Ducasse at the Dorchester by Matt Morley
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The Dorchester has recently undergone a heavy period of evolutionary change thanks to General Manager, Mr. Chris Cowdray. While staying true to the luxury hotel’s traditional English roots, Cowdray has been going out of his way to introduce modern, internationally inspired concepts into the restaurant and bar areas. His latest coup de cuisine involves none other than Mr. Alain Ducasse.
The Dorchester Collection is made up of 5 unique properties around the world, one of which includes the Plaza Athenee in Paris where Alain Ducasse runs his eponymous 3-Michelin star restaurant. Indeed, Ducasse at The Dorchester is largely a Parisian dining experience, albeit with the occasional concession to the English marketplace it calls home.
London has fast been gaining a reputation as a destination city with a plethora of world-class restaurants. Dig a little deeper however, and some of the underlying weaknesses that long plagued dining in this country are still there to be found.
One such crack in the capital’s culinary armour is in the £100+ per head segment. Londoners have long grown accustomed to paying £50, £60 and increasingly £70 per head for a decent meal at somewhere like Nobu, Locanda Locatelli or Le Caprice.
The problem arises however when they want to splash out on an haute cuisine experience of truly epic, write-to-tell-your-mother proportions. London’s restaurants just don’t let go with the same reckless gastro-fuelled abandon as our neighbours across channel. The fact remains: with Paris now only 2 hours away by high-speed train, the best way to do eat haute is a’ la Francaise.
So Ducasse and his superstar designer Patrick Jouin faced a peculiar challenge here. Were they simply to import the Parisian ‘food is life’ mentality and hope London would catch up tomorrow, or should they listen to the market today and temper their approach accordingly.
Had this been Alain Ducasse at the Sanderson, one suspects management might have had a stab at the former, in this case however, Chris Cowdray opted for the latter. And Cowdray has yet to slip up since joining The Dorchester.
So restrained elegance is the order of the day here; from the tan, cream and taupe colour scheme to the light, flavourful dishes that have come to characterise Ducasse’s 21st-century cooking style. It is his long-time collaborator Jocelyn Herland in the kitchen this time though, with Ducasse now retired from actual cooking duties.
Chef Herland’s Tasting Menu starts with a dish of ‘crunchy raw vegetables’ that positively burst with pure, unadulterated flavour. By the time the tartar of marinated langoustines with Oscietra caviar arrives, diners are beginning to pick up on the kitchen’s preference for petite servings of intensely flavoured ingredients.
Head Sommelier Hugues Lepin is not only able to speak at length on the contents of his 600-bin wine list, but manages to do so without the slightest hint of condescension or superiority. Unsurprisingly, 85% of the wines are French, split into the more common vineyards and those that are still lesser known.
Ducasse clearly couldn’t resist concluding the dining experience with a final Parisian flourish. A seemingly endless selection of desserts, petit-fours, home made French biscuits and bonbons emerge from nowhere on a Patrick Jouin-designed ‘mignardise’ trolley. If nothing else, try one of pastry chef Angelo Ercolano’s memorable Madeleine cakes with one of the best espressos in town.
Most diners will only be able to explore the halo-like glow of the Table Lumiere as they leave the room. This six-seater table is surrounded by a luminescent curtain of 4500 fibre optic strands that act as a permeable sonic barrier while providing complete privacy at the same time. Hermes china, Puyforcat silverware and Saint Louis crystal glasses combine with the uplifting interior light effects to create a truly unique setting; you never know, it may even catch on in Paris...
For a pick of the most elegant places to stay in the capital, check out our handpicked collection of luxury landmark hotels in London...