‘A Brush with the Artist’ at 45 Park Lane

Posted by Bon Vivant

45 Park Lane, Dorchester Collection’s latest Mayfair hotel, is hosting ‘A Brush with the Artist’ in October, to enable art buyers and art lovers the chance to meet with some of Britain’s finest contemporary artists, whose pieces adorn the hotel’s rooms and suites.

Tickets are £40 and include breakfast with the artist, private viewing and studio transfers where applicable, on the following dates:

9th October: with Martin Fuller followed by private studio tour in Brixton
10th October: with Roger McGough poetry reading and book signing
11th October: with Bruce McLean & Brad Faine followed by studio visit
13th October: with Brendan Neiland and private display of work
14th October: with Christian Furr and a private show of work

45 Park Lane regularly hosts artist events at the hotel – In May this year, Jane McAdam Freud, daughter of Lucian, hosted Friday breakfasts at CUT at 45 Park Lane before a private guided tour of ‘Lucian Freud: Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery’.

For enquiries or to make a reservation, please telephone the dedicated arts line 020 7317 6503.

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‘Freud on Freud’ at 45 Park Lane

Posted by Bon Vivant

Following the opening of Lucian Freud’s exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, the Dorchester Collection’s 45 Park Lane is offering a unique opportunity for contemporary art lovers to hear a different perspective of Lucian Freud’s work.

An open-discussion breakfast at CUT at 45 Park Lane about the artist and his latest exhibition will be held with Lucian Freud’s daughter, artist Jane McAdam Freud, followed by a guided tour of the exhibition on 11, 18 and 25 May. Jane McAdam Freud, who had observed and worked closely with her father, will be hosting her own exhibition until 29 May at the Gazelli Art House in Mayfair.

For enquiries or to make a reservation, please phone 020 7317 6503 quoting Freud. Tickets cost £40 including breakfast, gallery entry and one-way transfer.

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Cut at 45 Park Lane: Restaurant Review

Posted by Bon Vivant

Bon Vivant reviews Cut at 45 Park Lane.

Having spent several decades in the gastronomic wilderness, steakhouses are currently enjoying a spectacular renaissance, with a new breed of sophisticated, contemporary and unapologetically glamorous restaurants.

In London the leading proponent of this revival has been the burgeoning Hawksmoor empire, with its emphasis squarely on meat of British provenance. But last September saw the arrival of a New World contender in the form of Wolfgang Puck’s CUT at 45 Park Lane.

(Wolfgang Puck is a culinary heavyweight in the US where he is now in charge of the restaurant at the gorgeous Hotel Bel-Air).

A legend on the US dining scene, Puck’s reputation most definitely preceded him and his first UK venture was one of the most hotly anticipated openings of 2011. I am pleased to report it did not disappoint. (Cut at 45 Park Lane also appeared on Bon Vivant’s list of the best new restaurants of 2011.)

Housed in one of Mayfair’s most prestigious addresses, Cut at 45 Park Lane occupies the ground floor, although there’s a bar-dining option available in the library on the floor above at Bar 45.

Mirrors elongate an already long, thin dining room at Cut at 45 Park Lane but the double-height ceiling offsets any sense of claustrophobia and clever use of curtains, booths and panels inject intimacy into the grandeur.

The event (no other word comes close) began with moreish Parmesan breadsticks and an amuse bouche of blue cheese pastries, washed down with a deliciously crisp glass of Billecart Salmon Reserve Brut.

My partner needed only seconds to decide on the maple-glazed pork belly with Asian spices but I had to make further enquires about the Dorset crab and lobster ‘Louis’ before committing.

Charmingly described as a ‘posh prawn cocktail’, this stalwart of the seventies steakhouse was reworked to perfection. Balancing the delicacy of crab and lobster meat with the punch of a well-seasoned dressing takes skill. Marie Rose never attained it but Puck’s Bloody Mary certainly did and this dish is deservedly his signature starter.

And so to mains at Cut at 45 Park Lane. On the basis that ‘if you see it on a menu you’ve got to go for it’ my partner opted for the rib-eye of 100% pure breed Chilean Wagyu, cooked rare.

