November’s featured restaurant was Hélène Darroze, The Connaught, Carlos Place, Mayfair, London, W1K 2AL
The Review:
Awards: 2 Michelin Stars
Visit: 23 November 2019, lunch for two.
Price: ***
Website: https://www.the-connaught.co.uk/restaurants-bars/helene-darroze-at-the-connaught/
The review: Two months after closing for a major refurbishment to coincide with the restaurant’s 10th birthday, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught has reopened and is serving superb food. With 2 Michelin stars, this French restaurant also offers one of the most extensive cellars in London and impeccable service.
The recent refurb has seen the restaurant’s interior been given a fresh, contemporary much lighter interior by the French designer Pierre Yovanovitch, who stripped back the mahogany stained panels.
The restaurant tables are large and well-spaced. Unfortunately, there are no table cloths. The chairs are very comfortable.
You have a choice of five course (priced at £120 per head) or seven courses (priced at £160 per head) from the menu in your chosen order. There are two wine pairing choices – Classic (at £90 for the 5 courses or £130 for the 7 courses) or Premium (at £195 for the 5 courses or £265 for the 7 courses). We went for the five courses with the Classic wine pairing and we weren’t disappointed.
It’s been a while since I have been to a restaurant and every course has been as consistently good as this. I chose Foie Gras, Smoked Eel, Turbot, Sweetbread and the Signature Baba dessert. All five dishes were well executed and tasted superb. This is unquestionably one of the finest restaurants in London. The food was exceptional, the accompanying wines all worked well and were not too over-priced, and the service was professional and friendly. I highly recommend a visit.
