London: Dinner at The Athenaeum, Mayfair

Nothing like a little treat now and then. I know I treat myself a little bit too much, but it’s really all in the name of food research.  After all this is a food blog too.  This latest food adventure took place last week in Mayfair, a gorgeous area of London, surrounded by embassies, Hyde Park, Green Park, exclusive shops and upmarket properties, the height of luxury.

The Athenaeum is a 5-star hotel that houses an upscale restaurant, a cafe serving afternoon tea and a dedicated whisky bar with 300 varieties. I have been to The Athenaeum for an afternoon tea before, and I was very impressed, so much so I wanted to try the restaurant. It has won its second rosette for its exceptional food and outstanding service.

On arrival, we waited for our table in the bar where we had a couple of glasses of very chilled Prosecco.  It was good to unwind after a busy day of work.  Having soaked in the delightful, relaxing atmosphere of the bar, we made our way to the restaurant.  The decor is light, airy and understated.  All tables are mirrored and the crockery, as well as cutlery, is Villeroy & Bosh,  a brand I absolutely love!

We placed our orders in and carefully choose the wine that we were able to try before buying. The wine waiter was very helpful and eventually we decided to go with a bottle of  Shirah from Chile.

The service here is refined, attentive and helpful.

The food was very good; we had the set menu.   first the potato gnocchi new forest wild mushrooms with tornegus cheese – It was quite tasty and good portion. It looked like it had been platted in advance and kept under those special food lighten counters a few minutes too long, but It was tasty.  The mushrooms were the star of this dish. It matched perfectly with wine.
Main
Corn-fed chicken breast with a pistachio &herb crust
chicken glazed Parmentier potatoes, roast artichoke &
French beans and wilted Spinach  and triple fried chips

The corn-fed chicken was very moist and the pistachio and herb sauce
was delectable.  The whole dish just worked well together. We order two sides of spinach and triple cooked fries. The fries were terrific, perfectly cooked. Needless to say, our plates were clean at the end of the main course.

Desserts

Apple & Blackberry carpaccio with Calvados mousse

Poached Pineapple with caramel sauce & vanilla ice cream

I usually order ice cream, cheese or chocolate (in that order) from the dessert menu. However, this time I decided to go for the fruit-dessert option, it’s not the healthy option, no! It was a light Calvados Mousse that contrasted exceptionally well with the apple and blackberry carpaccio. It looks pretty too. I tried the pineapple and ice cream too. It was seriously delicious.

All in all, we had a pleasurable meal with good menu choices, not too small portions a set menu usually offers and a service to match. I never used a service like Bookatable before and it was a great experience.  The bill fro 2 people came to £92 including tip.
Recommended.

Bookatable Star Deal Sample Menu:
3 courses & a glass of prosecco £25 per person
2 courses & a glass of prosecco £18 per person
with a  glass of prosecco on arrival

 Athenaeum Hotel and restaurant, 116 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7BJ +44 2081281552
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