The Grill at the Dorchester is to relaunch with a new look, new team and an updated menu after the departure of former headliner Tom Booton. It will be open fully from September 15, though is taking limited bookings until then.
In charge now is head chef Jacob Keen-Downs, who has moved to the five-star hotel from Gold in Notting Hill, working under culinary director Martyn Nail, who spent 36 years at Claridge’s before arriving at the Dorchester three years ago and is a firm believer in old-fashioned chef’s toques.
An announcement sent to the Standard said the changes mark a “new era” for its dining room, which opened in 1931 and is adorned with chandeliers, heritage leather banquettes and silver trolleys.
The menu has been overhauled and is more aligned with that of a traditional grill room than it was before, with dishes including seafood platters, beef Wellington, and omelette Arnold Bennett. Tuna and steak tartares are to be finished tableside, while banana split, baked Alaska, sherry trifle and chocolate mousse are among the puddings.
Signature cocktails will include the grill adonis, which blends gin and fino sherry, and a “distinctive” frozen martini.
“This dining room has been making history for 95 years,” said Nail. “Our aim is to celebrate the best of the grill tradition with exceptional cooking and a great environment.
“Whether our diners choose to snack at the counter, graze with friends, or enjoy the full experience alone, we want the room to feel vibrant, relaxed, and warm — the place to go, and the place to return to.”
Also upcoming is a collaboration with Ronnie Scott’s, the famous Soho jazz club, which is to host a series of autumn supper clubs (£145 per head — dinner and a show).
The line-up features the acclaimed artists Natalie Duncan (September 24), Natalie Williams (October 29), Jo Harrop (November 26) and Georgia Cecile (December 9), each of whom will sing throughout dinner.
A spokeswoman for Ronnie Scott’s said: “We’re delighted to be teaming up with The Dorchester. It’s fantastic for these two iconic London institutions to come together to present our unmistakable live jazz in their historic space.”
53 Park Lane, W1K 1QA, dorchestercollection.com
