I have to say I was expecting a lot and unfortunately it was ok but in the league of Michelin star restaurants I can think of so many that are better. I had foie gras, artichoke, lobster, grouse and chocolate.. I think the ingredients were amazing but just not cooked perfectly, lobster was over, beetroot with grouse was very dirty and the grouse seriously under. Maybe I just go unlucky... this is the most expensive restaurant I have been to in London but i have so many less expensive ones that I would recommend. See photos.. food looks good.
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We celebrated my partner's birthday and both of us had Chef's nine-course set menu. Food was delicious, with an exception of a lamb dish, which was rather plain. Though this could be due to our request to have gluten-free meal. Overall, great meal.
Wine list had 50 pages, if not more. Great choices though predominantly European white and red wines. One (!) rose and only few "New World" wines - none from South America, which was a bit of disappointment. We had one white and one rose and entirely enjoyed them. Delicious meal with a hint of race preference
It sounds like great evening. Well, it was not. There was an obvious difference how I was treated and how my African American partner was treated. While I enjoyed all fuss of waiters, he was practically invisible to them. My wine glass was filled up constantly and when he asked for a cranberry juice, 10 minutes passed and there were no juice coming. He waved a waiter, nobody paid attention. I turned my head towards them and one was next to me in no time. The entire scene was repeated when he asked for second glass of cranberry juice. Both of us spilled a drop of sauce on tablecloth. When empty plates were removed, my was covered with a new clean napkin, his was not. Unfortunate coincidence? Might be. However,I did not feel so.
Loved the idea of the style of menu, very inventive. The staff are wonderful like all at the Connaught, however the taster menu wasn t the greatest and the way the menu is designed doesn t really suit the tasting pallete. Presentation of food is fantastic.
Poor service, with waiting staff chatting and joking with each other rather than actually doing their job. Had to reach over to get the water jug to refill our own water. Crab shell in food- surprising for a Michelin star restaurant!
Fabulous Experience - interactive menu all around seasonal produce - service excellent as Michelin star should be - atmosphere a bit corporate given price tag - food sensational and petit fours with Cognac must try
Perfect presentation, interesting combination (such as black pudding and fish), all seafood dishes are having great texture. However, seems the chef really likes citrus flavors, it was overpowering on both start (crab) and dessert (chocolate). Also the room is a bit too cold.
Quite simply one of the best meals that I've ever had, even when compared to other 2* and 3* Michelin restaurants. We had the 7 course option (plus an extra cheese course that the 2 of us shared). Unlike other tasting menus you pick your More
Been for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The three stars I give are only for the dining environment and service. Ingredients are good quality which they should be. But the dishes are creative in a less plausible and not delicious way, not even pretty the presentation. Didn't enjoy the food and forgot about them not long after eating, for me it's a fail.
Everything is perfect .. the reception the table the service the quality of the dishes the wines the choice of the dishes ... A succulent dinner and a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. Thank you for giving us this magical moment ...
Lovely lunch, equal to many more lauded places we've been to. Not too stuffy for a 2 star establishment, at least not at lunch. Have now been to Darroze's Paris and London restaurants for lunch and enjoyed both immensely.
Food was exquisite and beautifully presented. Worth two star status? I m not sure. Worth the price I also don t think so. Like others I found the staff s very thick accents almost impossible to understand this is even worse with the masks. More
The tasting menu is amazing. Great services. One of the customer refused to seat next to us, but the staff handled it very well and descretly. the staffs were very nice and kind to us. They gave us lots of free sweets.
Went to this restaurant with great expectation. Unfortunately, it doesn t deliver. Pictures look better than it taste. The ingredients are fresh but flavours don t work and some of the dishes are underdone. All the dishes taste rather one dimensional. With the prices that they charge, there are many more better options in London. We will not go back again.
Fine dining at Michelin rated restaurants is usually a disappointing experience for me. And, Darroze was not an exception. First, the service. Whereas the jeans and t-shirt clad couple who sat next to my table had the star treatment, because they were French, the waiters were utterly rude and condescending to me and my companions.
Connaught is famous for its impeccable service, but the restaurant run by the French is doing its best to tarnish its host's reputation. Kick'em out! I knew things were not off to a good start when I spoke to the server in French as he laid in front of us the super gimmicky menu, an abacus of sorts with marbles, etc. Too boring and stupid to try to explain.
If the food were exceptional I would have forgiven and forgotten such abusive behavior, which bordered on the caricaturesque, French servers donning airs and dissing gringos at stodgy French establishments. I felt like I had been taken for a ride by people who resented me and my company at every turn.
Had a fantatsic meal for two there tonight 2/8/18 , staff fantastic , food fantastic , love the quirky board they bring round to select your favourite food from , will definitely be returning !
Impeccable service. I came here for my birthday celebration and oh boy was I impressed! There attention to detail from taking a complimentary polaroid photo of us and that special cake dessert was indescribable. The only thing about the service may have been they were too attentive in helping us order drinks when we just wanted water. Food was nice and innovative; it did have a Japanese touch to it from what I had which gave abit more variety for a French restaurant. Enjoyed it truly, thanks alot to the team!
