The Grill by Tom Booton at The Dorchester

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Silver Award
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SquareMeal Review of The Grill by Tom Booton at The Dorchester

Silver Award

The Grill at The Dorchester opened between the wars and has seen plenty of glamour in its day, but it’s fair to say that in recent years the restaurant has flown under the radar, especially when compared to the hotel’s other dining establishments, such as Alain Ducasse’s eponymous dining room.

Now though, The Grill has been given a new lease of life by the appointment of head chef Tom Booton, a feat which he has achieved at the tender age of 26. Stepping inside the revived dining room, you’ll find parquet floors and a striking Murano chandelier which keeps the restaurant just on the right side of staid, while charming and knowledgeable staff will bend over backwards to make you feel comfortable.

Booton’s menu brings a welcome touch of modernity to proceedings, but without losing any of The Dorchester’s old-school charm. A starting snack of stout bread served with smoky smashed black pudding sets the tone, soon followed by starters proper including beef tartare topped with fanned out slices of radish that conceal a glossy orange egg yolk at the tartare’s centre. Elsewhere, a Scotch egg swap outs the traditional filling for prawn, pairing it with warm tartare sauce and a pickled gherkin.

The standout main course is the lobster thermidor tart – a plump, juicy cut of lobster that sits atop a crumbly tart filled with Westcombe cheddar instead of gruyere (to make it British). More traditional grill fare is available too, including ribeye steak that’s joined by mushroom ketchup, creamed spinach and red onions.

The most playful part of Booton’s menu is the finale, when you can enjoy your sweet at the newly installed Pudding Bar. Seating just five guests at a time, the Pudding Bar is essentially a chef’s counter which you can move to after your mains, and watch the chefs create your pud right in front of you. First, a pre-dessert of ice cream topped with blackberry ‘snow’ is served featuring a secret ingredient (we won’t spoil the surprise). After, you have your pick of the pudding menu, should you prefer banoffee tart topped with a mound of chocolate shavings, pineapple tart tatin with rum and raisin ice cream, or Booton’s posh (and devilishly rich) take on a Double Decker chocolate bar.

Prices are expectedly high, but set menus offer a slightly less daunting way in. Don’t forget that The Grill is an all-day operation too, so you can head here for everything from weekday breakfast to Sunday lunch.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - Over £80
Cuisines
British
Ambience
Cosy, Fine dining, Glamorous, Luxury, Quiet conversation, Traditional
Food Occasions
All day dining, Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Sunday roast
Special Features
Chef’s table, Counter dining, Vegetarian options
Perfect for
Special occasions

About

Housed in the famous Dorchester hotel, The Grill by Tom Booton is a modern British restaurant that is always serving up great food and fun times. With plenty of flair on classic dishes, The Grill has taken the food we all know and love and moved it forward into a fresh era of creativity. Whilst there is no official dress code, elegance is encouraged. There is a kind request for no sports wear, and for smart shorts to only be worn in the daytime, but not the evening. Children are welcome, though, and the general atmosphere is rather laid back.

For lunch or dinner enjoy a selection of snacks to share with the rest of your party. Choose from simple milk rolls with salted butter, fried shimejis with mushroom XO, fermented cabbage on hash brown, and stuffed potato skin with chorizo jam. Also on the snacks menu are braised beef doughnuts with horseradish and truffle, laminated brioche, and chicken liver parfait with a foie gras snow.

Bigger appetites will enjoy the large plates of confit sea trout with cucumber and potted shrimp butter, the roasted duck breast with scrumpet, chicory and hazelnuts, or the pumpkin tartlet with blue cheese and chanterelles. Small plates include a glazed lobster ravioli with bisque and tomato chutney, beef tartare with radish, oxtail and confit yolk, and baby gem with avocado, radish, pickled courgette and pecans. On the side of whatever you choose, perhaps you should order The Grill's chips with ranch dressing, or BBQ greens with pistou. Each dish at The Grill is divine, whether you're sharing beef Wellington with a loved one, wooing a colleague over drinks, or popping Champagne for a big celebration.


FAQs

Do you need to book a table?

Yes, we recommend that you book a table before visiting.

Helpful? 0

Do you have vegetarian options?

Yes, there are some vegetarian options available.

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Location

53 Park Lane, Mayfair, London, W1K 1QA

020 7629 8888 020 7629 8888

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon 12:00-14:15
Tue 12:00-14:15
Wed 12:00-14:15
Thu 12:00-14:15
Fri 12:00-14:15
Sat 12:00-14:15
Sun 12:00-16:00
Dinner
Mon 18:00-22:00
Tue 18:00-22:00
Wed 18:00-22:00
Thu 18:00-22:00
Fri 18:00-22:00
Sat 18:00-22:00
Sun Closed

Reviews

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12 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Selina S

29 June 2021   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 4.5
Value 4
Roof Terrace Restaurant @ The Dorchester

Having mistakenly booked the Grill, the efficient friendly staff at the Dorchester managed to shift my booking on the very morning to the Roof Terrace which is where I had planned a surprise birthday lunch. The staff were amazing, the chef showed us the outdoor kitchen - we got to see some of the cooking in action. The food was divine - they have a rotating chefs - the Mexican delights that we savoured includng a beautifully grilled lobster and fish tacos were mouth watering. To top it off, we were entertained by a great band - could not have asked for more! 

