THE LAST TIME I was at The Dorchester, I won a Small Businessman of the Year Award. At the time, not thinking I would win, I arrived on my Buell motorcycle and paired my leather motorcycle trousers with the top half of a tuxedo. Later that night, I had to ride home gingerly and slightly intoxicated with the award bulging out of the jacket.
Nearly 24 years later, I returned, but this time I was there to experience the taster menu of the legendary chef of haute cuisine Alain Ducasse. He is a celebrated and pioneering French chef with 17 Michelin stars (he is the highest Michelin-rated chef), three of which adorn his restaurant at The Dorchester.
There are curved wood and leather banquettes in the main dining room, with stylish floor lamps providing beautiful light around the restaurant.
The restaurant’s centre point is a shimmering, graduated curtain of fibre optic lights; hung from the four-metre-high ceiling and hand-dyed for a graded grey effect. This is a place to go to celebrate the great moments in your life.
What a pleasure it was to enjoy a tasting menu, with accompanying wines, that was excellent in every way. It was as close to being faultless, as you can imagine. Each mouthful was savoured and tasted with a sense of wonder. Glorious.
From my first course of Dorset crab celeriac and caviar to the dessert of exotic fruit contemporary vacherin, it was a feast of flavours and textures that was like a symphony of taste senses. The portions are small, but all the same, I found the menu very filling.
I can honestly say that I have always made a habit of goal-setting and striving – not to define my sense of worth because my self-worth comes from having a purpose. I love beautiful interiors, and when combined with good company and food, it’s like I’ve died and gone to heaven. So fine dining experiences are goals that are right up there on my to-do list. The bill was eye-watering, but lucky me, I was a guest. Eating here was an experience that I will never forget.