Wine list is great and wines are amazing. Food looks beautiful but tastes bland. What really surprised me was the lack of awareness for environment and the world we live in - for example - avocados flown in from peru, scampi from thailand - how about organic local sourcing? Feels stuck in the 80ies and not a top restaurant for 2019.
Stopped here briefly just for a drink as my friend and I had some time left for our reservations at another restaurant. The bar area is small/medium sized the atmosphere wasn't that great everyone seemed quite serious it just wasn't my kinda place but my friend loved it. Apart from that great service and friendly staff.
5 course Caviar, Crab, Foie Gras, Lobster, Brill, Guinea fowl, Venison, Grapefruit, Signature baba Of course we also got Amuse-bouche, bread and Petit Four
So having been to several one Michelin star establishments and become a little bit jaded I went to experience what two stars gets you. Well, I have to say this was a terrific experience from the very start to the very end. Food, service, atmosphere absolutely terrific. The set lunch is great value for money. Normally I would not bother with beef cheek but delighted that I did. If I were to criticise anything it would be that the fish portion is on the small side, but I only mention this because the bar is set so high here. Definitely will visit again and no wonder her country won the recent football World Cup with such passion for excellence. Magnifique!
I have been to many highly rated restaurants in london and I would say this restaurant topped them all - fantastic service, perfectly cooked food, knowledgeable and pleasant sommelier, incredible collection of armagnac and choosing your menu was through a very original way which i will not reveal to avoid spoiling the surprise. So good i made another booking on leaving!
Everything you would expect from a 2* chef. The service was exceptional, the staff were attentive, enthusiastic about the menu and ingredients, discreet, but without a hint of superiority that obe can find in other high class restaurant. A wonderful birthday treat.
An absolutely excellent restaurant! Food, wine and atmosphere - perfect! What more is there to say? I would highly recommend this restaurant! Indeed, I think everyone should experience this place at least once in their lifetime!
Wonderful dinner in a beautiful setting. Service is attentive and friendlier than most French restaurants. The wine list is extensive, and cocktails are famous. There is also a focus on armagnac. There is a really cool way of ordering by using marbles on a game board -- helping one visualize choosing different courses. Every dish we tried was delicious. Save room for dessert!
Best restaurant I ve ever been to. ( and I ve been to a lot) flawless from start to Finnish thanks to all the waiting staff as well as they were all absolutely exceptional.
Been a number of times now, twice for the tasting menu, and twice for special event menu's. Everything has always been excellent. Comfortable, excellent service, and a memorable meal. Atmosphere is bright, intimate, with interior design that's a lean towards feminine with Hermes plates and bright seating. Excellent wine menu as well.
Impeccable and professional service while being relaxed and smiling. Well done to this team. Cocooning and harmonious setting where we feel good to have a good time, as we like. On the other hand, boxing day lunch, too classic for us where we would have liked more fantasy and originality. Noble products but no surprise! As for the wines, exorbitant prices per glass that we discovered during the addition, a shame and disappointing for a 2 star ...
Anything that is written about the food, service and general feel will not do justice to the experience of dining at Helene's restaurant.
The dining room itself is very comfortable and allows the food to shine.
The menu is full of delicious sounding dishes and it can be tricky to pick favourites (first world problem I know). The dishes we had were playful and layered with flavour. After choosing our selection for the evening, it was impossible to choose a favourite.
We opted for the wine pairings, which were fantastic and credit to the sommelier and their team.
The service was nothing short of faultless and the staff are attentive and incredibly friendly. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary and each member of staff congratulated us and wished us the best for the future. It was a small thing, but it showed their attention to detail and the effort they went to to make us feel welcome.
In short, dining at Helene's restaurant is nothing short of spectacular and must be experienced.
Very excellent meal. Pricey but delicious as a special birthday treat from my daughter. I don't normally get the eat in places like this. The service was outstanding. The food excellent
During my last visit to London I had the pleasure of having lunch with my family at Helene Darroze at the Connaught. The experience was unique, the food was delicious and I will definitely have a special family lunch there again.
Very disappointing experience at Helen Darroze restaurant. My two daughters and I took my wife for her birthday dinner on a Saturday evening (June 17th, 2017). Below is what I wrote to the Helene staff on following Monday:
"I wanted to advise you of our experience at Helene Darroze. My wife was very much looking forward to the dinner and had a pleasant dinner overall. However, we don't think we will be returning to the restaurant for two reasons:
- The bill included a full adult charge for our two daughters (ages 10 and 13). {we had been advised a few days earlier by email that children would be charged GBP 52 up to age 12} For age 13, I can understand the full price being charged per your email below. I didn't want to raise this when the bill was presented as I find it awkward to be raising queries on the bill in front of your staff.
- The manager of the wait staff, I believe he's French. I appreciate that he's quite firm and organized but we found him a bit overbearing on his staff. For a few of the chocolates and desert that my wife couldn't finish, she asked if this could be taken away. We understand the restaurant policy which was explained (for health/liability reasons, takeaway not allowed), but the manager's initial response to the staff seemed quite rebuking. According to my wife, the manager also seemed quite agitated when my daughter and I had gotten up to go to the restroom when he was coming over to present our menu boards. It almost made us to be very conscientious of not having to offend the manager, it at all possible. It's not the kind of environment I expected at such a prestigious restaurant."
