Alain Ducasse At The Dorchester

Excellent food and service. 3 Michelin star isn't overrated (haven't tried 1-2 star though). Even "simple" food like some veggie still tastes great (although pretty sure it wasn't simple to made). Timing, atmosphere, etc. were great. We spent almost 5 hours for the 7 course menu as if it had been a hour.

Service was great Food started out great - canapés and scallop course very nice . Asparagus was nice . Lobster dish was unremarkable- lamb dish sauce was too salty but I’m very British so I didn’t complain. These courses were disappointing Rhubarb dessert was not sweet enough

We were very excited to dine here and, having experienced several Michelin-starred restaurants before, we arrived with high expectations. We chose the Harmonie tasting menu, and while each dish was beautifully presented, some lacked depth of flavour. The scallops were outstanding and we also enjoyed the restaurant’s signature dish. However, the cheese course was underwhelming and the wild mushroom dish, one we had particularly looked forward to, was unfortunately quite bitter and didn’t meet our expectations. The staff were lovely, but attention to detail could have been better. The tables weren’t cleared between courses and the bread and butter stayed until dessert. A thoughtful touch was the final celebratory cake for our anniversary, which we truly appreciated. Overall, it was a beautiful and enjoyable experience, but when dining at a three-star Michelin restaurant, excellence is expected throughout. While there is much to admire here, we felt there is room for improvement, and for us, the experience did not quite justify the price.

\\ A Singaporean Girl Review A little short of perfection. Food was absolutely perfect. Service and atmosphere could be better. So I was in the UK for about 2+ weeks and greedily packed two 3-star Michelin restaurants in one day. I am writing this review after going to both restaurants and Alain Ducasse would rank 2nd to the other restaurant based on my personal experience. Small things that I thought Alain Ducasse staff could pay a bit more attention to: 1. Glassware. My wine glass has a chip. On the rim. Personally, I wasn't expecting this from a 3-star Michelin restaurant. I informed the staff, he apologised and changed the glass. 2. Attention to detail. One of us had stained a blotch during dinner, but it was just left as it was. The wait staff from the other restaurant had helped cover the table with a slip cloth, giving me a sense of professionalism and neatness. On top of that, our tables weren't cleaned with a table crumber between courses, except once. Not sure why the difference. 3. Atmosphere. Love the interior decoration. One word. Classy. But the frosted glass windows made us somewhat aware of the petrol cars during the meal, which were quite frequent. Otherwise, the food was really, Really, REALLY good. I need to emphasise this. The moment you put the first Hors D'oeuvres dish in your mouth, you knew the chef had years of experience with blood, sweat and time put in to be this good. It was balanced to perfection. Speechless. I would describe it as... "no plastic surgery, just really, Really, REALLY good original French cuisine". Despite the 3 pointers raised, I would still come back for more. They are often booked out, so reservations are highly recommended. Chef was really stressed as we could hear his shouting from where we were seating. But hey, it was full house, and the food... yums. Looking forward to my next visit.

I genuinely couldn’t imagine what a “bad” Michelin 3-star meal could look like — perhaps a service issue, maybe poor value, or a couple of mediocre dishes. But I truly did not expect “not tasty” to be the theme that carried consistently through a two-hour meal. We ordered a bottle of water, and within minutes it was knocked over, followed by an unintentionally comedic “fishing it out of the table gap” moment. Throughout the meal, things that shouldn’t fall kept falling, and things that should fall — like the granita — refused to budge no matter how hard it was shaken. It was honestly a bit funny. I won’t comment on the petit snacks, so let’s start from the first course. Cucumber with almond and cured tuna heart — the granita had an extremely strong, almost dizzying aroma that was anything but refreshing. The only redeeming element was the fresh almond. Then came the scallop — normally a very hard ingredient to make bad, yet somehow this achieved it. The entire plate was covered with fresh seaweed and actual seawater; the smell of raw ocean hit instantly and completely killed my appetite. The lobster was decent quality, but the chef managed to make it taste surprisingly mediocre. It was supposedly paired with black truffle, yet only the side garnish carried any truffle aroma. The sauce itself leaned oily and heavy. Fast-forward ⏩ to the veal, easily the toughest I’ve ever had. Not tender, not juicy — nothing. It made me want to book a flight back to Singapore immediately just to eat the veal at Les Amis again. Just when I thought things were coming to an end, the chef found yet another way to surprise the guests: a cheese course. Cow’s milk and goat’s milk cheeses are fine, but including blue cheese on a fixed tasting menu is… questionable. The petit four felt like they were trying to wake the diners up with acidity — a lemon-chocolate bite and a blackberry tart, both intensely sour. I usually enjoy eating lemons on their own, and even I struggled. The space itself is beautiful, with lovely crystal curtains. The chef’s philosophy is admirable, and the service is acceptable. But honestly — could the food please be even slightly more enjoyable? Total: £337.02 Rating: 4/10 (Visited Sept. 2024)