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Hélène Darroze at The Connaught

French·
££££
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Gold Award
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SquareMeal Review of Hélène Darroze at The Connaught

Gold Award

Helene Darroze waited 12 years to win three Michelin stars at her Connaught Hotel restaurant. Granted, it snagged two of them within the first three years of opening, but that third one took more than a decade to arrive and signifies years of learning, perseverance and self-belief. In this case, the longer road is by far the better one, giving Darroze the necessary breathing room to cement her London outlet as one of the capital’s culinary greats.

Alongside a Champagne trolley being wheeled to your table on arrival, restaurants at this level possess certain hallmarks. Firstly, a brigade of chefs that waft around the room with intention and aplomb, placing plates in front of diners in perfect synchronicity. There are also courses between courses designed to elevate one’s meal beyond expectations, and there’s a precise level of detail behind every dish that will make you want to shake hands with the chefs themselves.

Helene Darroze’s restaurant ticks all of the above. We're here to try the £125 lunch menu which begins with a palate-cleansing citrus and aniseed drink, followed by three perfect snacks, including one that’s been fashioned from a stenciled red cracker into the shape of a lotus flower. Midway through the menu is an extraordinary lamb number featuring medallions of pink meat with crisp violet artichokes, bright splotches of salsa verde and an intense, sticky jus made from the stock of the lamb. The next course is perhaps even better: a magnificent Madagascan vanilla and chocolate bomb served with a sauce that looks like viscose hot chocolate. It’s so heady with cocoa that it’s verging on bitter and possesses a just-perceptible hum of ginger that brings tangible warmth to the dish.

We were convinced of Darroze’s brilliance by the second course, but the seventh confirms it: puffy millefeuille with pistachio cream and a boozy whisky-spiked chocolate coin. You can pay your dues with hefty supplements and fine wines of course, but £125 to experience a three-star lunch is the best value deal you'll see in London at this level. 

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - Over £80
Cuisines
French
Ambience
Fine dining
Awards
Three Michelin stars
Food Occasions
Dinner, Lunch
Special Features
Chef’s table, Gluten-free options, Vegetarian options, Wheelchair access
Perfect for
Celebrations, Group dining [8+], Special occasions
Food Hygiene Rating

About

Having taken over the restaurant at The Connaught in 2008 as part of a mass refurbishment, Hélène Darroze has now been overseeing the kitchen at the luxury London hotel for well over a decade. During that time, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught has become regarded as one of the Capital’s finest restaurants and currently holds the highest accolade of three Michelin stars.

Serving creative dishes which are each focused around one main ingredient, the restaurant offers a bespoke menu which reflects each diner’s personal tastes and preferences to create a truly unique dining experience. This combined with the world class service and impressive interiors at Hélène Darroze at The Connaught make it a restaurant for the most special of occasions.

A tenth-birthday facelift from designer Pierre Yovanovitch has seen the dining room become warmer and slightly more relaxed in feel; the light wooden panels play host to two collages by British artist Damian Hirst, while the leather and velvet chairs sit around exposed wooden tables. An impressive blue glass-blown chandelier hangs from above providing a stylish yet contemporary edge to the restaurant. Hélène Darroze at The Connaught now also boasts a stunning chef’s table which overlooks the pass and allows diners to question the chefs as they prepare the food.

Showcasing some of Britain’s finest produce, the food offering consists of a lengthy menu from which you can choose either five or seven dishes to create your perfect tasting menu. Meanwhile, the lunch menu provides three courses at an agreeable price without any beverages. You can expect dishes on offer such as caviar with langoustine, oyster and runner bean, Denbighshire Pigeon with beetroot, wild blueberry and Mexican mole, and Tainori chocolate with hazelnut and voatsiperifery pepper.

The restaurant’s drinks offering is equally elaborate as the food with a variety of different drink pairings available, trolleys of spirits being wheeled table-to-table, and an impressively expansive wine list.


FAQs

Does the restaurant have a Michelin star?

It has three Michelin stars.

Helpful? 0

Are there vegetarian options?

Yes, it is available upon request.

Helpful? 0

Are wine pairings available?

Yes, there are wine pairings available.

Helpful? 0

Hélène Darroze at The Connaught is featured in

Location

The Connaught, Carlos Place, Mayfair, London, W1K 2AL

020 3147 7200 020 3147 7200

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon Closed
Tue 12:00-14:00
Wed 12:00-14:00
Thu 12:00-14:00
Fri 12:00-14:00
Sat 12:00-14:00
Sun Closed
Dinner
Mon Closed
Tue 18:30-21:00
Wed 18:30-21:00
Thu 18:30-21:00
Fri 18:30-21:00
Sat 18:30-21:00
Sun Closed

Reviews

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36 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Anon

28 December 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Hard to choose between this and Sketch but for us Sketch just had a little something more

miranda L

25 November 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Amazing food, wonderful atmosphere and discreet but attentive service.

Jonathan B

17 October 2022   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 3
Service 4
Atmosphere 5
Value 1.5
Hugely disappointing

3/5 stars for food as of the five courses one, lobster with tandoori spices and coriander, featured what tasted like a beef gravy which didn't work at all, and at this level and price point was simply unacceptable. Other courses were pretty good to excellent. The service was good, but waiters talked in such hushed tones, it was hard to hear what each dish comprised. I was a wine writer in a past life and the wine list, at 200+ pages and in a miniscule, light pink font, was far too long and illegible. I hate it when restaurants do this sort of willy-waving.
We got away with £300 a head. Definitely not three star in my book.

