Birthday Treat - Dinner @ Hestons

I recently celebrated my 30th birthday (gosh, I'm old!), and to celebrate, we went to a very fancy restaurant. Dinner @ Hestons is inside the Mandarin Oriental restaurant in Knightsbridge. It's a very fancy hotel (we actually Googled it and rooms go for from £800 a night at least!) and therefore a very fancy restaurant!

The theme of the restaurant is historical. They have taken recipes from historical sources and updated the recipes or added modern ingredients. They describe it as "Our menu offers modern dishes, inspired by historic British gastronomy." The whole dinner is an experience. Everything is synchronised - all of the dishes in each course arrive at the same time around the table (delivered by a team of people), you get up and go to the bathroom and they fold your napkin while you're gone!

We started our evening with drinks. I started with a gin and tonic, of course (I can't remember which gin, though) and looking at the menu. I love the historical aspect of it. For entree, I chose the Earl Grey Tea Cured Salmon, which came with pickled lemon salad, gentlemen's relish and sorrel. Mum had the same, and the three boys had the Plum Meat Fruit. This is a chicken liver pate that is presented to look like a plum, and it really does! The salmon is really delicate and delicious and the other bits complement it perfectly. The salmon is from a cookbook circa 1730.

For main, I couldn't have chosen what I had last time again, because it's off the menu now! I picked the same as my brother, the Duck and Turnip with buttered black turnip, turnip cream, truffle and civet of duck. This meant a little fillet of duck and really well coordinated turnip related sides. It was a recipe from ad. 79, the oldest in the whole menu! I found that appealing too, that I was eating something that had such solid and defined historical roots. I also had my second G&T with this course!



And for dessert, I had already ordered. It is a repeat from last time after the deliciousness it caused!!! A recipe from circa 1810, and the most delicious thing I've ever eaten... Tipsy cake! Served with spit roast pineapple, it's a brioche cooked fresh to order (you have to order it when you order entree so that they can make it in time!) in a alcoholic custard sauce, with a hunk of caramelised roasted pineapple on the side. Honestly... Everyone deserves this in their lives. It's truly the best.



I also had the recommended dessert wine with it, which was perfect to go with it, of course. And truthfully, this is the best place for a special dinner. (If you have the budget.)