Last week I was invited to the launch of The Grill, the recently refurnished and stunningly re-imagined restaurant at The Dorchester.
Before myself, and the beyond gorgeous (inside and out!) Emily Johnston of Fashion Fois Grois, attended the much-anticipated party (and more to the point, sampled the delicious menu!) we were both blissfully pampered at the Carol Joy’s salon. We were both treated to voluminous blow dries (Emily assured me “the higher the hair, the closer to God”) and manicures (in a room which could actually compete, and possibly win, against me in an Essie Polish count!) in this hidden oasis.
Once in my dress (I wore a pale pink Huishan Zhang dress which unzipped at the front to make an unusual crop-top dress), I joined Emily at The Grill ahead of the other guests so we could have a look around the sparkling new venue, see the detail of the new design, and meet the team on their first night.
First established in 1931, The Grill quickly became an iconic, ‘go-to’ venue for the finest grill food in London with regular customers including royalty, statesmen and celebrities alike. Now with a timeless yet vibrant new interior, courtesy of French interior architect Bruno Moinard, the restaurant and its charming staff are ready to welcome in a new culinary chapter, under the reign of Head Chef Christophe Marleix, Alain Ducasse’s protégé.
An amazing, hand-blown Murano glass chandelier hangs prominently in the centre of the room (right) adding some serious, majestic drama. Another special and defining feature of the room are its pivoting wall panels which rather theatrically manage to create an entirely different ambience and mood by transforming the light from day to night. Thus, the restaurant not only provides a romantic, cosy venue for dinner, but also the perfect light and bright breakfast location too.
We were utterly spoilt with various, mini dishes from The Grill, including yummy scallops, utterly delicious fish and chips (a must!) and little pots of their signature blue lobster chowder and several different flavours of sweet soufflés (the rum and raisin is OFF the scale… I maaaay have had two... Ok three, but in my defence, they were really freaking small, OK?!...) If these dishes were anything to go by, trust me, this restaurant is one to check out - and it will certainly be seeing a lot more of me!
Below: With Matthew Williamson's Communication's Director Rosanna Falconer.
Below: With Louisa Preskett and Marissa Hermer.
SHOP TLC's LOOK:
