Rocco Forte Brown’s Hotel
33 Albemarle St, Mayfair, London W1S 4BP
Phone: 020 7518 4004
Heinz Beck, widely known for his perfection and special dedication to healthy cooking, best experienced at his 3 Michelin starred flagship restaurant La Pergola in Rome, already had a restaurant in London in the past. Apsleys was closed just after Christmas of 2013 when the Lanesborough hotel, where it was situated, changed ownership. Now this great chef returned to London with a promise of a new, even better cooking. In November he opened a pop-up restaurant at the Rocco Forte’s Brown’s hotel. Situated in the spaces of the ex-Hix restaurant, which moved out after their contract ended, they found themselves in very limiting conditions – kitchen is small (not allowing all the complexity of preparations that you normally find at Heinz Beck’s restaurants), dinning space is too traditional and very badly lit. And yet – in this small limiting kitchen they have, with safe hands of Heros de Agostinis, the loyal right hand of the famous chef for many years, created dishes which may be a little bit simpler then Beck’s regular cooking yet still highly delicious, indulging and addictive. They are bursting with flavours and brilliant textures. The lobster with vegetables, passion fruit and whiskey was to die for. And Duck tortellini with pine needle infusion and porcini mushrooms were best tortellini that I ever had – and I had many! Also every other single dish was of an extremely high standard and I can call this meal as one of the best of 2017. This pop-up will close with a spectacular New Year’s eve dinner, so catch them while you can. You don’t want to miss it. But if you really can’t make it now, I have a good news for you. After the pop-up closes its doors, the restaurant will go through a big refurbishment which will include a new big kitchen which will allow creation of much more complex dishes. So we have a lot to look forward to when spring comes. Spring, can you please come a bit faster?