London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [115]
Fodor’s Choice | Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.
£££££ | BRITISH | Medieval and historically-inspired English dishes executed with modern precision is the draw at Heston Blumenthal’s London outpost. The “Meat Fruit” starter (c.1500) is shaped like a mandarin, and encases creamy chicken liver parfait. Beef Royale (c.1720) of Angus rib is cooked sous-vide in a water bath for 72 hours at 56°C to create a layered depth of flavor. Other historic treats include, “Rice and Flesh” (c.1390), featuring calf’s tail and red wine, and a dish called “Salamagundy” (c.1720), with chicken oysters, bone marrow, and horseradish cream. | Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, Knightsbridge | SW1X 7LA | 020/7201–3833 | www.dinnerbyheston.com | Reservations essential | AE, DC, MC, V | Knightsbridge .
Koffmann’s.
£££ | FRENCH | Perfectly seared scallops with black squid ink and gelatinous pig’s trotters stuffed with sweetbreads and morel mushrooms are two all-time French classics at Pierre Koffmann’s eponymous last-hurrah at the Berkeley. Coaxed out of retirement and in his early sixties, and the antithesis of a celebrity chef, Koffmann showcases 35 years of experience and the best of regional Gascony cuisine in a well-appointed basement setting. Try his snail with mushrooms and mash, roast wild duck à l’orange, and his feather-light pistachio soufflé with pistachio ice cream. | The Berkeley, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge | SW1X 7RL | 020/7235–1010 | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | Knightsbridge 4:G1.
Fodor’s Choice | Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley.
£££££ | MODERN EUROPEAN | Relentless master chef Marcus Wareing vies to be the best in London at his eponymous restaurant at the Berkeley. Opulently designed by David Collins—all clarets, carpet, and burgundy leather seats—Wareing pulls out all the haute cuisine stops with a succession of world-class dishes. Standouts include Orkney scallops with blueberries, a fine chunk of Scottish halibut with charred leeks or Anjou pigeon with Amaretti. An oozing hot chocolate moëlleux pudding with salted caramel, or lemon crème with spiced brioche are absolutely flawless, and the wine list includes page after page of famous names. | The Berkeley, Wilton Pl., Knightsbridge | SW31X 7RL | 020/7235–1200 | www.the-berkeley.co.uk | Reservations essential | AE, DC, MC, V | Closed Sun. No lunch Sat. | Knightsbridge .
Rasoi.
£££££ | INDIAN | Chef-proprietor Vineet Bhatia showcases the finest new Indian cuisine at this tony Victorian town-house restaurant off the King’s Road. Ring the door bell before entering at this super-seductive venue, which is decked with colorful Indian silks, prints, masks, bells, and ornaments. Bhatia pushes the boundaries with signatures like wild mushroom rice with tomato ice cream, lamb lasagna with coconut chutney, or grilled lobster dusted with cocoa and sour spices. Prices are extreme, but don’t leave without sampling chai panna cotta or the famous warm chocolate samosas. | 10 Lincoln St., Knightsbridge | SW3 2TS | 020/7225–1881 | www.rasoirestaurant.co.uk | AE, DC, MC, V | Sloane Sq.
Zuma.
£££ | JAPANESE | Hurrah for this buzzing, ever fashionable, Tokyo-style sushi restaurant near Harrods. Well lighted and designed, with polished granite, blond wood, exposed pipes, and open timberwork, it includes a sake bar, robata grill, and sushi counter. Try California maki rolls, sea bass sashimi, eel sushi, black cod, or robata-grilled Wagyu beef on a hoba leaf. Make sure that you grab the sake sommelier to help navigate the 40 varieties of rice wine and Japanese spirits. | 5 Raphael St., Knightsbridge | SW7 1DL | 020/7584–1010 | www.zumarestaurant.com | Reservations essential | AE, DC, MC, V | Knightsbridge
NOTTING HILL
The Cow.
£££ | MODERN BRITISH | A popular