Anon

24 May 2021   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 5
Atmosphere 4
Value 3.5
Great Experience

Wonderful food, first class service and a really nice environment even considering some of the restrictions as we come out of Lockdown.

Ben S

28 May 2017  
Excellent service and attention to detail! The quality of food is always great here and the best service I have had in London .

jeanpaul C

19 October 2016  
Food & Drink 4
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 4.5
Value 3.5
The Grill at The Dorchester
I dine at “the grill at the Dorchester” with my wife and we ordered a dinner set at The Grill at the Dorchester for two course £58 (£29 – for each) I found the whole meal to be in good flavors and it was good value for money for me. I like what they offered although I was expecting more from haddock, if it were a little more then, it is what I would have enjoy in my whole meal. A tasteful two person dinner meal with a main course (Seared Cos with -haddock with Caponata- and Mussel) for me and (roasted pork belly with potatoes onion and lettuce) for my wife and deserts. CONTINUE READING: http://dinewithjp.com/the-grill-at-the-dorchester/

Toby N

05 January 2015  
Food & Drink 3
Service 4
Atmosphere 3
Value 2
High prices that are hard to justify
I haven’t been to the Dorchester Grill since the tartan days, and I only managed to go once during that period as the décor was sufficient to induce a migraine. So it was a relief to find that the new refurbishment was a rather more sober and fitting style, though it does feel curiously old fashioned and like its been in place for years. Its not one of those places I’d normally go, but was a very last minute booking for the Friday before Christmas as it was one of the few restaurants in Mayfair with any availability for a reunion dinner with an old friend. Service is fine with no real issues once you get through the door; however the staff outside seem considerably less effective and clued up as I stood in a sizeable queue as a set of about 4 disorganised people struggled to find reservations, take coats and bags etc. That’s the sort of thing you’d expect to be slick in somewhere like this and didn’t get the evening off to the best of starts. The atmosphere wasn’t as stuffy and old school as I expected; there was some background music, which thankfully wasn’t some hideous soft jazz combo (I’m always reminded of the Fast Show when I think of that) and there were even family groups with children. But it still does feel impersonal and lacking a certain something. Food is expensive, but not as costly as I expected it would be. It’s all a bit posh nursery food though, without any real innovation. We shared rib of beef, which was fine, though no where near as good as you’d get in Pollen Street Social, or, somewhat awkwardly, across the road at Cut, which is owned by the same Dorchester group. Side dishes were deeply unimaginative and having settled on potato puree (mash to you and me) and seasonal vegetables (over cooked and too soft) I was left wishing we’d made alternative choices. Dessert was pistachio soufflé, and again if you want that you’d be better going to Koffmans. Wine is generally priced at the frightening end of the scale; we ended up drinking Rully, which at around £80 was definitely one of the cheapest options on the menu, though other drinks like champagne or vodka are no more expensive than the normal Mayfair mark-up. We ended up with a bill of £325 for 2, all be it that drink was quite a large share of that. Overall it was a bit of a disappointment and cannot justify the prices. Particularly as there are so many better and more imaginative options within a short radius. Not sure I’ll hurry back.

Bob B

17 November 2014  
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 2
Value 2.5
Opening Night
Gone are the days of the glamour, the refinement, the elegant clientele. The wealth remains, but the class has long since dissipated. The Coupe de Champagne struggled to justify itself against the backdrop of barking Australasians and a carpet littered with ghastly ‘wheelie bags’-the unnecessarily oversized briefcase of the modern era. ‘C’ and I had arrived a little early, a consequence of our giddy excitement for the opening night of the Dorchester’s new Grill room, and found ourselves grumbling over the drunken hoards like a pair of old farts, whilst labouring to enjoy the crisp mousse of a Laurent Perrier. From afar, we looked upon the Grill’s ornate entrance as the staff organised themselves with the nervous excitement of a West-End cast before opening night. With great eager, all attempted to busy themselves and look official, desperately trying to find themselves a role amongst the conservative over-staffing of a restaurant launch. As we neared the desk, and were spotted by the staff, it was if a switch clicked, and in a moment they snapped into gear offering up to us all the welcoming niceties of a choreographed script. To our every whim, everyone was clamouring to attend, but it was the tall dark-featured Frenchman that pressed himself foremost and won the chance to show C and I to our table. Our early reservation had signalled kick-off. Our waiter would be the kind-faced Basque, watched over hawkishly by the Maître D’ with a look of uncompromising expectation. We had a nice table, I wasn’t sure if we would be assigned a dud given our lowly status, but all seemed well as Tom Aikens and his merry ensemble were seated adjacent. After being welcomed by a beautiful salmon rillete, C & I opted for the lobster chowder and Lemon sole goujons to start. The chowder was fantastic, the goujons a little bland. To follow, we shared the entrecote given that we wanted a ‘grill’ rather than Michelin restaurant experience. The meat displayed the perfect amount of tenderising fat so synonymous with the Angus breed. The only murmur from our table was that the meat should have been allowed to rest for a moment longer as the blood seeped onto our plate, but given we ordered rare and didn’t want a cold slab of meat – it was understandable. Reminiscent of the Grill of yester year, our rib arrived, and was hence carved on a trolley – a well-received feature of continuity between the restaurants of new and old. For dessert, we both opted for a Soufflé – and although the chocolate lacked in flavour, the pistachio and caramel was superb. We might have found room for another. As the curtains came down on the dinner, we reflected on what we had experienced. The plates were accomplished – the Chef here is certainly talented – of that there is no doubt. Indeed, Jocelyn Herland was overseeing the kitchen (Head Chef of Alain Ducasse’s namesake restaurant across the hall) so a poor dinner was near on impossible. However, the lingering consideration we left with was whether the Dorchester’s new Grill room is a Grill at all, or rather another permutation of a top level restaurant. The bill came to nigh on three hundred of the Queen’s finest pounds and we certainly hadn’t boozed copiously. The bill made us question whether we might as well have eaten amongst the glittering Michelin stars of the hotel’s main restaurant. Although in the same room as the old Grill, it is completely reimagined. A question a diner must ask is whether this restaurant has found a separate identity from the Hotel’s other offering. The space endures, but what fills it is quite different.

