It just oozes that 1930's old school glamour we all secretly love.
As soon as you step foot inside, displays of diamond jewelry twinkle at you behind glass cases, and in the opulent Promenade lobby you will no doubt see a flurry of ladies clad in their Christian Louboutins teetering past, and businessmen gathering amongst the marble pillars and giant floral displays.
The decadence here is unmatched.
Yet despite being unashamedly upper-class, The Dorchester is surprisingly very friendly and welcoming.
Courtesy of Zomato; I was kindly invited to dine at The Grill.
The theme at the The Grill, is slightly different and can only really be described as Scottish grandeur.
Murals of Scottish figures parade exuberantly around the walls, and tartan is everywhere from the cushioned seats to the carpet.
Black Angus Fillet Steak with liquid Mushroom Ravioli Spinach, Garlic and Bacon Green Beans, & Shallots and Chive Mash
Ambiance/Service?
The Dorchester has an illustrious history of hospitality, so my expectations were seriously high.
From the moment we entered the restaurant, the level of service was flawless.
Every request was dealt with readily, speedily, and with a smile. The whole service can be adjusted to suit the needs/wants of every customer i.e. requesting halal meat.
What I really admired about the service at The Grill, was that it was incredibly relaxed, yet attentive without trying too hard to please, and you really do feel at home.
YEAH-O-Meter?
Starters:
Basket of Bread & a selection of butter
The Grill gave me basket full after basket of freshly baked bread; plus 3 different butters.
So I slathered it all over, roll after roll.
Melted butter + crusty warm bread = love.
Don't judge me.
Ballotine of Grouse with shaved Foie-gras and Chestnut (£24):The grouse was cooked medium rare and was encased in chestnut and foie-gras.
This was wonderfully creamy, but probably was a bit on the heavy side after all that bread I devoured waiting for my starter. But I regret nothing!
Home Smoked Loch Duart Salmon and Gravadlax (£22):The salmon was very fresh.
You know it's fresh when it doesn't have that fishy flavor that normally plagues smoked salmon.
Mains:Wild Sea Bass with Beans, Apple, and Tarragon served with a poached Oyster (£32) & Shallots and Chive Mash (£5)
The Sea Bass was flaky whilst still being meaty, and was expertly paired with the apple puree, tarragon and broad beans. You had to assemble everything on to your fork and then devour for the full impact.
But it was the shallot and chive mash that did it for me the most, it was so so so creamy. This was by far the best mash I have ever had.
Black Angus Fillet Steak with liquid Mushroom Ravioli & Spinach (£36), Garlic and Bacon Green Beans (£7), & Shallots and Chive MashYou haven't had steak until you have come to The Grill.I love a juicy steak, and this one was so tender the knife just glided through.
It was impossibly tender, deliciously juicy and....
....sorry I was too busy staring back at that steak again.
No words can truly explain, the hunk of awesome that rolled around my tongue ;]
You'll just have to believe me.
Dessert:
Hazelnut Chocolate Moelleux (£8)
The impossibly thin spherical armor of chocolate encases molten hazelnut chocolate within.
Breaking into the shell and watching the chocolate ooze out was definitely the highlight of the evening.
Who doesn't like chocolate anyway?
There is a ceremony to eat this, you have to gather the 3 chocolate sensations onto your spoon; the crispy shell of milk chocolate, molten hazelnut chocolate, with the dark chocolate biscuit crumble and finish it off with ice cream.
First the chocolate shell melts as soon as it touches your lips, then you are hit with the creaminess of the hazelnut chocolate combined with the ice cream and finally crunch of the biscuit.
Let us just imagine that for a moment...
Yummei's?
9/10 Yummei's
Where?
The Dorchester
The Grill
53 Park Lane,
Mayfair,
London.
W1K 1AQ