Last Saturday I was invited together with two other friends to the Cookbook Cafe, an informal eatery located on the ground floor at the five-star InterContinental Hotel London Park Lane, which is hosting a Colombian Gourmet Festival this week. The hotel has flown all the way from Colombia Luis Meza, an award winner Colombian pastry chef who works at InterContinental Medellín. Together with executive chef Paul Bates and his team, they are preparing delicious traditional dishes using original produce brought exclusively for the occasion to add to the authenticity of the festival. Colombia is the only South American country to enjoy both Caribbean and Pacific Ocean coastlines, for this reason their cuisine is diverse and it’s worth a taste. On it’s third year, the aim of this week-long culinary festival is to celebrate the Brand Latin heritage. The first InterContinental hotel opened in Belém, on the banks of the Amazon estuary, in the northern part of Brazil, in 1946.
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| Intercontinental Hotel – London Park Lane |
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Andrea, of Colombian heritage, accessorised for the occasion!
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Lunch
To access the venue we went through the glorious hotel reception as the restaurant hasn’t got an independent entrance. Just before it’s entrance there is a display of a few well known cook books. Once we arrived we were warmly greeted by the front of the house staff. The room has full height windows which let a flood of light in and overlooks Park Lane opposite Hyde Park. I was pleasantly surprised by the reception we received. We were shown to our table immediately but the very welcoming and charming staff. Once seated the Maître d‘ come over to greet us and to explain the self-service buffet, the menu and introduced us to the Colombian drinks on offer on this special occasion. The staff seemed knowledgeable and eager to help.
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| Red guava & sparkling wine, lulo juice and aguardiente sour cocktail |
Lulo fruit:
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| The Menu |
The Colombian chef, Luis Meza, and his crew were at hand to explain the dishes
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| Rice, peas, pork and spices stuffed suckling pig |
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Ajiaco Santafereno- named after Santa Fé de Bogota pieces of chicken, large chunks of corn on the cob, two or three kinds of native potatoes (tiny papas criollas that fall apart and thicken the soup, and give the soup its characteristic dark yellow color; the waxy sabanera and/or the soft pastusa), and guasca (Galinsoga parviflora), a weedy, aromatic herb common in all America that lends the dish part of its distinctive flavour. It’s served with avocado, cream and tiny capers.
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| tropical drinks |
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| ceviche, cooked meats & cheeses |
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| Salads |
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| Stunning display of deserts |
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| Bolo de rolo – very light sponge cake filled with red guava paste and rolled – cake traditionally eaten at breakfast in the Northern states of Brazil. |
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| a selection of Colombian deserts, including some Brazilian delights too!
The Cookbook Cafe is a relaxing place set in luxury surroundings, full of light and right by Hyde Park. The deco is nothing to shout about, it’s neutral and impeccable. The food was good and the ingredients were of exceptional quality. The highlight of our visit, in my opinion, was the service! It is prompt without being intrusive, friendly, accommodating and faultless. Some places should take a leaf of ICParkLane’s book. I will definitely be back!
Still time to enjoy the Colombian feast:
Friday Dinner buffet and Weekend Lunch and Dinner buffet services feature Market Table visits, hot menu dishes and a welcome aguardiente sour cocktail is priced at £42 per person.
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Afternoon Tea at the InterContinental Club
Located on the 7th Floor, The Club InterContinental Lounge is a private and exclusive area reserved for some of the privileged hotel guests. The lounge is the ideal place to enjoy a quiet meal or snack, catch up on your reading, emails or entertain clients, friends or family over cocktails. A room with a view!
Views from the 7th Floor
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| by Moyses Stevens florist |
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| selection of white teas |
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| InterContinental own blend of tea – marigold and vanilla overtones – delectable! |
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| help yourself or waiter service – it’s your choice |
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| selection of freshly made sandwiches |
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| freshly baked scones and cakes |
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| the best chocolate chip cookie ever! big, chewy and made in the premises |
5.30pm – Cocktail Hour
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| Cheese board |
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| The end of a perfect day champagne & canapes! InterContinental Hotel Park Lane is the epitome of elegance, quality and service. |
We were guests of Charles at InterContinental Park Lane. Thanks for organising such a lovely day!
