Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

"Price: £285 The glitzy foyer of this Mayfair hotel is an entertaining Coutts safari but its flagship restaurant, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, feels like a luxury cruiseliner at times. The dark, windowless room is made up of heartfelt anniversaries, goutish business types, and flash-happy momagers—which makes for a less than special-feeling atmosphere. That said, the butter-heavy French cookery makes up for it at times, and the bread selection is excellent." - jake missing, sinead cranna

"There’s a preconception that French fine dining restaurants are stuffy, expensive, and a bit underwhelming. At Alain Ducasse At The Dorchester, those notions are mostly proven correct. You enter through one of London’s most famous Mayfair hotel foyers, complete with a crooning singer swaying over a glittering piano and, inside, things are similarly outmoded. Despite moments of glorious decadence, the overriding feeling is that this restaurant is just a bit passé. video credit: Jake Missing The cavernous room has all the soul of a luxury cruise ship's dining room, complete with Real Housewives wannabes filming with glaring flash, and golden anniversaries celebrating with a glass of bubbly. As is often the case with tasting menu restaurants, the seven courses are technically strong. A bouncing scallop swimming in beurre blanc and loaded with caviar stands out. While a lobster shiso is as rich as you like, even if it's crying out for a touch more sauce. What's missing is the fact that there's more to a great restaurant than exacting cooking. Of all the tasting menu places in London to spend three hours and just shy of £300 in, Alain Ducasse At The Dorchester may well be the most run-of-the-mill. This is a textbook fine dining experience and it will hit all the attentive marks, but it’s unlikely to live long in the memory. Food Rundown photo credit: Jake Missing Hand-Dived Scallop, Citrus Beurre Blanc And Kristal Caviar What’s not to like about a bouncy scallop, semi-translucent on the inside, covered in a shimmering polka dot blanket of beurre blanc and caviar? This is about as rich as a plate of food comes. photo credit: Jake Missing Native Lobster, Artichoke, Shiso And Périgord Truffle Generally, warm sauces shouldn’t enter a bowl that features unnecessary fiddly side salads. But this dish is still good, even if it looks straight from a 100-person catered event. The lobster and shiso work in a smooth tandem and the bisque is excellent. We only wish there was more." - Jake Missing

"Executive Chef Jean-Philippe Blondet is bringing his own spin to the classical Francophone cooking of world-renowned chef Alain Ducasse. There's a newfound adventurousness to some of the dishes, like the regular injection of citrus, but what remains is the supreme technical skill and exceptional quality of the produce – some of which, like lobster and turbot, is from the luxury end of the scale. Some Ducasse signatures still shine through, like the peerless rum baba for dessert – if it isn't on the menu, be sure to ask for it." - Michelin Inspector

"Alain Ducasse’s restaurant in the The Dorchester hotel has a three-star rating." - Eater Staff

"They join The Lecture Room and Library at Sketch, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, and Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester as the only other restaurants in the capital with the highest honour." - Adam Coghlan