (minus the small detail of the lighting, which isn't too big of a deal for most). I will most definitely come back next time I'm in London! read more

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Hands down five-star...no hesitation and without a doubt. The food is inspired by old British recipes using modern techniques. First, you walk into the drop-dead gorgeous lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London Hotel. Everyone welcomes you and makes you feel comfortable and at home. The restaurant has the beautiful Mandarin Bar at the entry. The restaurant has an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs prepare their magic. The restaurant is unpretentious and open. The staff is friendly, educated, and very passionate. My meal was mind-blowing!! Original, ingenious, fresh, and delicious. Paired perfectly with champagne and wine. I had to try the meat fruit. (First creates in the 13th-15th century.) The most perfect pate ever!! The cod in cider had an amazing butter sauce with perfectly prepared mussels, sautéed chard, artichokes, and embellished with shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day. I loved the Chocolate Drops (from 1790) with malt cake, lemon thyme, barley cream, chocolate and ale ice cream. I also received a lime dark chocolate tart which paired perfectly with espresso. The service is very attentive and timely. A 13.5% discretionary service charge is added to the bill. Also, £1 voluntary charity donation is added to the bill to support Dining for Good which supports Farm Africa's Coffee is Life to help women coffee farmers in Uganda to grow more coffee, sell more coffee, and earn a fair share of the profits. Ashley Palmer-Watts is a Farm Africa Ambassador. It is no wonder this restaurant and Chef Heston Blumenthal and Chef Director Ashley Palmer-Watts is on The World's Top 50 List and has received Michelin stars!! I will be back!!!! (I need to try the Tipsy Cake...that everyone recommended!!!) www.dinnerbyhestan.co.uk read more

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Easily one of my top 10 dining experiences! Let's talk: 1. MEAT FRUIT: friends, abandon any and all misgivings you have about liver or foie gras at the doors of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel!!! The Meat Fruit (chicken liver and foie gras parfait made to look like a mandarin orange) is a singular, most perfect dish I've ever seen or tasted in my life! The texture inside is so velvety and so decadent. SO DELICIOUS. I still dream about this dish. You MUST order this. Hell, order multiple. 2. TIPSY CAKE w/ spit-roasted pineapple: You have to order this dessert well in advanced. Why? Because perfection takes time! I don't normally love alcohol-infused desserts but this one takes the cake (ha I'm so punny...). The warm creamy brioche...oh so scrumptious. Forget calories. Order without reservations and then go jog in Hyde Park afterwards. Well worth it! Verdict: I'll come to Dinner for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. Alas, I'm poor :( read more

Heston, you are a culinary genius. Everything about this meal was perfect. The service was on point, the food was spectacular, the environment was fun. The only thing I did not dig was the jelly fish looking light covers they have on the wall. But that is a minor minor minor detail. Meat Fruit: exceeded my expectations and then some. I've read all these reviews about how the meat fruit was amazing and indeed, it was spectacular. A true work of art. The creamy smooth parfait contrasted with the slight tang of the mandarin skin. How does he do it? I need more grilled bread to spread this goodness on. Other appetizers: I had bites of my friends' roast marrowbone and lobster cucumber soup. The marrowbone was not my favorite, did not like the flavors in it. The lobster soup however was great, huge chucks of lobster. Powdered Duck Breast: I am such a sucker for duck breast, especially when it's done to perfection. Tender, great flavors and not to mention, quite filling. A definite winner in my books. Tipsy Cake: It's like eating sweet delicious clouds. No idea how Heston got the brioche to be so fluffy and light. A must order. I suggest getting a side of ice cream as it goes together perfectly with the warm brioche and spit roasted pineapples. Liquid Nitrogen Ice cream: What can I say, I love liquid nitrogen so of course dessert #2 for me. It's much more of a novelty and a show but so worth it. Top off the cone with some popping candy and it is a party in your mouth. Seriously Heston, Thanks for such a great meal. read more

In my previous visit I had great meals. However this time I made a reservation and when I showed up I was told the restaurant is closed due to health reasons (and has been for the week) It would have been nice to receive a courtesy call to be informed. I only had two nights in London and Heston was one dinner I was looking forward to. read more

