Mandarin Oriental
Photo: courtesy of the hotel
The rumour has been circulating for ages and now it's official – Heston Blumenthal will open a new London restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel in autumn 2010. Highlighting Heston’s unique style, the still-untitled spot will serve lunch, dinner and afternoon tea, with dishes heavily influenced by his ongoing research into historic British gastronomy. Adam Tihany (who recently designed NYC's new Aureole and La Fonda del Sol) will be responsible for the interior, and plans to use traditional materials such as wood, leather and iron in contemporary ways. The 140-cover space will replace Foliage and The Park (set to close in spring 2010), and the kitchen will be headed by Ashley Palmer Watts, who has worked at The Fat Duck for nine years as group executive chef.
Speaking of Blumenthal's signature restaurant: as of 30 June, The Fat Duck will no longer be serving its à la carte menu. Instead guests will dine on the 11-course (plus petits fours) tasting menu (£130), which includes dishes such as snail porridge, “sound of the sea”, pine sherbet fountain, parsnip cereal and nitro-scrambled egg and bacon ice cream (01628-580333).