Insider
REVIEW
Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester
Published Wednesday June 27th 2012
Details
Alain Ducasse
The Dorchester, Park Lane,
London, W1K 1QA
Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester is a legendary dining experience within London’s culinary elite. Honoured with three Michelin stars, overlooking Hyde Park and located within the iconic Dorchester Hotel, Alain Ducasse has made his mark on our fair city, and continues to do so with a seasonal changing menu, an exciting an innovative dining concept and a number of one off events such as the wine pairing event below.
Two lucky members of the Total Access team were invited down to dine at Alain Ducasse with a member of his team and we were offered an incredible array of delicious French nouveau cuisine. Every table receives a dedicated waiter who is on hand to assist with menu choices and recommendations and ensures that between courses your table is spotless, your bread is constantly replenished and your water glass is full. Their expert wine sommelier can be as involved as you would like in your dining experience and will happily talk you through how each wine has been selected to bring out the specific flavours in every dish. The service here is impeccable and not only do the Alain Ducasse team exude knowledge about both the brand and the restaurant itself but their recommendations for the menu are well worth taking note of.
With the choice of the lunch, À la carte or tasting menu, we opted for lighter lunch options from the À la carte menu, with both of us choosing seafood for our starters and mains. Alain Ducasse aims to create a delicious traditional French meal with a modern twist so we dined on the likes of Dorset crab two ways, hot and cold followed by a more traditional baked halibut with celeriac, shellfish and squid. Dish of the moment, seared sea scallops were accompanied by peas and asparagus with a light green jus and as expected every plate was presented like a piece of art with each intricate detail well thought out.
No longer based in the kitchen, Alain Ducasse is still the creative inspiration behind every single one of his restaurants. He designs each menu and is heavily involved in the interior design. There are three semi private dining areas within his Dorchester location, all of which are exquisite down to the very last silk button on the wall. However the stunning Lumiere Table is the focal point of the main dining room, seating up to 6 guests and surrounded by a luminescent curtain made up of fibreoptic lights, guests enjoy a surprise menu designed by the Executive Chef Jocelyn Herland. In my opinion this is one of the most beautiful semi private dining areas in London and takes innovative and creative dining to the next level, perfect for an intimate celebration or special occasion.
As a brand Alain Ducasse has transformed traditional French dining and infused ideas from all over the world to produce creative and delicious food that challenge the diner’s perceptions of how flavours can work together. Our experience at Alain Ducasse was flawless and I imagine that this is how all their guests feel as they leave this stunning restaurant.
