Fifteen Pickles

Less than a fortnight after my visit to Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, I found myself at his recently acquired pub, The Crown at Bray for a friend’s 30th birthday dinner.

Despite accusations from locals of turning Bray into “Hestonworld”, alongside neighbouring Blumenthal-owned establishments, The Hinds Head and of course The Fat Duck, all I can say is The Crown at Bray looked and felt very much like it had been preserved as a traditional 16th century pub to me. Then again, through my New Zealander eyes anything older than 100 years seems positively ancient!

Baked Suet, steak and ale pie, creamed potato

Low ceilings, rickety, uneven, carpeted flooring, open fireplaces and dark, cosy corners dominated this seemingly long established, village pub. The menu devised by head chef at The Fat Duck, Ashley Palmer-Watts, attempts to remain true to traditional British pub food. Being a group of 10, we were seated in their private dining area and offered their 3 course set menu (£28.50), which we had ordered from a week in advance. All options were very tempting! (more…)

When a friend managed to get a lunch booking for 6 at Heston Blumenthal’s new endeavour at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, I jumped at the opportunity to join in. My pockets have never felt well lined enough to dine at his legendary Fat Duck restaurant, but I’ve been a great fan of his unconventional and innovative style of cuisine.

Restaurant Interior

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is a restaurant which allows us London dwellers, the ability to sample a subtle glimpse of Blumenthal’s quirky and creative style, without leaving the city. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful; light fixtures in the shape of jelly moulds, and large windows facing directly onto Hyde Park, which serves as a stunning backdrop. A glass wall also separates the kitchen from the dining area and we can watch the chefs at work and admire the gigantic pulley/clockwork mechanism which dominates the kitchen, intended purely for the purpose of spit roasting pineapple.

Spit Roasting Pineapple

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