As anyone reading my reviews might have noticed I am more of a casual eater than a fine dining guy. Still as I got a chance to go and have lunch at a restaurant ranked 7th best in the world I did not have to think twice... I am still so overwhelmed of this experience so I don't really know where to begin my review! :D We were a party of three and each got our own starter + one of Heston Blumenthal's signature dishes, The Meat fruit, to share. It's a chicken liver & foie gras parfait shaped as a mandarin (the orange color is made with yello). One word: WOW! This stuff, spread over toast, was so good it will make you want to slap your mother. I have never understood how something would make you slap your mama, but if something really would it would be this stuff! Everything that followed looked amazing and tasted even better. For any meat lovers out there I would really recommend the Angus stake. It was by far the most tender and best piece of meat I have ever had. And coming from someone who loves meat that says a lot... I am pretty sure Mr. Blumenthal would not be available to cook deathrow meals but I would still choose this stuff as my last meal! read more

Go Nava, it's your birthday... we're gonna eat 9 courses like it's your birthday... Yeah, so I went to Dinner for lunch on my birthday with four friends in tow. Thanks to Grant T.'s good bad influence, I was coerced into booking the chef's table. Once upon a time, the Chef's table was a blanket £1200 for the table with a maximum of 6 people, but now they've made it a bit more user friendly in that it's either £150 per person for lunch or £200 per person for dinner. Oh, and a helpful hint? The menu is exactly the same at lunch or at dinner, so why not save £50?! I can't possibly say enough wonderful things about this experience. The food was amazing. I won't go into all the courses as Andrew and Grant have already kinda done that. But I will say that I had lots of favorites, and not a single bad morsel was had. My favorites were definitely the meat fruit because I'm a pate fiend, the octopus because who knew that octopus could be so tender, and the tipsy cake. HOLY COW that tipsy cake. And as most of my friends know, I am a cinnamon hater, so I was delighted to find out that there was no cinnamon in the tipsy cake. Something which I think is shamefully present in most bread puddings, thus making me unable to order them. Oh, and can I dedicate a whole paragraph to the mash? Because here it goes. Oh. My. God. The mash is the most amazing mash I've ever had. I think they just gave us some to sample because Andrew was a bit disappointed about the absence of their triple-cooked chips (due to it not being the right time for potatoes. Heston, you marvelous perfectionist). Three bowls of mash for 5 people, and Chef Dale put a lone bowl right in front of me... I finished that. That whole bowl went into my stomach. I would do it again. I would have done it again right then and there if I wasn't so full. The Chef's Table experience, outside of the food, was also fantastic. The service was so lovely, that we just kept chatting with our main host-type-thing long after the meal was over. Chef Dale came over to deliver dishes and explain them all to us and educated us on Cthulhu fruit. A joke which only Grant and I get because we're giant nerds who constantly out-nerd each other. Oh, just go. If you've got the spare cash to do the Chef's Table, do it. Even if you don't... do it. (It went on a card. Happy birthday to me!) read more

This is not an orange. It's FOIE GRAS. If that's not enough to pique your appetite, I don't know what will. I've never been one to jump up and down at the prospect of foie gras, but the very idea of stuffing a mandarin with the stuff is insanely creative and will titillate even the most stubborn tastebuds. Be warned it is ridiculously difficult to get a reservation. The only time they had available all month was 9:45pm on a Wednesday. We jumped on it and had no regrets. There seem to be two things you should always order here: the meat fruit (foie gras) appetizer and the tipsy cake. I abhor the "wisdom" of crowds sometimes, but in the case of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, the crowd WINS. You should absolutely conform to popular opinion and get the foie gras and the tipsy cake. I'm a sweets person, so the tipsy cake was a freaking mindblower. It takes like creamy vanilla bread pudding, but infinitely better because of the pineapple side and the warm crispy, crunch, creaminess of it all... For my main I got the duck. I think I got lucky because it proved phenomenal. The side of blood was DELICIOUS... and I say this without cringing or the least bit of irony. It was a perfect complement to the duck, which was crispy on the outside and absolutely juicy and smoky delicious on the inside. Just make sure you cut against the grain (I'm one of those knife noobs who always forgets how to use the knife because I usually stick to veggies and hot carbs). Speaking of carbs, not only did I order the tipsy cake, but I went all in and got a nitrogen ice cream as well. They come around with a trolley to whip up the ice cream in front of you, spinning this machine that shoots fog out (see it to believe it). I'm not sure if I'm enamored with nitro ice cream like the rest of London, but it was quite an experience watching our server make the ice cream from scratch, explaining how it's done. The ice cream itself is only one flavor (vanilla), but you can choose 2/4 toppings (I went with the nuts). The thing about nitrogen ice cream is that it is SO cold but will melt fast, so you better lap it up quickly. All in all, the service was impeccable. Our servers were very friendly, engaging with us in conversation about where they were from and where we were from, German accents and such. Wonderful experience. read more