Lloyd S

05 December 2019  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5
Outstanding Dining Experience

A visit to Helene Darroze has been on my list for quite a while so therefore I was thrilled when I was finally able to dine their on Saturday evening during our weekend stay at Claridges Hotel. After a short walk we arrived at the Connaught Hotel. We made our way to the restaurant reception desk where we received a lovely greeting from Maitre'd Lena who after a little chat escorted us personally into the restaurant. As we entered it was nice to see the stunning refurbishment with it's orange and lemon theme that had taken a couple of months to complete. We were then in for a surprise as Lena showed us to the New Armagnac Room which is a small private dining area for a maximum of three people. I have to say the room looked beautiful. We was then given an amazing opportunity to become the first customers to dine hear or we could have a table in the restaurant. Well the opportunity to dine in this gorgeous room was to hard to say no to so therefore we gladly accepted. So we took our seats and looked forward with anticipation of a great evening ahead. 

We started with a delightful consommé & snacks before being shown the menu. The menu itself is a Tasting Menu where each guest can have the freedom to create their own menu. You could either have a five course including one dessert or a seven course including two desserts with also the added option of a cheese course. We decided on the seven course as you can have two desserts :). Once we had each chosen our courses it was time to meet the sommelier and discuss the wine. We decided that we would like to have a bottle to take us through the first four courses and then a glass with the main course to which he recommended a nice selection for us to choose from. Our decision in the end was a Gasper Malvazija wine from Slovenia which was a nice golden colour with tropical fruit & almond aromas. 

Before the arrival of our first course were given some fabulous bread and butter which continued the orange and lemon theme. 

So now let's begin with the first course where we both decided to start with the Crab. This was Brown & Spider Crabs , pomelo , lampong peppers & txangurro which was absolute heaven. For our second courses my wife chose the Foie Gras with sancho pepper , pear , apple , Komi rice & sake. My choice was the Smoked Eel with cocoa bean , sage & black garlic and both dishes were so flavoursome that you couldn't wait for what was to follow. 

Now it was onto our third course and for this my wife chose the Smoked Eel whereas I decided to choose the Hake with black pudding , jerusalem artichoke & sorrel which for me personally was the highlight of the evening as the black pudding with the hake was a perfect combination. Before we moved on to our next course there was a another little surprise as we were presented with a fantastic Scallop with tandoori spices , a carrot & citrus mousseline , a buerre noisette sauce with coriander that Helene wanted us to try and i have to say it was definitely the best scallop dish I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. 

We then moved on to our fourth course where my wife chose the Turbot with leek , caviar & dill. I decided to choose the Sweetbread which are one of my favourite things to eat. This came with cauliflower , hazelnut , grape & vadouvan emulsion. These were once again another two exceptional dishes. 

For our fifth and final course from the savoury we both decided to choose the Venison this is served rare with butternut squash , stichleton , juniper & black trumpet and although we wouldn't normally eat meat rare I have to say for this course it just worked perfectly. The venison was also matched with two excellent choices of red wine by the sommelier. 

Now it was time to move onto desserts which we started with the Grapefruit with pistachio & greek yoghurt. This was followed by the Chocolate with earl grey tea & bergamot. We also received another surprise as along with these desserts came the Signature Baba with chestnut mousse & a granny smith apple sorbet and with a different flavour Armagnac on each half and although I'm not a fan of Baba this was definitely the best one I've tried. 

We then finished with coffee and petit fours which included a small dessert with a belated birthday wish on it as I couldn't come then due to the refurbishment that truly rounded off one of the most memorable dining experiences we ever had. 

I'd now like to say a few Thanks firstly to Lena for the lovely greeting and giving us the amazing opportunity to dine in the Armagnac Room. To the staff for their excellent service , the sommelier for fabulous wine selection , the Restaurant Manager Mirko for popping in throughout the evening to make sure everything was ok. It was also good to see our friend Alessandro from our holidays in Viareggio who hasn't long started at the restaurant so we wish him well. We really were made to feel like royalty and for this we will be eternally grateful. It will now come as no surprise when I say that I would highly recommend a visit to Helene Darroze as the dining room is stunning and the food , wine & service was first class. 

Thank You to everyone at Helene Darroze and I can't wait to see you all again soon

ANTHONY B

06 August 2019  
Good food, service & decor.

Paula C

06 August 2019  
Beautiful decor, attention to detail - each dish served on special plates, carefully selected set menus accompanied by wine, good value for lunchtime, excellent service.

Angelika F

26 July 2019  
Consistently fabulous food Their lunch special including wines was amazing value. Really good service too.

Carl B

28 June 2019  
Very good food and service.

Mike B

22 December 2018  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5
The best meal ever...
Simply the best meal I have ever eaten, anywhere, any time. Genuinely exquisite cooking and the 5-course concept enables the chef to really showcase her skills.

Angelika F

11 July 2018  
Our favourite in London Fantastic combination of flavours in a beautiful setting with decent service.
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