Apsleys – a Heinz Beck Restaurant at The Lanesborough

Overall a great experience,

Tasting menù of a very high standard,

Thanks to' Chef Massimiliano and Sous Chef Marco to' came over my table and explane the all faboulos food experience.

Non potevo immaginare di mangiare meglio Italiano a londra Che in italia.

Tavoli Ben spaziati l'uno dall'altro, sedie confortevoli e personale di sale attento e non intrusivo.

Abbiamo mangiato I famosi fagottelli all a carbonara, il dream e un ottimo fish crudo.

Incredibile quanto il cibo sia delicato, saporito Ed elegante.

Un graze va a tut to il team

Impeccable service, opulent setting, nice food.

Apsleys produced another excellent meal this week, the cooking continuing to improve at each successive meal I eat here. I particularly enjoyed superb langoustines with fennel and grapefruit, while a risotto of scallops and peas flavoured with saffron was also very good. This is a restaurant that had some very ill-informed negative press when it opened, but persevered and was rewarded with a deserved Michelin star. The cooking has developed steadily and this seems to me firmly in two star territory now.

Always a pleasure and treat to come to Apsleys. Waiting staff all very well trained and made to feel very welcomed. I cannot fault this amazing restaurant. It is one of my favourite eating haunts. Will return time and time again. Highly recommend. Perfection.

Ho avuto il piacere di mangiare spesso al ristorante Londinese di Beck. Devo dire che la qualita' delle materie e' di alto livello come per altro la cucina.

Servizio attento e non intrusivo…

Cucina leggera , millimetrica e decisa!!

I'm not an enormous fan of Italian food so it was only on reccomendation from a respected source that I found myself at The Lanesborough. The source duly arrived and after a couple of apéritifs in the Library we moved to the dining room which had been refurbished since my last visit. Very smart and actually pretty impressive for a full time dining room.

We were seated and after a small complication with the drinks being transferred from bar to restaurant, I took a moment to study the menu. Starters mostly beginning with a 2 and mains all beginning with a 3 really needed to deliver here. I assume that the residents of the hotel would rarther wear these prices than risk their lives trying to cross the Hyde Park Corner intersection, they would be guaranteed a table if this particular Thursday night was any indication of normal capacity.

Tariff aside, there was absolutely nothing else wrong with this meal. It was ridiculously good and has caused me to question my own position on Italian food which hasn't happended since Theo Randall opened at The Intercontinental. I would wholeheartedly reccomend both the restaurant and absolutely leave enough room to sample the best in Italian Cheeses from their excellent Cheeseboard. Will return.

not awfully impressed. the restuarant was three quearters empty when we went. They didnt have the champagne that we'd been drinking in the library bar beforehand and then ran out of the dessert wine as well. fortunately they did have more expensive substitutes…
had the tasting menu – which can only be described as average. Had a far better meal and experience at Texture a couple of weeks previously.

One (actually 3!) of the best food experience i have ever head. The truffle menu was a pleasure for the senses…the souffle' the best i ever had. Attention to details and great service. I will go back as soon as I can…absolutely,the best italian restaurant in London
After saying that we came back recently with some guests and the chef offered to prepare a “special menu” for us. No caviar or truffle, just very good raw fish…for £290 each excluding drinks!!! It was a real shame!

Went there for a quick business lunch. The interior looks fantastic, art deco definitely works for this particular place. Tables are spaced out nicely, and it's one of few places in London where you can actually talk during meal and not to shout to be heard.
Wine cellar on both sides of the entrance looks impressive, and the restaurant prides itself on the special wine vacuum machines which allow them to serve expensive wines by glass without imposing the whole bottle on you.
Service is immaculate and inobtrusive. A very nice selection of Italian breads served before meal.
For starter, the Sea bass “Connolo” was great, the fish retaining the full flavour and its delicate texture, whilst the crispy coating adding a nice twist to it. I hate celery with all my heart, but it tastes lovely there, so don't let it put you off.
Partridge poached in cabbage leaves was very succulent, and did not leave any unpleasant aftertaste (as may sometimes happen with game).
I didn't have much room for dessert which I regret with all my heart, however the tiny Italian hand-made sweets they served with coffee were lovely (almond ones are a real treat, and the bergamoth zuccerini are a must with tea!!).
Overall, very very good.