At £85 a pop, the decision to ignore the Chef’s medium-rare recommendation proved an expensive mistake because although it delivered on its butter-like promise in terms of texture, the flavour was found somewhat wanting. Further proof, if it were needed, that timing is everything.

I had greater success with a ‘Tasting of New York Sirloin’ (£55). Tasting plates, while increasingly ubiquitous, are the saving grace of anyone prone to food envy or indecision and I am susceptible to both.

All three pieces – USDA Prime Angus, Casterbridge Angus and Australian Wagyu/Black Angus – were seasoned and cooked to perfection, with the latter so unctuously rich it was more akin to foie gras than steak.

The accompanying tray of three sauces (in addition to standard-issue trio of mustards) was a masterstroke that neatly solved the problem of which of the potential eight to choose from.

Sides of tempura onion rings and French fries with fine herbs were served in characteristically American proportions but with none of the vulgarity, and the Californian Cabernet Sauvignon chosen by our sommelier was the perfect partner, tasting as it did of “Christmas memories, aged in oak” (my words, not hers).

By this point, dessert was officially surplus to requirement. But that didn’t stop us from indulging in the Banana Cream Pie and Warm Passion Fruit Cheesecake, their retro-kitsch appeal proving too powerful to resist.

Amongst a glut of high points, perhaps CUT’s most significant achievement is that it manages to reconcile two seemingly irreconcilable tensions with remarkable deftness. It is at once both bold and brash but also reserved and refined.

And, despite the undeniably steep prices (you’d be hard pressed to get change from £100 per head including wine and service) it still manages to feel generous, both in terms of the food and service.

So the next time you feel the need to splurge on a fine dining experience but ‘morsels of this’ and ‘soupçons of that’ simply won’t cut it, you know where to go: Cut at 45 Park Lane

Address: Cut at 45 Park Lane, 45 Park Lane, London, W1K 1PN
Phone: +44 20 7493 4554

If you liked our review of Cut at 45 Park Lane, sign up to our blog below as we visits some of the best restaurants in London. In the meantime read our reviews of Quilon, Wabi London or Alyn Williams at The Westbury.

London’s Best New Cocktail Bars of 2011

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Emma from Gin Monkey, a guide to London’s bar scene, gives Bon Vivant her thoughts on the best cocktail bars to open in London during 2011.

London is one of the world’s cocktail capitals with a wide range of cocktail bars to choose from. New bars appear on a monthly basis, almost all bringing something unique and exciting to the scene, attracting some of the best bartenders in the world. 2011 has been a great year for new cocktail bars in London, and some of the best are below:

The Zetter Townhouse

The Zetter Townhouse bar is the second opening by Tony Conigliaro and Camille Hobby-Limon . Their first bar, 69 Colebrooke Row, has received high acclaim in the time that it has been open, and I have no doubt that the ZTH will do the same.

The venue is designed around ‘Aunt Wilhelmina’, a crazy old aunt whose trinkets and artefacts from her global travels make the Zetter the most unusual venue I’ve been to in a long time. The cocktail menu is short but perfectly formed. Each cocktail is the result of a specific concept, and is the product of multiple experiments in Tony’s Islington based lab to get the final libation just right. Expect unusual ingredients, and the influence of many different techniques and fields.

Address: 49 Saint John’s Square, 86 – 88 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5RJ

Phone: 020 7324 4545

Worship Street Whistling Shop

The Worship Street Whistling Shop is also a new venture from a group who have enjoyed previous success on the London bar scene - Fluid Movement. The Whistling Shop is quite different from their first venture (Purl in Marylebone), think less ‘whiz bang pop’ and more cocktails that are designed to play with your senses in the most intriguing way.

The concept is a Victorian Gin Palace for the 21st Century, putting a modern twist on classic cocktails. Their barrel aged cocktails behind the bar are a real treat, along with some true gems from the main menu. Book into the Emporium for a truly unique experience unlike anything you’ve ever seen/heard/smelt before!

