When a chef has a restaurant named simply after himself, you know that a) he’s pretty famous b) you’ll have some rather exceptional food. This much I did expect. What I didn’t expect that walking through The Dorchester to the restaurant was walking through a cornucopia of lush greenery and rich tapestries, luxe carpets in a rose pink that make you feel like you’re on the set of a movie.
When we walk into the Dorchester, a stunning hotel by anyone’s definition, we are greeted by this lovely sight. My pulse quickens immediately and we are guided towards the Alain Ducasse restaurant, Gordon Ramsay’s idol and accomplished French restaurateur.
Inside it’s breaktaking, the work of French designer Patrick Jouin and partner Sanjit Manku, frequent collaborators with Ducasse on many restaurants. It feels so….lush and honeyed, as if the stars and the moon descended and bathed the room in the palest silvery light.
The view of Hyde park is echoed in the opposing wall with a palette of green and cream silk covered buttons all in different heights simulating a Seurat-like painting of a garden.
The Chef’s table is actually not in the kitchen but within the main restaurant curtained off by a shimmering silver fringed curtain that appears like falling rain and when the lights dim at 9pm the shimmering silver fringe curtain lights up. The tables are large and each features little touches, you know were expertly and explicitly picked.
Service is personal and inviting, we are shown the private room, the decorations and have a visit to the wine cellar, an imposing looking temperature controlled room-if only we were big wine drinkers!
Paprika and herb Gougeres
While we are looking at the menu, some paprika gougeres arrive, warmly golden and puffed, some with a mildish chili powder coating, some rolled in herbs. They’re deceptively moreish and before long the bowl is empty. The menu has a choice of either an entree + meat+fish+ dessert for £95 or an entree+meat or fish + dessert for £75. The specialties of the house are marked with a leaf symbol although these most often incur a supplement of £10.
Amuse Bouche: Royale of broccoli with crispy vegetables
A good thing as our Amuse Bouche has arrived, in a fancy porcelain egg. It is a Royale (soup) of broccoli with crispy vegetables, and is silky and velvety creamy while the crispy raw vegetables give it a contrasting crunch and an olive tapenade gives it an more intense flavour.
Breads
Whipped Fontainbleau and butter (in reflection)
The breads make an appearance along with some lightly whipped Fontainbleau and butter. There is a choice of 5 different kinds of breads tonight including sourdough, baguette, white, swiss bread and a Fougasse (made of pork fat).
Fougasse bread
The Fougasse is a clear winner, the bread soft with small pieces of meltingly good pork fat in it. Even though we are having 3 courses tonight and have just polished off a bowl of gougeres and an Amuse Bouche, we can’t help ourselves.
Fantastic ceiling light piece-can I have this pretty please?
Spicy crab two ways: hot and cold
Our entrees arrive and we start with crab done two ways, the first in a salad with cucumber, avocado and vegetable jellies. The second way hot with a coat of foam and a spicy bite to it. It’s delicate and sweet and we savour each bite. The hot and cold contrast so well against each other which really hints at the versatility of crab.
Roasted duck foie gras, cherries and green almonds
The foie gras with cherries is lip smackingly good, the sweet morello cherries (whole and sliced) the perfect foil for the rich foie gras. Yes it’s rich, but it’s a judicious combination and yes you cannot help but want more, the deliciously heady sauce standing up to the foie gras.
Soft-boiled organic egg, crayfish and wild mushrooms, Nantua sauce
The soft boiled egg salad is not quite to my taste, I find there a bit too much soft boiled egg for my taste and it weakens the overall taste making it seem blander than it is.
Duck breast “a l’orange”, girolles and turnips
Our mains arrive, the Duck a l’orange has a delicious crispy fatty skin on the outside and is perfectly cooked and moist inside. The orange sauce is subtle, never overpowering. There is also a separate pot of duck leg confit but I find the marmaladey taste too strong although there is a nice touch with the curls of fat on top.
Seared Sea Scallops, simmered field Saint-Georges mushrooms
The sea scallops are three of the fattest, large and juiciest specimens I have seen and perefctly cooked and so lovely with the Saint Georges mushrooms which I’d be happy to get on a plate by themselves. Even the lettuce fans are perfectly carved providing a smart look.
Roasted rack and saddle of lamb, truffled early vegetables
By now, I am experiencing a sense of fullness but I push on (that’s not really a hardship given the calibre of the food). The lamb is very tender and rare, with the rack and loin cuts. I particularly like the sauce, gelatinous in texture and use what little bread I have left to mop up every single drop.
Fantastic idea!
Interestingly, they clear the table and on the areas where stains or marks appear, they cover these with motif’d napkins so that we don’t get any marks transferred onto us. It’s a nice thoughtful gesture.
