If you take even a cursory glance at the latest Tripadvisor reviews, the gripe du jour quickly becomes apparent, suggests James Lawrence.
Service. Endless moaning about the lack of hospitality; not so much service with a smile, as “please do me a favour and expire – you want what, sorry?”
Indeed, the industry is in the midst of a very serious labour crisis, and it shows. A perfect storm of Brexit, the pandemic and shifting priorities have made it incredibly difficult to retain decent staff. I know this because it’s all my foodie friends talk about. We’ll soon reach a point where Fawlty Towers is considered the high water mark.
The Aubrey London, however, is different. Either via financial bribery or sorcery, it has managed to curate an exceptional group of people. So before we leap into the food, let me say this: the service was faultless. That rare combination of warm and professional, where nothing was too much trouble. The staff are also clearly adept at dealing with the entire spectrum of patrons, from easy-going to infuriatingly unreasonable. I’d place myself somewhere in the middle. I did say, more than once, that I’d prefer a table away from a particularly loud group of people in the main dining room, whose conversations could be heard in Reykjavik. “No problem” was the response – I was plied with cocktails until a quiet booth in the library room became available, complete with thick curtains.
Ahh, First World problems. This high stakes ‘drama’ unfolded at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, where the hotel management has injected a considerable amount of thought and energy into creating a high-class Japanese Izakaya (roughly translated as pub) experience. Tokyo is full of these after-work drinking haunts, where the atmosphere and food are often very casual.
But come on. You’re dining at the Mandarin Oriental – did anyone really expect plastic chairs and draught IPA? This is all about designer cocktails and enough sake to sink the Titanic. For sure, the swankiest outpost is not necessarily the best, but this destination is undeniably full of the wow factor. From the sumptuous velvet furniture to the fringed lamps and gold-framed Ukiyo-e prints, it really gives the customer the glad eye. The adjoining cocktail bar has become my favourite pre-dinner tipple destination in London.
These kinds of restaurants can be dangerous, though. For two reasons: you can’t ever face the prospect of home cooking again; the food is lost in an excess of glamour. It was often said that Chiltern Firehouse could serve poisoned anchovy on rye bread, and they’d still flock. Fortunately, the culinary art on display at The Aubrey London is as faultless as the hospitality. It’s all meant to be shared: small plates fit for an emperor such as deep-fried karaage chicken with yuzu mayo, caviar served with shokupan (Japanese milk bread), and the famous wagyu beef. Arrive hungry – the portions are hardly bijou.
There are real treasures lurking in The Aubrey’s kitchen. I didn’t meet any of the chefs, but they provided a comprehensive Japanese adventure from edomae nigiri sprinkled with edible ants to grilled sablefish on the robata. All lip-smackingly good. Or “addictive,” as my companion put it. There’s sushi and sashimi, obviously; from the look on my friend’s face, I’d say it’s as good as any three-star Michelin experience in Japan’s capital.
I’m a committed carnivore, however. So my death of conversation moment was anything cooked on the robata, particularly the flavour-rich Iberico Secreto pork; deep umami caramelisation on the top layer, and a centre so tender that it could have passed for meat silk. I can still taste it now. It almost trounced the wagyu oxtail and bone marrow fried rice, but not quite. Who could resist super smooth and fragrant rice, presented with a protruding marrow bone for that perfect Instagram pic?
We finished with an array of desserts, including an inventive and moreish white miso soufflé; this delicacy could be accused of duplicity, as swooning over the fluffy lightness makes you forget the inevitable excess of calories. A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips, as they say. But at this restaurant, every single calorie more than justifies its existence. And besides, jogging opportunities in Hyde Park are just a few hundred yards away.
What: The Aubrey London
Where: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
Web: MandarinOriental.com
- New Year Sparkle: Champagne and Beyond for 2025 - 30 December 2024
- New Year, New Bubbles: Top Sparkling Wines for 2024 - 28 December 2023
- Masala Zone Piccadilly: A Flavourful Review of London’s Indian Cuisine Gem - 17 November 2023