I came here for my birthday last year and I was impressed overall. The restaurant looks like it'll be a great place for business dinners, it's obvious they cater to the professional clientele. Service was great and attentive. The true standouts of the night were definitely the foie gras (Orange) dish, very tasty and definitely a surprise because of how well the foie paired with the citrus notes. Their pineapple and cake aka tipsy cake dessert was also very good. If you're reading this and are from SF, then I would liken this place to Gary Danko, except with much better food. read more

Really enjoyable dinner experience. Let's start with the biggest and most positive surprise. The waitstaff. Very attentive but really fun and nice. The food is immaculate. Heston certainly knows how to pull of a great steak for instance. and the cod in cider was perfect as well. The only thing I didnt get was the sides. Just ordering random sides makes it an average steak house experience. I would have wished to get a more conceptualized food experience around the steak. Well, and then we got the desserts. Amazing. Both, the dark bread ice cream but especially the tipsy cake. a winner. read more

nya-nya-nya-nya...nya. We got in to Dinner at Heston's on a Saturday night and if I wasn't such a nice bloke I would have been gloating all day Fri after my partner let me know this is where we were going for my birthday. Such excitement. Black cab down there. Boys in red opening the door. All good. Into the grand place and straight to the bar for a livener. The bar was a little unspectacular to be honest and the drinks took an age so we wandered into the dining room with them. Staff very welcoming, room very comfy, not too formal which is always my fear with hotel dining. Nice jelly moulds on the wall. Tables spacious. Menu wonderful. Lots of old english classics from the 1600s etc and a little literature on their history. This is a real occasion and if you're bothered about all that, very interesting. The bread came and was rather a disappointment though. Four slices of sort of toasted bread which was far too brittle to be pleasant in the mouth. The kind of stuff that scratches the roof of the mouth and leaves you rather sore. And frankly the taste wasn't up to much if you like your bread sour as well as chewy. Oh well! For starter I ordered Salamugundy which sounds like a Bond villain but is actually the 'oysters' of the chicken - those bits at the bottom of the carcass you dig out that nobody else is greedy enough to find. I love 'em and thought I was the only one who knew the secret. But clearly Heston does. The missus ordered hay smoked mackerel. My salamugundy was as pretty as a picture when it came, decorated with chicory leaves that looked like devil's horns. The blobs of marrow bone were beautifully decorated with crunchy breadcrumbs. The whole thing was a solid effort taste wise. The mackerel was delicious. Small bannetons of the fish, beautifully trimmed and gently cooked. You could have mistaken it for being raw but something had gone on and the texture was great. For mains I ordered roast halibut with cockle ketchup. The missus ordered fillet steak and chips. Halibut is an amazing fish. But once it's overdone it becomes dense and a bit of a dry mouthful. Guess what? Mine was overdone. What a crying shame. The cockle sauce was divine. It really was. But the bit I was craving was just a dense block. Gutted. Me, not the fish, you understand. The missus ordered her fillet steak medium so got what she deserved when it came out exactly like she had asked for it. I could tell that it used to be a wonderful piece of meat. The chips however were, again, a let down. Triple cooked? If that's what happens to them when they are triple cooked I'd prefer the double or single cooked version every time. They were leathery and not fluffy inside like chips should be. I reckon they had been left for a long while out of the fryer, that's how they came across anyhow. There was a mushroom ketchup which was good and the gravy that came in a small jug was delicious. But I have to say, there were a few things with the meal that really disappointed. You don't expect to go to a place with such a reputation and get your main course halibut overcooked. You don't expect the chips to be leathery. And you don't expect the bread to be so crunchy as to make it almost wholly unmanageable once the teeth have cracked it into the mouth. I felt like Monsieur Mange Tout, that circus bloke who ate glass and things when I was a kid. As I said there were real highlights to the cooking but these things really brought it down. A real shame as the service was delightful. A lovely chatty sommelier who had all the time in the world for an old ignoramus like me. And a young waiter only too keen to let us know any detail we wanted about the food. We came for an amazing experience but left feeling slightly disappointed and short changed. We spent over £200 and only had one bottle of wine and for that money you'd expect something approaching perfection. We deffo didn't get that. In fact, I'd call it a little careless. The problems were all wholly avoidable with a bit more care and attention. Ah well. You win some you lose some. We chatted together about places we had been to that had been as extravagant but simply better and came up with a good list. And thought of a fair few that were better and a lot cheaper too. I must say though, I got food envy when I saw the couple next to us tucking into their meat fruit starter. It looked great! Shame we won't be rushing back to try it. read more