Owen B

27 August 2013  
Food & Drink 4
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 3
Value 3
A little part of Scotland in the Dorcester
The Grill is unlike any restaurant I've been to with bizarre Scottish tartan and murals of men in kilts, it was like eating in a plush Scottish shortbread tin, thankfully though they were playing soft jazz and not bagpipes. I doubt there are even places on the Royal Mile with this much tartan. Upon walking in there is a hushed atmosphere such is the level of decorum and slightly older clientele. So onto the food. We went for the tasting menu, but realistically it was just a chosen set of the best dishes from the á la carte menu. To start we were brought out an array of bread rolls to share that were baked in-house. Sourdough, rosemary and olive oil, an aniseed flavoured one amoung the most unusal. Taking things up a level though was olive butter, brown butter and most intriguing charcoal butter, a thick tar black spread that I'm thankful I didn't get anywhere near my shirt. It was magnificent though, adding a unexpected dimension to the butter without being grainy and bitty. The amuse bouche was also very high standard, and not a mere morsel as you normally get in places like this with slithers of mullet, green beans, radish and and asparagus puree. The menu is very well set out for the seasons and as such the fresh flavours really jump off the plate. For starter was a chilled pea soup, with dried yogurt and mint, with a pea moose. It was a bland soup and without heat or much seasoning didn't really have much to bring it alive. The tuile however was great with delicate placement of dried yogurt and mint on top of the soup bowl, striking textures and sharp flavours really brought to life in the mouth The fish dish was wild sea bass with beans, panchetta and tarragon with an oyster and a light apple foam. The oyster was sat on a salt jelly for decorative purposes, know one told me, I thought it was part of the dish. The sea bass although small was lovely, clearly cooked sous vide, fantastic texture and very crispy skin, perfection he main main dish was spring lamb (shoulder, loin, belly, I'm going to guess) with a pea puree, morels, asparagus and potato risotto, continuing on with the vegetables in season. The lamb shoulder came with a crust of mint on the top and was beautifully tender They left it to the end for a bit of theatre with the dessert, a large sphere of hazelnut chocolate that broke open when tapped to revel a liquid chocolate interior, like a posh kinder surprise. The chocolate covered popping candy sprinkled on top of the ice cream brought even more 'OOoo's round the table. It's worth reiterating how professional the service was, I've not experienced this high standard before, but yet the waiters were also friendly and engaging offering insight into the dishes and drinks. While it did not really push the culinary boundaries, it was very high standard of classical cooking with quality seasonal british ingredients. I'm told they have a grouse in Autumn, that sounds fabulous, and goes even more with the Scottish theme!

Kenichi I

20 May 2013  
Food & Drink 4
Service 5
Atmosphere 4.5
Value 4.5
Perfect - almost
Food was innovative yet authentic and world-class quality, service was warm-hearted and attentive, atmosphere was also great. We like the current Scotland-inspired atmosphere. I heard a rumour that the restaurant might be refurbished into a different theme / setting and it would be a great shame to lose this gem of Park Lane to something that is new but similar to other new restaurants. I would say it would be perfect if they decided to keep the atmosphere as it is!

Heather B

10 December 2012  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5
I had friends visiting from Scotland to help me celelbrate St Andrew's Day and wanted to treat them to something nice and this didn't disappoint. Although we only ordered from the pre-theatre 2 course + champagne offer, we still received amouse bouche and palatte cleansersand petite fours included in the offer. This made us feel very special and valued. The staff were super friendly, discreet and helped make the whole experience pleasurable. The decor, although being very Scottish, is grand and the silverware helps to create the feeling of grandeur. Would definely visit The Grill again and most definitely visit again.

gowsia H

07 October 2011  
Food & Drink 4
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 4
Value 4
Had Sunday lunch. Everything was lovely, wonderful service, quite generous portions.
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