Hotel dining used to be such an awful affair. Even in our great capital, most hotel restaurants served a narrow selection of bland, over-priced generic dishes in a stuffy, formalised setting. The sommelier would only want to sell you French wine; the waiters were often 100 years old.
But, thankfully, we have moved on considerably since then. Today, no decent hotel in London and beyond is complete without a good restaurant, and the five-star luxury hotels clamour over each other to represent the most famous celebrity chefs. These culinary stars have transformed drab dining rooms into gastronomic destinations worth getting excited about. The Michelin people have taken note, too, as the number of stars awarded to hotel restaurants in London increases every year, albeit Claridge’s lost their star in 2010.
That said, good hotel dining in the UK is not just about Michelin stars and celebrity chefs. There is now a surfeit of good and affordable hotel restaurants, with bistros becoming the order of the day. Visitors to Britain have never had so much choice or excuse not to leave their hotel in the evening to go searching for good food. Of course, average places still abound, so I have helped you separate the wheat from the chaff and listed my top hotel restaurants that go that extra mile below.
Roux at The Landau
Roux at the Landau sets the standard for other aspiring hotel restaurants to follow. Run by the dynamic duo of Michel Roux Jr and Albert Roux since 2010, Roux at the Landau is undoubtedly one of the finest hotel restaurants I have visited in London.
It starts with its majestic setting and gets better from there on: a striking dining room, oval-shaped with windows overlooking All Souls Church, sets the scene nicely. Tables are mercifully not too close together, arranged beneath a gorgeous vaulted ceiling that lends Roux at the Landau a suitably glamorous air.
However, Roux at the Landau does not simply allow the setting to do all the work; Head Chef Oliver Boon is one of the UK’s most promising emerging talents, injecting a welcome dose of contemporary medicine into classical French cooking. Exceptional dishes such as diver-caught Orkney scallops, served with wild garlic, girolles, hazelnuts and mint, were exquisite, the scallops boasting that inherent hint of sweetness, expertly paired with girolles.
Dover sole grenobloise was no less impressive, a relatively simple dish that was impeccably executed, paired with a delicious herb butter. Bitter chocolate millefeuille, accompanied by maple ice cream and salted pecans, was similarly dazzling. I do not want to spoil the surprise for you, but trust me, it is the only sensible option at dessert time.
Such remarkable attention to detail is enhanced by the top-flight and very professional staff that cannot do enough for you. The wine list should also not be omitted from this discussion: a legendary 59-page tome that will have oenophiles drooling. Yet it covers all the bases, from New World value to Chateau Latour at over £1,500.
One for that special occasion!
Roux at The Landau
1C Portland Place, London W1B 1JA
rouxatthelandau.com
Apero at the Ampersand Hotel
Cleverly exploiting the UK’s current tapas craze, Apero serves smaller portions of Mediterranean classics in an atmospheric basement restaurant under the hotel’s reception area. A lunch and set menu make dining at Apero a very reasonable proposition, and we plumped for a delicious selection of starters, including focaccia and deep-fried courgette flowers with goats’ cheese, followed by divine red mullet and Gnocchi and a perfectly seasoned rib-eye steak. The restaurant incidentally takes its name from the Italian aperitivo, that lovely time of the day when you start your meal with a glass of Prosecco or twelve…
We enjoyed various wines by the glass, a smart option at Apero as the list is quite varied, allowing you to dip in as you like. A few organic and natural wines are present, with an overt bias toward French regions. Dessert was a light, saffron-infused pannacotta and homemade ice-creams.
Delicious, affordable and fun, Apero is one excellent reason not to leave this hotel for dinner.
Apero at the Ampersand Hotel
2 Harrington Road, South Kensington, London SW7 3ER
aperorestaurantandbar.com
The Ritz
Darling of both Mayfair’s elite and discerning tourists, the Ritz has more reason than ever to feel smug following the award of its inaugural Michelin Star in October this year. Of course, loyal patrons have known for years what the Michelin inspectors have only just managed to figure out – that John Williams’ refined and timeless cuisine is some of the finest around. Moreover, the Ritz boasts one of London’s most exciting wine lists, a veritable encyclopedia put together by sommelier Giovanni Ferlito.
The Ritz also broke new ground in offering the Coravin technology, a device which extracts wine without removing the cork, allowing a restaurant to offer hitherto unseen fine wines by the glass. This has revolutionised our enjoyment of wine, allowing the passionate oenophile to sample legendary but often prohibitively expensive names without having to fork out for a bottle. Wines like Corton Charlemagne, Le Montrachet and Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion are all available by the glass at the Ritz. To find such a diverse list of fine wines by the glass in one restaurant is nothing short of remarkable, even in such a high-class address.
The Ritz
150 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1J 9BR
theritzlondon.com
Quod Restaurant & Bar
If you are looking for affordable yet luxury accommodation and dining in Oxford, head straight to the Old Bank Hotel. An independently-owned venue at the very heart of Oxford’s beautiful historic centre, this boutique hotel is one of the best I have stayed at in Oxford, despite some very healthy competition.
A fantastic, buzzy ground floor bar is complemented by the superb restaurant, Quod, presided over by head chef Rohan Kashid. The dining room is a joy to behold – a gorgeous, atmospheric and softly lit contemporary space is modelled on the quintessential Parisian brassiere, complete with marble pillars and wooden flooring.
But Quod does not just trade on its buzzy setting; the food was excellent too. Highlights included the scallop and prawn gratin, Kashid’s superlative rigatoni caponata and exquisite lemon posset. Service is chirpy and efficient, and the wine list is diverse but full of affordable options. Prices are also very reasonable considering the quality on offer, and if there is a downside to Quod, well, I have yet to find it.
Quod Restaurant & Bar
92-94 High Street, Oxford, OX1 4BJ
oldbank-hotel.co.uk
Laguna Bar and Kitchen
The Park Plaza is not only one of Cardiff’s best hotels but also houses one of the city’s most vibrant and popular restaurants, the Laguna Bar and Kitchen. A stylish dining space is complimented by soft lighting, tables are not crowded together, and the restaurant’s bottom half directly affords diners views into the busy kitchen area. The food does not disappoint either; Dorset crab fish cakes, slow-cooked Usk Pork Belly, and slow-cooked Brecon Venison Ragu were all lip-smackingly delicious. Service is professional without being intrusive, and to top it all off, the Laguna also has one of the best wine lists in Wales, with affordable options and fine wines for that special occasion.
Laguna Bar and Kitchen
Park Plaza Hotel, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff, CF10 3AL
parkplazacardiff.com
Header image: The Ritz by Martin Pettitt is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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