Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester review: ‘perfect luxury’ on Park Lane

Some culinary creations are perennially pleasing. The signature lobster medallion with chicken quenelles, deliciously al dente semolina pasta and a generous peppering of périgord truffle has been on the menu since the restaurant first opened in 2007, and it looks as though it’s (rightly) going nowhere. 

Other dishes benefit from occasional tweaks. On our visit in mid-February, the Cornish turbot had just been afforded fresh flair with a seasonally-appropriate accompaniment of zingy, slightly sweet watercress, alongside Jerusalem artichoke, black truffle and hazelnut.

Blondet has curated a menu that delivers all you would hope for from a French master, but with some unexpected surprises. The bold combination of beetroot, mackerel and wasabi is a joy, with beetroot-powdered tapioca chips adding a pleasant bite. I sensed that head sommelier Vincenzo Arnese enjoys such a pairing challenge, as he presented a sumptuous oak-aged 2019 Chateau Lamother-Bouscaut Pessac-Leognan to accompany. It’s little wonder he’s just made GQ’s Food Drink Awards best sommelier shortlist.

Jean-Philippe Blondet plates up surprising flavour combinations as well as Alain Ducasse classics

Julia O’Driscoll

France, of course, is prominent on a wine list which leaves little to be desired, but the “discovery” pairing menu includes expertly-selected Pinot Gris from Oregon and Spanish Rioja too. It was, somewhat unexpectedly, a Graham’s 1990 Single Harvest Tawny Port that stole the show for me, though a Domaine de Montgilet Les Trois Schistes came a close second, served alongside the delectably light vassout pear with citron sorbet. Sampling this with a helping of Ducasse’s signature rum baba dessert is highly recommended.

Unsurpassed service

There’s a certain level of service and attention to detail that it feels fair to expect of such a bountifully-awarded restaurant: polished, professional and unphased by an extravagant request. 

The team at Alain Ducasse, under the guidance of restaurant director Marion Pépin, effortlessly tick off all of the above – but the warmth and personable approach with which they do so is what really made our evening. Sharing thoughtful insights and anecdotes about every dish we sampled, no detail was overlooked, nor opportunity to enhance our experience missed. 

Jean-Philippe Blondet has been executive chef at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester since 2016

Julia O’Driscoll

The verdict

In an interview with The Telegraph in 2020, Ducasse described luxury as “the harmony between time and space; like the perfect dish is neither too little nor too much”. 

Leaving W1 filled with exceptional food, the warm glow of exquisite wines and a grin that I don’t think left my face for more than a minute of our hours-long dinner, perfect luxury did indeed seem the most appropriate way to sum up the sublime feeling of timing melting away over a meal where the utmost intricate detail of every dish has been refined to neither too little, nor too much.

Julia O’Driscoll was a guest of Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester. 53 Park Lane, London, W1K 1QA; alainducasse-dorchester.com

Article source: https://www.theweek.co.uk/arts-life/food-drink/959921/alain-ducasse-at-the-dorchester-review-perfect-luxury