Raspberry & Passionfruit in milk chocolate and Praline & Ganache chocolates by Fabrice Gillotte
Stomachs full, we still can’t help but get excited at the chocolates given to us on what looks like a large tablette of chocolate (it isn’t 
). The chocolates are by Fabrice Gillotte and are raspberry & passionfruit in milk chocolate and praline & ganache. They’re absolutely delicious, smooth and well balanced, the praline and ganache has a delicate crunch. We’re so enamoured we ask for the chocolatier’s name which they provide elegantly written on a card tucked into an envelope.
Macarons: raspberry, passionfruit & milk chocolate and mint
Another complimentary treat that we receive has us very happy. It’s a selection of French macarons in raspberry, passionfruit and milk chocolate and mint. Blythe is in raptures over the mint, whereas my husband and I adore the fruit flavours. Despite the literal belt tightening over the meal, we just cannot say no to Macarons. My mouth is just watering at the memory of these.
Selection of rums
Baba like in Monte-Carlo
We have a choice of three liquers for the Rum Baba and we take the recommendation of the sommelier. The Rum Baba arrives in a domed butter dish and is split at the table and has the rum poured over it and cream added.
It’s lovely and light although a bit heavy on the rum whereas we preferred controlling the amount of rum at Gordon Ramsay’s Royal Hospital Road by having the jug at the table to pour yourself.
Rose and Raspberry Pleasure(note filled upturned raspberries)
The Rose and Raspberry pleasure, a rather cryptic name lives up to the description. Described as similar to Turkish Delight in flavour, it’s absolutely, resoundingly delicious. There is a bottom layer of pastry and then a gorgeous voluptuous rose mousse, a thin layer of white chocolate and then a layer of fresh raspberries on a raspberry jam, some of the upturned raspberries in the centre are filled with raspberry coulis. Even a confirmed fruit hater like Blythe loves this.
The Lady in Red-cut strawberries and rhubarb with mascarpone ice cream
The Lady in Red, another intriugingly named dessert, is a vanilla custard topped with sugar stewed rhubarb and strawberries. The strawberries are gorgeous although the rhubarb is a little bitter. The accompanying puff pastry twists are crunchy and reminiscent of a Kougie Amman which I so adore.
Incredibly, we’re not done with the desserts. We’re then offered a spearmint sorbet with chopped fresh strawberries underneath it. It’s clean and palate clearing and the perfect amount of sweetness.
Petit four selection
If we haven’t already felt spoilt and treated like royalty there is another encore with an assortment of petit fours and pastries. There is nougat, passion caramels, salty caramels, coconut marshmallows with rice crispies, piemont biscuits, roasted almonds, square religieuses, madeleines, strawberry tart, Canneles from Bordeaux and a cherry pistachio cake. We can’t decide so the lovely Maitre’d describing these to us makes us an assortment platter. They’re all fantastic but the standouts were the caramels (soft and full of flavour), nougat, religieuse and the Cannele, lovely and crunchy on the outside and soft inside.
Petit Four Selection
We feel thoroughly spoilt by the whole experience. We only wish that we had more stomach room to appreciate the encores of desserts and petit fours. As we leave, Blythe and I are each given a box of mouth watering candied lemon cakes from a lovely member of the staff. It’s the icing on top of the icing on top of the icing on the beautiful cake. Truly, madly and deeply.
Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester
Park Lane, London W1K 1QA, England
Tel: +44 20 7629 8888, Fax: +44 20 7629 8080
http://www.alainducasse-dorchester.com/
http://www.thedorchester.com/restaurants_bars/AlainDucasse.html
email: Alain Ducasse@The Dorchester
Vegetarian options: two, although as the menu is divided into appetiser, fish, meat and dessert, the options are limited
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28 Comments | Add your own
goodness so much food I don’t know how you consumed so much!
Very jealous though!
I would break something, spill something and probably be walking around with my fly down and booger on my shirt accompanied by masses of Chihauhua hair.
But it’s so pretty.
What a lot of lovely looking food! I don’t think I would’ve needed dessert, after that amazing array of petit fours, AND a cake to take home.
One of the best blogs I’ve ever read, I felt like I was at the Dorchester with you. Sitting here in sunny Santa Barbara longing to be in London.
this looks and sounds like such a delightful experience. i love the special touches!
Not quite Nigella… feasts
What a lovely meal.
Wow, you really did London, didn’t you?
I could never have imagined that there was anywhere better than Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, but I think this may edge it out slightly for me. I’ll have to lunch at both in a row to make sure, though
Everything looks fabulous, although I was sent into raptures by the Rum Baba—love the selection of rums and the vanilla speckled cream—and the Rose and Raspberry Pleasure. That’s another dessert that I would love to recreate at home…
What a FEAST!
The raspberry dish looked amazing, I can’t help but wonder how many raspberries they go through to find the perfect ones.
Oh my, goodness, more please…please? Pretty Please? With a plane ticket?
Absolutely and amazingly divine. What a glorious post. I would love to go to this wonderful place. Very jealous, but also suitably impressed!
Thanks for sharing
v
Ooh I love love love Alain Ducasse! Especially his desserts. This makes me want to do one of his cakes right now.
