In keeping with the aim of being as British as possible on this holiday, Mr SSG and I managed to wrangle a table for dinner (funnily enough) at Dinner, Heston Blumenthal’s critically acclaimed and much talked about restaurant which is in the hotel.  Dinner is Heston’s tribute to the rich history of British cooking.  The dishes that feature on the menu have their origins  in classic English dishes of centuries past with fresh interpretations by Heston and his team.

But first, a cocktail at the Mandarin Bar.  The cocktail menu is divided by city of origin and useful symbols to the left of each offering provide a quick summary of the kind of cocktail it is – champagne, martini etc.

The Mandarin also gets my vote for the best potato chips served as a bar snack.

Cocktail hour at The Mandarin Oriental (highly rated by Time Out magazine as one of the best bars in the city) is a very sedate affair.  Despite the bar being full, the noise level barely rose above a stage whisper.  I don’t think I’ve ever been to a bar where the patrons are intent on discretely enjoying their drinks with their immediate circle of friends or clients as opposed to ‘being seen’ by the entire crowd as they imbibe.

To toast the Mandarin Bar’s unpretentiousness, I had a Sloane Avenue Sling, a champagne cocktail.

And Mr SSG had a Chelsea Gardener.

All too soon, we were escorted to our table at Dinner.

The dining room is decorated with playful touches like these porcelain wall sconces in the shape of jelly moulds which contrast the understated elegance of the tables and chairs.

Salted butter and bread.

Hay Smoked Mackarel, 14.50 GBP.

Mr SSG ordered the Hay Smoked Mackarel (c. 1730) as an entree.  We were both transfixed with the way salad greens were used to great effect in the appearance of the dish and how well they went with the gentleman’s relish and olive oil.

Buttered Crab Loaf, 16 GBP.

I began with the Buttered Crab Loaf (c1714) which was served with roe, pickled lemon and cucumber.      From the first forkful, my anxieties about 18th century British cuisine disappeared.  The contrast in textures and flavours of the crab loaf with the greens still has appeal to the palates of diners 300 years or so later.

Spiced Pigeon, 33 GBP.

The Spiced Pigeon (c 1780) with ale and artichokes was Mr SSG’s main.  The meat is served on the pink side and in Mr SSG’s words, ‘needed a glass of pinot’ to do it justice.

Which he didn’t get around to ordering as we were one of many tables sharing a bottle of champagne over dinner.

Chcken with Lettuces, 29 GBP.

Potato Mash.

We shared a serve of mashed potato that was a five star meal on its own.

We decided to share a dessert and there was only one choice for me.

Tipsy Cake, 10 GBP.

The Tipsy Cake (c1810).  If only for the name.  The cake is traditionally made using sponge soaked in alcohol.  It’s also been referred to as Tipsy Parson cake, being the one dessert that could lure religious leaders off the wagon, if only for dessert.  Dinner’s version is served with spit roasted pineapple which was deliciously caramelised and tender.

I can see why a pastor may have come unstuck over dessert.

Dessert was an indulgence of rich and familiar flavours after the challenging flavours of the preceding courses.

To finish, we were served a second dessert of chocolate mousse flavoured with Earl Grey tea.

Dinner at Dinner was a unique journey into the history of British cuisine via impeccable service in rather glamorous surroundings.  It was one of those fine dining adventures I will remember for challenging my taste buds and introducing me to cooking techniques I would not otherwise have found on my own.