Address: 63 Worship Street, London, EC2A 2DU

Phone: 020 7247 0015

Nightjar

Nightjar is a beautiful bar hidden away in a basement in Old Street – the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of London.

The bartenders at Nightjar take a lot of care and attention when it comes to making their cocktails. They’re executed with flair and are garnished with some of the most insane but beautiful garnishes I’ve ever come across. Nightjar is a great place to relax with a drink alongside laid back jazz and brilliant live music on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Address: 129 City Road, London, EC1V 1JB

Phone: 020 7253 4101

London Cocktail Club

LCC is a wonderful, fun bar with great cocktails and some of the most friendly and welcoming staff you’ll find in London. They’ve got great quality bar snacks, but then you’d expect that given the fact that Raymond Blanc was involved in establishing the venue.

It’s a classic good time bar with all the usual suspects on the cocktail menu. The ‘from the pantry’ section mixes ingredients from the kitchen with the spirits behind the bar to great effect, especially the bacon and egg Martini. London Cocktail Club is the kind of bar where you loose track of time and end up leaving far later than you intended, with a wobble in your step and a huge smile on your face!

Address: 61 Goodge Street, London, W1T 1TL

Phone: 020 7580 1960

Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town

The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town combines great music and atmosphere with good quality cocktails. Taking inspiration from some of the speakeasies of New York, the entrance is hidden through a Smeg fridge in the new Breakfast Club venue just off Bishopsgate.

Thankfully they’ve managed to create a fun and quirky bar with great original cocktails on the menu alongside some of the usual suspects. Their bloody Mary station on a weekend is perfect to compliment the brunch on offer upstairs too.

Address: 12-16 Artillery Lane (in the basement of the Breakfast Club), London, E1 7LS

Phone: 020 7078 9639

Experimental Cocktail Club

The Experimental Cocktail Club brings the concept of the original Paris bar over to London, which opened earlier this year to a lot of excitement. The ECC is a beautiful bar with ornate wallpapers, mirrored tables and long, dark comfortable seats. The cocktails are fantastic, however not quite as experimental as you’d expect. They also have an impressive range of vintage spirits behind the bar which, if you’re feeling flush, they can whip up into a vintage cocktail for you.

A bar where you definitely need to book and use a fair amount of charm and skill to navigate the doorman!

Address: 3A Gerrard Street, W1D 5PS

Phone: 020 7434 3559

Another very new addition to London which is well worth keeping an eye on is:

Shaker & Company

Shaker & Company has just opened on the cusp of Camden & W1. The bartenders are all trained by the world renowned Shaker Bar School, so they certainly know their stuff. The venue has a relaxed, easy-going ambience where everyone will feel welcome whether you’re looking for a cocktail or a pint.

Downstairs sees monthly residences by spirit brands who can transform the space into whatever wonderful hideaway they choose. This bar may be a little bit off the beaten track but it’s well worth a visit!

Address: 119 Hampstead Road, Euston, London, NW1 3EE

Phone: 0207 0606 877

Hotel Bars

London has witnessed the addition of two new upscale hotel bars over recent months. Bar 45 at the Dorchester Collection’s new hotel in Mayfair, 45 Park Lane, and Bassoon Bar at The Corinthia Hotel, both of which are great additions to London’s hotel bar scene.

New openings to keep an eye out for in 2012:

A new venture from London Cocktail Club with a distinctly naval twist and hopefully another bar from Fluid Moves (they’re looking for venues at the moment)…

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Coworth Park Hotel Review

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Coworth Park Hotel is part of The Dorchester Collection is synonymous with grand, iconic hotels in some of the world’s most desirable destinations, with each hotel as stylish and sophisticated as the next.

Coworth Park Hotel, the group’s first standalone launch, opened in the autumn of 2010 on a 240 acre estate of rolling meadows and polo fields in Berkshire near Ascot, less than an hour by car from London and a mere 20 minutes from Heathrow airport.