Amazing! Chef Ashley Palmer-Watts is a star. I was able to secure a reservation through UK's opentable and was excited to check it out on my trip over to Europe. The restaurant is located inside the Mandarin Oriental and it is conveniently located near the metro/tube/underground. If you take the Picadilly line to Knightsbridge you'll end up right there. The meat fruit is their signature dish and you must try it if you like foie gras. Not knowing what it was going to look like, I was totally surprised to see some crostini and a Mandarin orange on a wooden cutting board. (I wonder if they chose the mandarin orange because they are situated in the Mandarin Oriental... clever) At first I was like, where is the foie gras that was listed in the menu? Upon closer inspection, the orange "rind" is actually a gelatin like substance and the foie gras is inside! It was a pleasant surprise and was an amazing dish. My wife and I also shared the octopus which was good, but I think the Meat Fruit totally shined over it. For mains we got the duck and pigeon. The pigeon was suggested by one of the servers and I'm glad my wife got it. It's not something we would usually pick, but he was spot on. Juicy, delectable, tasty. Everything was cooked perfectly. For dessert we got the cheesecake and by suggestion of the servers, we also ordered the tipsy cake at the beginning of our meal. If you like monkey bread, you'll love tipsy cake. It was so good, I wish we got two so my wife and I could have our own. The restaurant is nice and you can see right into the kitchen, which is cool. It is expensive, but being from the United States, everything in London is expensive due to the strength of the GBP. I'd still go back regardless. read more

As others have mentioned, the appeal of Dinner has been pronounced by its intro into the "top 10" but unfortunately it's simply just a good meal. The Knightsbridge area is very grand and the Mandarin Oriental is classic as one would expect. Our reservation time was upheld as we were even seated a bit early. The waitstaff was excellent through the entire meal however avoided eye contact through most of the serving and ordering processes. Although new to UK dining as I was only in town for a brief time, Dinner to me feels like the little kid who gets a chance to play in the big game but never expected to play so didn't bring his bat. I hope it does well for years to come but left a little bit of a yawn for this Yelper. Overall, the main dishes were good but nothing extremely memorable. The Tipsy Cake was the highlight of the occasion as it was TDF. A great wine tied everything together, however, I couldn't recommend a trip simply as I've had equal quality steak elsewhere. The meal: Rice and Flesh (Risotto w Calf's tail) Filet angus Green Beans Pork chop Braised lettuce w peas Tipsy cake Ganache S.African red wine read more

For my first time in London (in the UK at all!) this was an absolutely excellent choice. My boyfriend and I sat for drinks in the hotel bar for about 30 minutes while we waited for our reservation. We had read about Dinner and were very excited to experience several things on the menu. The meat fruit and tipsy cake were exactly as described and very delicious. I ordered the steak and fries, and although that seems like a simple meal, it was perfect. Our service was excellent. The staff was attentive, but left us alone to talk and enjoy our time there. We were told our menu was a keepsake and we were glad it was, because it will serve as a reminder of our great time, and the interesting take on dinner that Heston Blumenthal portrayed. Would definitely recommend as a great date place, or simply a place to get a wonderfully crafted meal in a very appropriate atmosphere. read more