Gosh what an experience it must’ve been. *Sigh*
Oh my, what a feast! Now it’s definitely on my list for the next UK visit!
Now that’s what I call a food tour of London! Amazing evening and so many courses of exquisite food!
Hi Sarah-Well we shared dishes, I didn’t have 3 entrees and 3 mains and 3 desserts
Hi Blond Duck-As intimidating as it looks, the staff were so friendly that they wouldn’t have cared I bet!
Hi Y-We didn’t know that half of the extras were coming out until it was presented and only a fool would say no to Alain Ducasse food
Hi Meridith-Thankyou so much!
That’s so lovely of you to say, I try to remember as much detail as I can so your words are very much appreciated 
Hi lindsey claire-Life is all about those special touches isn’t it *sigh* If only I could go back today!
Hi Johanna-Haha indeed!
Hi Angela-We certainly did our best
Yes definitely you’ll want to make sure so do try both 
I definitely think the rose and raspberry pleasure could be done at home!
Hi Cappucino-I wonder if they just receive the very best raspberries. I recall seeing an interview with Michael Moore the chef at the Summit and he showed the raspberries that they get and how perfect and expensive they are.
Hi Reemski-Not unless I’m coming along too
I want to go back!
Hi Vita-It’s definitely worth a visit (and lunch is more economical too apparently). You’re very welcome!
Hi Karen-Yes he is definitely a master
I can almost taste the rose and raspberry pleasure it was so memorable!
Hi Christie-Yes, certainly a nice way to while away and afternoon or evening
Hi Helen-It was an amazing night, not just because of the food but all of those extra courses (that we never get here in Australia!)
OMG. I would never have that service in Australia, Wouldn’t I?
I already imagining these meals in my mind and could get rid of these.
Please open one Alain Ducasse in here, I don’t mind to book it ahead 3 months and the non-refundable bond money.
please make the pain stop!
image after image of tortuously extravagant food, like pieces of art – only you know they’re going to taste even nicer than they look!
excuse me,
i have to go and eat a packet of corn chips.
speaking of Alain Ducasse, have you seen the post that Amateur Gourmet did on him?
It’s so funny!
See it here
Nice review..a very well presented blogotorial..i call it blog editorial.
OH woooww what amazing atmosphere! and food to match
Luckkkkyyyyyy!
All the dishes look great and I love the selection of breads but the Rum Baba stands out the most imo haha yuummm
Oh my that looks amazing. I always look forward to your London posts, as it’s somewhere I could always go to… as opposed to places in Sydney like Adriano Zumbo. I almost wanted to lick my screen (I say this rather sheepishly) when I saw your photos from that post, haha.
I think the most delicious looking photo is the rose and raspberry pleasure.
I’m still amazed at how many famous restaurants you managed to go to when you were in London – you must have really booked them waaay in advance!
Hi Lilia-There is pretty good service in Australia but never showing of the restaurant’s wine room or anything like that or a kitchen tour. They don’t have any of that bond money carryon here which is good!
Hi the projectivist-It was so extravagant and so worthwhile! I wish I could go back.
ROFL at the Amateur Gourmet’s story, that is brilliant!
Hi anamika-Thankyou so much!
Hi FFichiban-It was such a wonderful experience from beginning to end. I really wish there was something like that here! Oh that Fougasse bread…I thought I had died and gone to heaven!
Hi Su-yin-It would be great if we could swap-I miss London restaurants and prices!
I was determined to eat my way through London-although that was only the tip of the iceberg really. We were lucky, we only had to book the Gordon Ramsay’s Royal Hospital Road and Petrus ahead of time with the RHR being more difficult to do so but the rest were quite straightforward to book 
“breathtaking”? that’s an understatement, through and through! both the decor and the food looks more magnificent than words can describe. color me green with envy.
Hi grace-It was a magical night indeed
If you’re ever in London, I can definitely recommend it!
OMG!!!! This has made me so ravenous. Your descriptions are awesome. I just got back from London, and have made a big mental note that I have to try Alain Ducasse next time. Thank goodness it’s only an hour’s flight away. The rose and raspberry pleasure looks so picturesque, you could almost not eat it! Just signed up on NQN and it’s fabulous. Am a Melb girl and now live in the Netherlands, and reading u on some of those earlier posts, am getting nostalgic.
Hi Anne-Thankyou so much, that’s very kind of you to say
You’re very lucky being so close! We’re about 24 hours away from it 
Thanks for signing up and for reading and for commenting! 
After reading this post, I went and had a fantastic lunch (which was really a dinner because I had a 8-course tasting menu) at Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester. It was just fantastic as described.
It’s going to be my regular London haunt along with Foliage (although I will keep experimenting with restaurants because I just love doing that).
Hi Carbon Debit-That is brilliant! Wow, an 8 course tasting menu sounds like a brilliant way of doing it too. Great to hear and isn’t the Dorchester lobby just lush?
This looks AMAZING – I wish I went when I was in london last year. I love your blog – its awesome
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