In a clear contrast to its other UK properties (The Dorchester and the recently opened 45 Park Lane), Coworth Park Hotel is the epitome of a true country house estate and an ideal weekend getaway from London.

Most of the action occurs in the main Georgian manor house, the Mansion House, with views of immaculate grounds from every corner. There are 70 rooms and suites in total, spread between the Mansion House and the converted stable block and renovated cottages, which adds to the charm of the property.

The rooms at Coworth Park Hotel are of a contemporary classic style, exuding a sense of understated luxury, with warm, neutral tones and splashes of autumnal colours creating a calming and relaxing mood.

The stables, which feature a combination of lateral and vertical suites, some with their own staircases, are of a similar design aesthetic, interspersed with witty equestrian references. Spacious bathrooms feature large rainfall showers, dual sinks and freestanding copper baths.

One of the highlights of the visit was dinner at ‘Restaurant Coworth Park’, the hotel’s main restaurant. The dining room exudes sophistication with a beautiful and dramatic light feature dominating the room.

The restaurant was originally under the guidance of John Campbell, the celebrated chef who held 2 Michelin stars at the Vineyard at Stockcross. He has since departed, but the current chef is incredibly talented as we were served a refined, interesting and meticulously prepared 8 course tasting menu, which richly deserved its first Michelin star in the 2012 UK Michelin Guide.

The Barn at Coworth Park Hotel offers a casual yet refined dining alternative, with a ‘rustic chic’ design of stone floors and reclaimed wood dining tables. The menu features classic, hearty dishes such as fish pie, sirloin steak and roast chicken, which is ideal for lunch after a long walk through the impeccably groomed grounds.

For the more active guest, there is an array of activities available, including tennis and horse riding at the equestrian centre, but the spa was too tempting an alternative for us. The spa is a modern, eco-building, over two floors, half of which is underground with plants growing on the roof.

The spa at Coworth Park Hotel has eight treatment rooms, a relaxation room, an 18m heated pool, a steam room and a ‘Spatisserie’ if you want a light snack and a glass of champagne in between treatments.

While service seemed to lack the finesse of some of the group’s other properties (this will surely come with time), the staff were all charming, polite and professional. On our visit, there were a few mishaps with the air conditioning and the shower, but these issues were handled with impeccable care and grace.

With its understated glamour and contemporary classic style, Coworth Park Hotel is a beautifully modern take on the traditional country house hotel, which makes a perfect weekend retreat from London. If you would like more inspiration, read our guide to the best luxury hotels near London.

Our luxury travel service would love to plan your next weekend getaway – contact us now to enquire about membership.

Bar 45 at 45 Park Lane – London Bar Guide

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Bar 45 is housed in The Dorchester Collection’s new hotel in Mayfair, 45 Park Lane. The bar features a long, black granite bar with an autumnal amber and red colour scheme throughout.

The cocktail menu at Bar 45 includes speciality infused vodka and gin creations, and I can personally recommend ‘Pepito’s Revenge’, which is made from tequila and lime with an overriding basil flavour, and the Umami Cocktail, although impossible to accurately describe, is certainly worth a try!

Bar 45 also features the largest selection of American wines in the United Kingdom, and there is a menu of ‘Rough CUTS’ by Wolfgang Puck from Cut at 45 Park Lane, which includes Mini Kobe Sliders and House Smoked Pastrami Reuben Sandwiches.

There is also a lovely lounge area where guests can recline in comfort, making Bar 45 a great addition to London’s hotel bar scene.

Bar 45 is open until 12:30 am, but remains open until 3am for residents of the hotel and guests dining at CUT at 45 Park Lane.

To make sure you’re kept informed of similar updates on a regular basis, subscribe to our blog below. You may also want to read about other London cocktail bars including Evans and Peel and The Lucky Pig.

London’s Best New Restaurants of 2011

Posted by Emyr Thomas

2011 has been a great year for London food enthusiasts with an extraordinary number of new restaurants, a large proportion of which have been of an excellent quality. Here’s Bon Vivant’s guide to best new openings of the past 12 months.