We had a good friend coming into town and wanted a special evening out. With all of the hype in the NYT, Heston Blumenthal seemed like an obvious choice. Well, that is until we call to make a reservation. We dined at Heston Blumenthal in early May. However, when I called the reservation line, the answer phone stated that they were all booked until August...."if you'd like to make a reservation in September, please hold the line." Luckily, our friend has an American Express Centurion card and was able to call and get an exclusive reservation. After all of the hoopla of getting a reservation, our expectations for dinner were already pretty high. Ok - onto the experience: We started the evening by ordering a very nice bottle of White Burgundy from Puligny-Montrachet. I have to say that the wine list is much better in person - and there is a lot missing from their website. The list was quite good and you could also see a good majority of the temperature-controlled wine celler from the main dining area. As I'm sure most do, I ordered the meat fruit (c. 1500) for my first course. It was a chicken liver parfait which was served in the shape of Mandarin. Very clever - and equally as tasty! For my second course, I had the Roast Turbot (c. 1830). This white fish was prepared perfectly and served with cockle ketchup and chicory leaves. For dessert, I had the Tipsy cake (c.1810). Really, there is only one word to describe this: INCREDIBLE! Probably the best dessert that I've ever had at a restaurant. The Tipsy Cake is a buttery cake that is served with a spit roast pineapple which had been roasting for minimum of 4 hours. This was the talk of our meal! Overall, we had a really nice dining experience and good service. Heston Blumenthal, regardless of the Fat Duck connection, is a fantastic spot for a very nice meal. The meal was expensive, but worth it for a special treat. read more

Meat Fruit, Meat Fruit, Meat Fruit. There, now you get to read it three more times in this list of reviews. Hey, at least you won't forget, and you shouldn't. Because it really is everything you imagine it to be and more. It's just as good as everyone says, it's just as exciting to look at as to taste, and to generously spread onto your lightly toasted bread. It's silky and smooth, and delightfully savory and meaty. Unfortunately I don't remember the details of my meal since that was over two months ago. I remember a porridge of some sort, I remember the octopus appetizer which was a very innovative and successful dish. I remember having a duck breast for my entree which featured a nice, thick, perfectly roasted fatty skin. But mostly I recommend this place because despite the fact that it is a world renowned restaurant, it is shockingly simple. None of this crazy 32 course tasting menus where the plates are choreographed to hit the table all at once. None of the pomp and circumstance of many other restaurants on its level. It's simple. Order everything a la carte. Want an appetizer? Order one. Not that hungry? Ok, then just order an entree. It's a very traditional, easy-going, order and eat restaurant. And as much as we all like to be treated like royalty, sometimes you just want to order what you want without all the silly rules and restrictions that come with a pre fixe or tasting menu. And the price! The price is shockingly reasonable for one of the world's best restaurants. You don't have to spend your lifetime savings to have a one of a kind culinary experience and Dinner by Heston is a good example of a place where you can still wine and dine yourself, but not have to starve yourself for the rest of the month to make up for it. read more

By far the best meal I've ever had! Also the most expensive I've ever had so not somewhere I will become a regular. But really a wonderful experience.. It's a lovely spot and walking in you immediately know you've arrived someplace special. We had a window table with a view of the park that was ideal. Service tops! All who came to our table were friendly and helpful. We started with meat fruit which everyone else had raved about, and they were right. The presentation was amazing, it looked like an orange! I also loved the salamuguy, chicken oysters in a horseradish sauce. Could have been my meal. I enjoyed my dinner of roast turbot, but not the mushy vegetables served with. But I am told that's standard fare in England. The side dishes of peas and grebe beans were not mushy so more to my liking. And then dessert! Must have Tipsy cake again sometime. Order at the start as it takes 40 minutes to bake. So worth it! If I could afford this I would go again. For now my memories, and the menu they let me take, will have to keep my belly full. read more

