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17 November 2010

Bar Boulud at The Mandarin Oriental

Earlier this week, thanks to Travel Onion, I went for a lunchtime treat in Knightsbridge with a few other London bloggers. I wasn't sure this was gonna be my kind of thing as when I started this blog I wanted to be specifically about things on the streets. But I am so glad I accepted the invitation as the place and the people were lovely.
I'd have been happy just wandering the hotel's corridors, lobbies and staircases as the inside of the building is beautiful – a lovely mix of old England with touches of the East – but we were also taken inside some of the rooms including the spa, the beautiful and ornate dining room that overlooks Hyde Park, the original entrance on the park side of the building, a standard room (did they say approx £800 a night depending on the season?!) and then to the Royal Suite which was stunning... if you are interested in the price for a night there, then multiply that last room rate by about twelve!! If anyone needs a roommate for a night, just get in touch. (Actually, does that sound a bit forward?!)
After our tour we were treated to lunch in Bar Boulud on the ground floor. The food was scrumdicious (my own word!); plates of charcuterie consisting of patés, hams and terrines, plus seafood platters and salads, followed by a main course, my choice being one of their fantastic hand-made burgers – the one I had had foie gras in it but is only available on Sundays and Mondays.
Oh, and we had four different wines, all of which were explained (what's the word I want here?) to us by the Head Sommelier. Excellent! In a nut shell, I'd love to eat there again, especially as I was impressed at the competitive prices. But I suspect it'll be hard to get a table there soon as the place is becoming very popular. Rightly so.
Oh, and if it's not enough the hotel having David Boulud, it seems Heston Blumenthal is opening a restaurant there soon too, though the hotel's site says Autumn 2010.
And the light fittings throughout the whole building are gorgeous.

4 comments:

  1. Any cheap deals, two for the price of ones, off peak getaway w/ends etc...................thought not.

    For£800 a night I'd expect wall to wall concubines, peeled grapes, champagne out of a jewelled slipper, white mice as flunkies, a pumpkin coach to take me to the spa, a personal masseuse (all above board, of course), a Swarovski crystal studded Corby Trouser Press, a constant supply of bacon sarnies, bowing and scraping, forelock tugging and oh so much more....................don't have enough time to tell you what I'd want for 10K but it would involve an orb and a sceptre and a crown................and probably the ownership of a small country ............and its inhabitants. Oh and lots of foie gras hamburgers (start force feeding those geese now).

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  2. Jane, it was lovely, wasn't it. The food was delish and the company was wonderful. We'll have to meet again soon!

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  3. Hey stranger, it was lovely to see you again there. Still writing my post... Hope you are well.

    Luiz @ The London Foodie

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  4. as the latest post says, I'm not entirely well...!
    Have a great Christmas Luiz... hope to see you again soon

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Thanks, Jane