Dinner By Heston

2011 started with a bang in January with Heston Blumenthal’s first foray into the London restaurant scene at the Mandarin Oriental with Dinner by Heston. ‘Dinner’, one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of recent years, received immediate acclaim by critics, collecting its first Michelin Star in the 2012 UK Michelin Guide later in the year. The signature ‘Meat Fruit’ is worth a visit alone.

Hedone

Quiet Chiswick High Road is not renowned as a cultural hotspot, but perhaps that’s why Mikael Jonsson chose it as the location for Hedone, his first restaurant project. The Swedish ex-lawyer turned Chef is not afraid to challenge people’s assumptions and since opening in July 2011, Hedone has not only challenged, but surpassed expectations.

Critics and Chefs alike have flocked to try some of the most unusual and triumphant dishes on the London restaurant scene, and with a three-week waiting list for tables, one to book ahead.

Riding House Café

The team behind the acclaimed Garrison and Village East in Bermondsey opened the Riding House Café, an all day Brasserie offering a selection of small plates to share as well as traditional main courses in Fitzrovia. The restaurant has a great vibe and a ‘buzzy’ bar area too.

Spuntino

Spuntino was one of three new ventures in 2011 from the team behind Polpo and Polpetto, the successful Venetian ‘bacaros’ in Soho. Spuntino also features sharing plates, but inspired by New York instead of Italy, with its various sliders and Mac’n’Cheese being stand-out dishes. Like its sister restaurants, Spuntino has a no reservation policy, so expect to queue as this place is still very popular.

Pollen Street Social

Jason Atherton, formerly of Gordon Ramsay’s Maze, opened Pollen Street Social in Mayfair, and it has quickly risen to become one of London’s most popular restaurants, also collecting its first Michelin star towards the end of the year. The restaurant is a modern, relaxed take on a ‘fine dining’ restaurant.

Massimo’s

Massimo Restaurant & Oyster Bar is a Mediterranean restaurant specialising in seafood, in The Corinthia Hotel, located between Trafalgar Square and Embankment. The head chef, Massimo Riccioli, comes from the celebrated La Rosetta in Rome.

The main dining room, designed by David Collins, is truly stunning. The restaurant also features an oyster and crustacean bar and The Chef’s Table caters for up to 18 diners with its own dedicated kitchen where Massimo Riccioli cooks for guests.

Hawksmoor Guildhall

The team behind Hawksmoor opened their third steak restaurant and cocktail bar, Hawksmoor Guildhall, in the City in October. With impeccably cooked steaks and a cool cocktail bar, this is already a huge hit in the City.

CUT at 45 Park lane

Continuing with London’s interest in steak restaurants, ‘Cut’ opened in the new 45 Park Lane hotel, the latest hotel from The Dorchester Collection.

‘Cut’ is a restaurant by Wolfgang Puck, the celebrated US chef, who opened the original ‘Cut’ at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills in 2006. The London outpost serves excellent steaks in a suitably glamorous dining room.

Opera Tavern

London has seen the addition of some great Spanish restaurants, starting the year with the Opera Tavern, a ‘restaurant and tapas bar’ in Covent Garden from the team behind Salt Yard and Dehesa.

Located in a renovated pub, the restaurant retains some of the building’s original features, and the exposed bricks and low lighting create a relaxed, intimate feel.

The Delaunay

The Delaunay, sister restaurant to The Wolseley from restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, has recently opened on the corner of Drury Lane and Aldwych. The restaurant is open seven days a week – until midnight from Monday to Saturday and 11pm on Sunday – serving breakfast, afternoon tea, and à la carte lunch and dinner menus ‘inspired by the grand cafés of Europe’.

34 Restaurant

Caprice Holdings has launched ’34’, a restaurant located just off Grosvenor Square in Mayfair. 34 is the group’s first restaurant launch and will add to its portfolio, which includes The Ivy, J Sheekey’s and Scott’s, one of Bon Vivant’s London favourites. The restaurant specialises in meats and seasonal game but also offers ‘lighter dishes, fish and shellfish’.

