Joining the gourmet fray in London for his foirst outing is Daniel Boulud, of NY's 3-Star Michelin DANIEL, who brings his Lincoln Center concept eatery Bar Boulud to the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. For anyone that quivers at eating at a hotel-based eatery, especially one in a big city like London, Bar Boulud operates through its own private entrance at the edge of the hotel with but a single hotel logo to let you know your still on land available on a per night basis. In a dining landscape like Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park that's struggled to find its identity over the years, the dark interiors of the Victorian-era hotel and its formerly unused space have been transformed into playful eatery of cozy booths and prominent zinc-topped bar designed by Adam Tihany.
The Food
French-born Boulud brings a refreshingly affordable all-day menu of shellfish plateaus, Lobster chop-chop salad and charcuterie platters great for dinner and even better for a post-Harvey Nichols Happy Hour. Platters of carrots with coriander, eggplant, sweet potato and mushrooms ala Grecque give a good balance to what is immediately the best charcuterie in London. Main course is a Moroccan influenced set of brasserie dishes like chop-chop with lobster, burger with crisp pork belly and terrine of slow-cooked spiced leg of lamb that somehow all taste a bit better at the NYC original.
Last Word
Guests must vacate tables within a two-hour time slot on busier weeknights. Don’t forget about the prix fixe lunch menu that’s a terrific deal at just 20-Pounds.
