Apsley and Lanesborough

The old glamour or Lanesborough Hotel - the Ming dynasty vases, the heavy wooden chairs, not to mention the oak panelled library bar - is very well complemented by a slightly more modern looking Apsley Restaurant. The best thing about Apsley is its star chef Heinz Back, who bears no relation to the Heinz mayonnaise clan. The great thing about restaurants that have just one Michelin star is that they try harder! The bread was still warm, we got a complementary starter ensemble with Italian Prosecco on the side. The Italian staff where extra Mediterranean macho with heavy accents that added to the ambience. We had some signature Heinz dishes like Jerusalem artichoke purée with lobster and liquorice and mains of veal with wild mushrooms and roasted pigeon royal. I usually take sweet desserts but this time I attempted a savoury cheese selection. It was a good choice indeed as I was given some unusual Italian cheeses.

Loved the Apsley, loved the food, loved the bar and the cocktails. A must see for those lacking fear of aged, white, upper class males with bejewelled companions.