If you liked this top 10 feature, why not read our guide to the best brunch in London, the most romantic restaurants in London or the best alfresco restaurants in London?

What has been your favourite restaurant of 2011? Which new restaurants are you excited to see in 2012? We would love to hear your thoughts below.

Restaurant, Hotel & Bar Guide: Autumn 2011

Posted by Emyr Thomas

London’s restaurant and bar scene continues to develop at an incredible pace, with September already bringing a host of new arrivals.

45 Park Lane is The Dorchester Collection’s latest hotel where each of the spacious 45 rooms and suites offer views of Hyde Park, and the first floor features the stunning Bar 45, a library and a private media room.

The restaurant at 45 Park Lane is ‘Cut’ by Wolfgang Puck, the celebrated US chef, who opened the original ‘Cut’ at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills in 2006. The restaurant will have a focus on steaks.

The Ignite Group recently announced the opening of Senkai restaurant in London’s West End on the former ‘Cocoon’ site. Senkai is a modern Japanese inspired restaurant serving mainly British, sustainable produce, which also features a signature ‘raw bar,’ which seats 20 people and offers seafood platters, tiradito and tataki dishes and ceviche, as well as an extensive drinks menu.

There is also a relaxed cocktail lounge, which has a feature wall of Japanese prints, seating up to 50 people with a drinks menu of contemporary and classic cocktails and bar food.

Situated on the edge of Spitalfields, Sky Lounge has launched with floor to ceiling windows and breathtaking views across the capital. With a contemporary chic style, the champagne and cocktail bar will offer seafood, oysters and bar food to nibble and share, and cool music from the resident DJ. The pop-up bar and dining spot, located on the 32nd floor of Nido on Frying Pan Alley, will be open until April 2012.

Dukes Hotel in St James has re-launched its fine dining restaurant as Thirty Six, with Michelin starred chef Nigel Mendham at the help, making his first step into the London restaurant scene. The restaurant has its own entrance at 36 Little St. James Street, and also has seating for thirty six diners.

Covent Garden continues to improve with the opening of 10 Cases, a ‘bistro a vin’ offering classic European dishes with only 10 cases of 10 types of red wine and 10 types of white wine on offer, which will be changed when each case runs out.

West London has witnessed much excitement with the arrival of Hedone in Chiswick. The chef and owner is an ingredients’ specialist, therefore the restaurant places a huge focus on sourcing the right ingredients, which shine through in the two set menus on offer.

It seems that the next few months will be even busier, with new openings arriving at a relentless pace, starting with Bread Street Kitchen, the latest restaurant from Gordon Ramsay Holdings, which will open on 26 September at One New Change near St Paul’s. Bread Street Kitchen will offer a relaxed dining experience set in a large warehouse-style room, with a menu that includes a raw bar, a wood-burning oven and dishes from an open kitchen.

The owners of the Italian restaurant Babbo have announced the launch of their second venture, Fornata, opening in early October on Kingly Street, Soho. Fornata will be a relaxed all day dining restaurant with a rustic design over two floors, including a long cocktail and dining bar. The menu will have an emphasis on oven-cooked dishes from southern Italy that are suitable for sharing.

Aurelia will be launched by the team behind Zuma, Roka and La Petite Maison in Mayfair later this month, which will surely be as popular as its siblings.

The team behind Hawksmoor have announced their third steak restaurant and cocktail bar, Hawksmoor Guildhall, which is set to open on Basinghall Street in the City in October. The menu will include several new dishes alongside the traditional offering of steaks, burger and chips.

Other notable openings include 34 Grosvenor Square, the latest venture from Caprice Holdings; Alyn Williams at The Westbury, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley’s former head chef opening his first restaurant at The Westbury Hotel; and Pizarro from Jose Pizarro, following the success of his tapas bar, Jose, which will feature London’s first tapas bar.

Let’s also not forget about Thomas Keller, one of the most celebrated chefs in the US, popping-up at Harrods with his French Laundry restaurant for 10 days from 1 October 2011.

For further information or for reservations, please contact your concierge.