Dinner, by Heston

You know it's going to be good when reservations are only released in limited numbers and need to made six weeks in advance as soon as the phone line opens.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental is a grand affair in a grand old hotel - red liveried doormen, a maze of wood panelled corridors and marbled stairs etc. The backdrop for the bar is a backlit display of spirits behind frosted glass, with bustling staff in simple apron style black wrap dresses.

You enter the dining room basically through the wine cellar - or rather a glass corridor through it (look don't touch!). In the middle of the dining room is the kitchen in a glass cube and beyond are views into Hyde Park. The decor is a mix of panelled walls,tweed clad booths and translucent china jelly mould inspired light fittings - very Britain through the ages - like the menu.

The waiting staff all wore beautifully tailored grey suits (the men) and grey suit trousers and waistcoats (the women) - service was attentive and relaxed, with just the right amount of banter

To begin...

Savoury Porridge (1660)
Roast cod palette, beetroot, garlic, parsley and fennel

The porridge was wonderful, a vibrant green colour covered with a cloud of fennel leaf with a square of cod and chunks of heritage beetroot in red and gold.

Others had
Hay smoked mackerel (1730)
Meat fruit (1500)

Followed by...

Spiced Pigeon (1780)
Ale and artichokes

The pigeon was beautifully tender and pink, about five chunky pieces of breast tossed with wedges of fennel.

Others had
Blackfoot pork chop (1860)
Hereford ribeye (1830)

Finally...

Poached rhubarb (1600)

Strips of poached rhubarb, with a perfect egg of rhubarb sorbet an decorated with freeze dried rhubarb shavings.

Others had:
Chocolate bar (1730)
Baked lemon suet pudding (1630)
Taffety tart (1660)

And then finally finally...

Chocolate ganache with caraway biscuit