Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and The Fat Duck Group have joined forces to create Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Chef Heston Blumenthal’s first London restaurant which will open at the award-winning Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park on 1st December, 2010.
Blumenthal, of the three Michelin starred The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire and The Hinds Head pub of the same village, has won international acclaim for his unique and multi-sensory approach to cooking. This first restaurant to open outside of the village of Bray will feature the chef’s inimitable style of culinary alchemy with a menu heavily influenced by his ongoing research and discovery of historic British gastronomy.
Focusing on the revival and modernization of traditional British recipes, the menu at this highly anticipated new restaurant will feature simple contemporary dishes inspired by Britain’s historic gastronomic past and recipes dating as far back as the 16th century, such as Scallops with Cucumber Ketchup and Peas, Bergamot cured Mackerel Salad and Slow Cooked Short Rib of Beef.
Mandarin Oriental and Heston Blumenthal are working together with the internationally renowned designer, Adam Tihany, to create the restaurant interior. Inspired by historical British style references and Blumenthal’s novel approach to cuisine, Tihany plans to highlight traditional materials such as wood, leather and iron, found in the historical roots of British style, using them in contemporary ways to reinforce Heston’s revival and modernization of traditional British recipes.
With uninterrupted views over Hyde Park, the restaurant will also feature floor to ceiling glass walls providing a glimpse into the open kitchen and an unusual contemporary stainless steel pulley system, which has been modelled on a 16th century design for the Royal British Court’s kitchens. A selection of 16th century British recipes taken from antique cookbooks will be on display in the bar area, and a private dining room will be available for up to 12 guests as well as a chef’s table for six located within the kitchen. During the summer months, a terrace overlooking Hyde Park will provide guests with one of London’s finest al fresco dining locations.
Seating 140 guests, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will serve lunch and dinner and from March 2011, afternoon tea. The kitchen will be headed by Ashley Palmer-Watts, group executive chef of the Fat Duck, who has worked with Blumenthal for ten years.
The etymology of the word ‘dinner’ gave rise to the name of the restaurant. In Britain, ‘dinner’ still means the main formal meal of the day, and it is usually served either in the middle of the day, or in the evening, depending on where you are in the British Isles. Originating from the 13th Century French word disner (pronounced dee-nay), dinner was in fact originally eaten at breakfast time. The rise of social and economic changes, including technical innovations such as gaslight and electricity, allowed for the timing of this main meal of the day to be eaten later in the day.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will be open from 12 noon to 2.30pm and from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
Three course set lunch from £25
Three course a la carte dinner from £55
Reservations can be made from mid October.
