Heston Blumenthal confirms 1 December opening for first London restaurant

Heston Blumenthal has confirmed the opening date of his highly anticipated London restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, which will launch on 1 December.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will serve a menu centred on contemporary British food based on historical concepts. The name is inspired by the 13th century French word disner whose etymology reflects social and economic changes through history.

The kitchen will be headed up by the Fat Duck group executive chef Ashley Palmer-Watts, with dishes celebrating the best of British produce and being inspired by recipes dating back to the 16th century.

Dishes will include bergamot-cured mackerel salad; slow cooked short rib of beef; and scallops with cucumber ketchup and peas; with a set lunch menu priced £25 for three courses and dinner starting from £55 for three courses à la carte.

Blumenthal's restaurant will be housed in the space formerly occupied by the Mandarin Oriental's Park and Foliage restaurants, with expansive windows offering views over Hyde Park.

Interiors will be developed by US-based designer Adam D. Tihany, who said the restaurant would reflect the chef's modern take on tradition. Features will include floor-to-ceiling glass walls between the kitchen and dining room as well as a pulley system modelled on a 16th century design for the Royal British Court's kitchens resembling an oversized watch, mechanically rotating a spit over an open fire.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will be the second high-profile opening at the Mandarin Oriental, which last month opened renowned US-based French chef Daniel Boulud's Bar Boulud.

Bookings lines for Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will open on 15 October on 020 7201 3833.

Heston Blumenthal restaurant remains best in UK >>

Daniel Boulud's European adventure begins at London's Mandarin Oriental >>

Table Talk discussion: What's in a name? >>

By Kerstin Kuhn

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