Below is the response we received that afternoon:
"Thank you very much for your email, I truly appreciate you taking the time to write to us about your dining experience which I was, of course, so concerned to read.
I have forwarded your email to our management team, who will reply to you in due course.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any further assistance in the meanwhile."
Well it's been two weeks and still no response from the restaurant, which was expected. I won't mention the bill amount which is self explanatory for such a restaurant. However for a substantially lower bill and as same or even higher quality, I would recommend Five Fields, Elsytan Street, or Gordon Ramsay.
We started with a complimentary glass of champagne while we sat watching the chefs spring into action. They were all wearing face masks and constantly sanitising their hands. At this time we were presented with a selection of three snacks while we looked at the menu which was either the short five course or the longer seven course Taste of Summer Tasting Menus. We not only chose the seven course but also one of us chose to have the supplement dishes.
We were then treated to an additional delight which was a Langoustine cooked on a small BBQ box and served with a fabulous Lemon Dressing with Plancton Powder. This was followed by another little surprise as head chef Marco brought over the Wagyu Beef Brescola for us to taste as well as some breadsticks. I have to say it was amazing and just melted in the mouth. While we continued watching the chefs creating these amazing dishes it was time to enjoy some bread and the fabulous butter. At this point Mirko introduced us to his chosen bottle of wine which was a fantastic San Lorenzo from Le Marche made with 100% Verdicchio. This wine was pleasantly fruity and floral with notes of pear, almonds, elderflower and lime. Now it was time to move onto the first courses of the Tasting Menu. My wife had the Crab with brown & spider crabs , pomelo & lampong pepper. For myself I chose the first of the supplement dishes of Caviar with Scottish Langoustine , melon , samphire & ponzu that was absolutely stunning.
It was now time to move on to the main courses and the second supplemented dish of Wagyu Beef with aubergine , herbs and flowers , fermented pepper and a bordelaise sauce. This was without doubt one of the best plates of food I've had the pleasure of eating. The other dish was the fabulous Grouse with beetroot , fig & mexican mole. These dishes were perfectly matched with two fabulous red wines chosen by Mirko. Next to come was the Cheese Course a fantastic Ardi Gasna from the French Pyrenees by the Benat Fromagerie before moving on to the pre dessert of Raspberry with bay , pumpkin seed & raspberry vinegar. This led us to a fantastic Chocolate dessert with buttermilk , tarragon & lemon which was paired perfectly once again with a delightfully sweet Castella di Monsanto Vin Santo. I was then in for a big surprise as I was presented with a little birthday dessert along with the team standing in front of us singing a belated happy birthday to me. We finished with coffee and petit fours to bring to an end a fantastic dining experience Thank You to Mirko team for this amopportunity and look forward to seeing you all again soon
Outrageously good visually artistic magnificently English with the perfect French ability to make things stand out like a new Louis Pasteur discovery ...
A two-star Michelin restaurant that is behaving as a three-star. And that means book whilst you still can and it is still affordable. Helene Darroze has got it "spot on" here.
The setting is classically elegant, in a spacious room that never gets too noisy, and yet feels alive. The staff are thoroughly attentive when ever you require it, and invisible the rest of the time - which is the perfect balance.
But both the setting and the service are nothing when compared to the food - which is simply divine and so moreish. I keep coming back. Its a proper dining experience.
We went for lunch. The service was incredibly attentive all along, and we did not see the time pass. Of course, everything was fine, delicate and delicious.
The sweetbreads that I ate here dream the night, high level service from a young and motivated team. Unrivaled selection of wines by the glass, sensational wine list
Food was ok, many of the dishes on the menu were unappetising. Unfortunately quite a few others had exorbitant supplements. Everyone ended up getting similar dishes.
Probably the best restaurant in London ! Food is absolutely delicious, surprising savour, and fun menu selection, the staff is very kind, lovely and knowledgeable.
We went for the seven course taste of summer. Amazing food, amazing service, feel very relaxed. Timing of food was spot on. And very generous with complimentary foods and treats. Will definitely come back to try another menu. Very impressed with all the dishes and service. I could go on.
My friend and I had a belated birthday celebration here in September. We thoroughly enjoyed the food and the wine pairings recommended by the sommelier. I liked that the chef didn't offer my friend a completely different starter to suit her dietary preference but altered the original so no one felt left out. The Italian and French waiters had very strong accents, making it hard to understand them sometimes but it's no big deal as they were doing their job well and with a smile. We had a dessert order and yet they still brought a small piece of cake with a candle to the table and gifted a Polaroid photo of us, which was very thoughtful and sweet. The one thing I still find annoying long after the visit though is how they drop the story of Helene Darroze's adopted Vietnamese children for PR - our waiter said something like "the sauce is inspired by our chef's adopted children from Vietnam" when he was introducing a dish and that sounded practiced and awkward. More recently, I have seen that it's also made a stand-out point in interviews with the chef. That is disappointing.
the-connaught.co.uk