Well with a new chef at the helm of Apsley's a place which I've always enjoyed, I thought I should rush back to check it out. A summer of rumours regarding Heinz Becks arrival has kept me on my toes and I'm very happy to say I was not disappointed. Physically there seems to be no difference in the style or look of the restaurant, which in my opinion was great anyway – all that natural light and little bit of chic opulence. The menu has obviously had quite a big change so I decided to go for the a la carte instead of the menu del giorno ( I've read so many reviews with people dining from the set menu it should perhaps be renamed “Menu del Journo…” no?…ok I'll get my coat.)

Anyway for starter I chose the Sea bass “Connolo” with celery and melon – very tasty and light flavours from the celery and melon complimenting the sea bass very well. Next a mid course of pasta and we went for the Carbonara fagotelli – one of Mr Beck's signature dishes. It was without doubt superb, very light parcels filled with a light and fluffy carbonara sauce – it tasted exquisite. Onto the mains and I opted for Slow braised veal cheek on apple puree and salsify – perfectly tender and juicy. We finished off with a chocolate soufflé with ice cream – simple but perfectly executed. Presentation was very good almost to the point where you didn't want to spoil the dishes by tucking in.

Service as as previous was excellent – very professional and knowledgeable. All in all a very pleasant lunch, Mr Beck has obviously been brought in to put Apsley's on the map as a destination in the same category as Gordon Ramsay and Claridge's and Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, going from my first impressions he's definitely on the right track and I'd be incredibly surprised if they are not picking up an award in January.

Just for comparison – I awarded Apsley's marks of 8/8/8/7/8 from my visit earlier in the year.

A friend of mine who had been lucky with money and in love had offered to take me out for supper last night.
Not wanting to disappoint, I suggested we try the new Apsleys and see if they were indeed the future of London's culinery scene.

I could not be further from the truth.

We went for the £26 menu del giorno.

The amuse bouche was a skewer of chicken satay.

To me, the amuse bouche is like a handshake/welcome from the chef. It tempts the palate and subtly introduces the dishes and flavours that are to follow. Chicken satay in this instance, just didn't quite do it for me, and as predicted the rest of the meal was lacklustre to say the least.

My starter of slow cooked Iberian pork was probably the better of the two savoury courses. It was however still firm and lacked that distinct taste unique to the Iberian pig (all those acorns eaten gone to waste). My suspicion was that the sauce/emulsion that the meat was cooked in, overpowered the natural flavours of the pork and being rich in sugars and salts, drew out essential moisture from the meat.

It is a shame that seabream was the fish used in the main course and not sole, as that would have been closer to the truth. It was overly firm and (in the words of my dinner companion) was like “eating the sole of my shoe”.

The saving grace is definately the Rosemary ice-cream and Araguani liquid chocolate tart combination. The ice cream was like a shy maiden. With the first taste, you get hints of rosemary and then ginger and then cinnamon, none of which come across strongly. But when you finally indulge yourself with a big mouthful, The flavours dance along the tip of your tongue to the back of your throat, revealing more of their secrets as they go along and leaving almost no aftertaste.

However, presentation wise- it was really good and met my expectations.

Having a name like Heinz Beck behind your restaurant is huge, but I suspect there might be teething problems with this one. I would wait for the first star before returning.

Apsleys looks fabulous after its refurb, with three enormous chandeliers hanging from the central glass atrium and plush seating all around. Tables are well spaced and discreet, whilst the raised outer parts of the restaurant provide good people watching.

I was disappointed by the rather plain menu, but then Italian ones often are. I felt the surroundings justified a more creative Michelin-style extravagent menu. As it happened my desired dishes were on their remarkably good value £24 three course dinner menu. We both plumped for that and loved it. My starter of poached egg and parmesan over an asparagus salad was delicious, although my main of gnocchi was a little plain. This was more than made up for by an excellent chocolate mousse with coffee sorbet.

Service was superb throughout and the staff looked great in their rather cool uniforms. The only clanger was the ultimate sin-of-sins…..My credit card was brought to me to sign, which seemed odd in these days of PINs. The reason being that they were leaving a prominent space for me to insert a tip, after been charged a full 15% already. Naughty boys.