We had friends who recommended this restaurant to us, so my wife and I booked it as our classy dinner for our week in London. The staff was professional from the start. While there were lots of staff, everyone seemed to stay busy but relaxed, working well together. The room is well-lit with large windows that look out on Hyde park. We had noon reservations and were seated immediately. We both did the set lunch menu, which has 2 options for each course. I ordered the first option of each course and my wife ordered the second options, which meant that we could share and each try both. All our dishes were interesting and well executed. A memorable point was the octopus in our salad; it was very tender and appeared to be thin cross sections of bundles of octopus. The quail and pollock were flavorful. I felt that the set lunch menu and experience was a good value for the price. read more

What a treat! Heston's London based restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Knightsbridge is fabulous! What I love most is that even though the setting is posh, the staff are so lovely and make you feel like you've been there before and you are all old friends. No pretentiousness or stuffiness at all. Food is amazing! Menu based on Old English style food. The Meat fruit was as I expected. Fantastic, melt in your mouth! yummmm.... Would love to eat there every week, but alas, it's a bit on the pricey side. Although not as pricy as The Fat Duck. The waiting list seems more managable than The Fat Duck too. Defo recommend if you can! read more

After watching hours of Heston's Feast and theme shows about the best french fry ever, I invited my husband to Dinner for his birthday. We arrived to the beautiful Mandarine hotel and were recommended a few pre-dinner cocktails while they prepared our table. As one would expect, amazing cocktails! We had a really late reservation, so I have to admit after the second cocktail we were happy and tipsy. Once seated, I went for the meat fruit as the starter; I haven't watched hours of Heston's Feast for nothing :-) I just loved that it actually looked like a fruit, down to the peel and all. Also, I quite fancied that every dish came with a circa date for when it was invented - the meat fruit c. 1500. For main, we had the Bone in Rib of Hereford Prime for 2 people, c. 1800, with Heston's famous French fries - the meat was really good, the fries divine - and plenty of it. But still, for me, the starter was the highlight. We were to stuffed to truly appreciate the dessert, but the combination ice cream / fruit / cake was really tasty. At the end of our meal, they brought us a choco-mousse thing in a glass with 'happy birthday' written beautifully on the side. A great way to finish off an amazing meal. It was a great night out. I'll give the food 4 and the overall experience a 5. read more

Overall, this was an excellent food experience. Setting is beautiful and playful (jello molds for light fixtures). Service was excellent. I was a bit worried during first courses, but then everything went to amazing. highlight of the starters was the meatfruit. Beautifully presented, texture was amazing, and it was extremely tasty. Very well done. The Rice and Flesh was a letdown for me, I'm not so big on al dente rice. The flavors were good, but the texture just brought the whole thing down. Roast scallops were good, nothing super special. the cucumber ketchup was interesting. Entrees - now it gets good, and yes, we had four entrees for three people. Powdered duck breast - Excellent Iberico pork chop - Excellent - hard to go wrong with Iberico Braised celery - this dish was spectacular, beautifully prepared and presented And the highlight - Chicken with lettuces. We asked if there was anything we "have to try", and the response was, the chicken.... go figure. But, let's talk about this chicken for a minute. It's pretty spectacular. Seems to go beyond sous vide texture, super crisp skin and butter texture chicken, with celeriac that has a touch of smoke. Perfection. Also the fries were pretty on point. Lots of effort on these fries, but I have to give best fries to Barrafina by a nose. Desserts - Tipsy Cake - Absolutely worth every bite. Melt in your mouth brioche, roasted pineapple, just perfect and delicious all the way around. Tableside ice custard - very well done. Very unique with the brick paper cone. Loved the pop rock topping. Super cool sewing machine/mixer setup. Great ending to the experience. Thank you Dinner. read more

Pros: Food, service, ambiance Cons: None My husband and I had dinner here our last night in London. The service was amazing! The staff was very attentive. The timing of taking our order and receiving our meals was perfect. Our waitress explained everything very well and had superb suggestions on what to order. All of the meals we ordered were perfect. We didn't know chicken and pork could taste so good. Each bite was an explosion of flavor in our mouths. We did not want to stop eating even though we were filled to the brim. This will definitely be our go to restaurant the next time we're in London. Thank you for the amazing experience! read more