LONDON

MANDARIN ORIENTAL HYDE PARK HOTEL

Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park Hotel, London A stately pile of huge proportions, built with all the bravado and confidence of the 19 th century and now home to some of the sharpest modern design of the 21 st, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel offers luxury accommodation and some of the best food in London.

Presiding over the top end of Knightsbridge with the stately majesty of a dowager empress, this grand hotel of 200 rooms emerged from her recent £50 million refurbishment, by the Mandarin Oriental Group, with renewed vigour. The 1889 building (in an eclectic style described as ‘Franco-Flemish’) is now in fine condition, and inside the marble columns and floors glow with pride. Pride seems to motivate those who work here, too. Each member of staff I encountered was smartly turned out, friendly in conversation and eager to meet any request in an efficient and prompt manner. Clearly, General Manager Liam Lambert must be doing a good job.

Up on the 6 th floor, room 607 (a ‘Mandarin room’ and therefore around £725 a night, bed and breakfast for two) was comfortably traditional and traditionally comfortable. This was no surprise, for on my brief walk from the lift I had spied on the walls of the corridor engravings of Gladstone and Disraeli… Once inside my apartment, I liked its proper hall, adorned with an antique mahogany chest of drawers and an orchid in a pot. The spacious bedroom was full of good quality fabrics and furniture. Before its brown marble fireplace were a sofa and an easy chair in dark blue. Cream walls and a beige carpet reflected the light from the two heavily curtained windows. On the fax machine was a letter, telling me my own private number. As the wireless was already tuned to Classic FM and the ice bucket was already full of cubes (both indications of careful and attentive service), I sat down with a soothing glass and listened to a little Beethoven.

Down below, the eager shoppers were surging towards Harrods and the motorists were inching their cars westwards in front of Harvey Nichols. But no sound came from them. Let us now praise clever men for the invention of double-glazing. Even in the dead of night – when I know that the Knightsbridge traffic is far from dead – my slumbers went undisturbed. Such quietness deserves to be noticed.

Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park Hotel, London And so does a useable shaving mirror. It has been some time now since my last hotel bathroom with this lovely item. Shaving mirrors, of course, there have been – lots of them – but placed only where the vertically challenged or the professional contortionist could use them. Here the glass was on an extendable arm, at the right height. Good. As was the provision of a notepad and pen by the bathroom telephone and 2 pairs of slippers marked ‘large’ and ‘small’. In fact, the whole of the bathroom, from its Jo Malone toiletries and large tub to its pair of wash basins and its bidet, was thoroughly acceptable.

Tea now beckoned, so I trundled down to the Park Restaurant to sit on a sofa of brown leather and cream check. Opposite were three arched windows and, beyond, the trees and lawns of Hyde Park. As I tucked into delicate sandwiches of chicken and sweet corn and sipped lotus flower tea from a Wedgwood cup, couples huddled under bright umbrellas and laughed their way through the rain. It is particularly pleasant, is it not? to be inside looking out when the weather is inclement. And even more pleasant when there are scones and clotted cream and dainty cakes and a tall teapot which is old and silver-plated. This excellent interlude cost a reasonable £28 each. But it can be had with a glass of champagne for only £2 more (£30) – which means, in a way, that this lovely place serves the cheapest bubbly in London. Well done, them.

Upstairs for a rest and the pre-prandial ablutions, and it was time for dinner. And this, I anticipated, would be something special – for the Foliage Restaurant has a Michelin star and is highly regarded. Like the Park Restaurant, its décor is the work of Adam Tihany (most famous, perhaps, for his interiors at Le Cirque 2000, in New York). His aim was “to bring the Park into the Restaurant”, and, to be sure, there are leaves everywhere: in silver (as napkin holders), au naturel (one on the tablecloth at each place – to show through the glass dinner plates) and in silk (24,000 of them, encased within the glass panelled walls). Straight lines and sharp corners impart some severity, softened by rosewood panelling, dark wooden chairs and carpeting in beige and burgundy. The buzz from the nearby bar drifts in and imparts something of a Los Angeles’ atmosphere.

Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park Hotel, London Both salted and unsalted butter was brought and the napkins of those who left the table were replaced – both indications of good service. Restaurant Manager Paul Noll, a tall young man from Düsseldorf, marshalled his young waiters in white aprons with considerable aplomb. And, as the spotlights shone down, they brought to my table some wonderful food. Head Chef Chris Staines produces a menu which is one of the most tempting in London. No fusion nonsense here. Indeed, everything looked so attractive, I am sure I could have chosen my meal with a pin and still relished it in prospect.

First came a raviolo of scallops, with Dublin Bay prawns, asparagus, truffles and a sweetcorn velouté. Orange, gold, green, white and black – this was a beautiful sight, and as good to the mouth as to the eye, with each element precisely judged. The filling of the large raviolo was a blend of scallops, cream, egg white and salt and was deliciously delicate and subtle. Then, even better, was a duo of foie gras: the pan-fried and the terrine facing each other from opposite corners of the square plate. With the terrine, a reduction of port wine; underneath the pan-fried, a caramelized endive ‘tarte tatin’. To provide a hint of asperity, a vinaigrette of leeks. Quite superb, and indicative of a kitchen which really knows about both timing and presentation. After these peaks, my venison was a slight disappointment. Lovely pink, tasty meat, but my palate found that the weight of the accompaniments – red wine salsify, artichoke fricassé, bitter chocolate sauce and foie gras – unbalanced the dish and made me long for a simple jus. Still, the meal ended with some fireworks – a glorious peach ‘tarte tatin’, with cracked pepper ice cream and, in a separate, tall glass, pink champagne and rose petal jelly. This excellent repast was about £65. (3 courses from the carte are £50; the 5 course tasting menu is £70.)

Choosing the wine here was a real pleasure, as it enabled me to talk to another young German fellow, sommelier Martin Rung from Munich. Mr Rung really should be dressed more impressively: the only indication of his status is a tiny golden badge of grapes, pinned to his white shirt. He was so interesting and knowledgeable, that I could happily have conversed with him for the entire evening. His list has some glorious burgundies, like 1992 Montrachet (Lafon, £1890) and 1990 La Tâche (£1890), and some top bordeaux, like 1961 Latour (£3180) and 1971 Pétrus (£1430). But the prices start at £19.50 for a white Bergerac, and the presence of that marvellous red from the Languedoc, Grange des Pères (2000 - £75), indicates that this is not just a compilation of famous names.

Martin it was who persuaded me to have a glass of German auslese with the pan-fried foie gras and a glass of Austrian eiswein with the terrine. And what good advice it was. Into his Riedel (Vinum range) glasses he also poured the 2002 vintage of the big, bold and always reliable Australian chardonnay from Cape Mentelle (Margaret River - £28) and a grand claret from a good vintage, the 1985 Lynch Bages (£190). After so many New World red wines of voluptuous forwardness, it was a joy to savour this plump European aristocrat from Pauillac. Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park Hotel, London After decanting, he gradually yielded his personality to the nose and the mouth – still youthful and big-boned, with plums and damsons and hints of the farmyard. Delightful drinking.

Next morning it was back to the Park Restaurant (this time at a corner table opposite a painting of Buddhist monks) for breakfast. I am pleased to report that there was no sign of a buffet. Instead, waiters in light green shirts brought me cornflakes, smoked haddock and mushrooms, a dish of raspberries, and toast with particularly good, chunky marmalade – all washed down with proper coffee. This ‘English Breakfast’ seemed good value at £25, and, such was its quality, would be well worth seeking out, even if you were not staying at the hotel.

I, of course, did stay at the hotel. And I found the whole experience delightful. For comfort, style, luxury and elegance – as well as some superb food and drink – the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel is a destination which should be high on the list of every serious traveller.

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