We were looking for something a little special (read: fancy) when we decided to try Alyn Williams at the Westbury, Mayfair. For me, the biggest selling point was the Vegetarian Tasting Menu (with the option for wine pairing if you really feel like splashing out). It was great to have this ready to go instead of desperately trying to scan the menus for the ‘V’ sign to see what sort of meal you can cobble together from the menu.
We went to this restaurant to celebrate my niece getting her degree and had a wonderful lunch. I believe the cooking and food here can't be bettered in London. We had an amuse bouche of risotto with generous truffle shavings but every course was inventive and delicous. The staff are helpful and are keen to make your experience enjoyable. I eat gluten free and they couldn't be more helpful to accomodate me. Bravo!
This is the last of my back-logged updates from my meals prior to our trip to the South East. Our meal at Alyn Williams was completely unplanned, so much so that our last minute booking via OpenTable was not received by the restaurant. Thankfully, despite the small hiccup they had plenty of spare tables available on a cold Thursday night. It really is a shame that despite holding a Michelin star and being very fairly priced, the restaurant remains pretty quiet particularly during midweek.
It's in a nice posh hotel so expect few covers and more personalised waitering service. That's exactly what we got.
They only have taster menus but we were offered the option to switch dishes between the taster menus.
Naturally you paying for the attentiveness of the staff and the aesthetics of the food. But favourite food of the night? The foie gras for sure! This is where I became a foie gras convert!
We went here on weekend in a recommendation and we were not disappointed. The place was really beautiful, had very relaxing and warm atmosphere. Menu looked good. I had beef rib eye and my friend had pork belly and both items were served quickly, very nicely presented and tasted great. Wines were so good; we were completely impressed by the food, ambience and service. Desserts were amazing too. This place is a must visit. Definitely recommended!
I went here for lunch with my wife today and it was one great experience I had there. The space was good the way they used it and staff was really polite. Menu looked really good and elegant. Wine and beers were great. My slow cooked salmon was great and poached peach was heavenly. I would definitely recommend this place.
A couple of weeks ago I had some VIPs visiting (very important parents) so after a weekend in Ockenden, a delightful dog friendly dinner at Dock Kitchen, I also treated them to a Mayfair night out, since I had been wanting to try Alyn Williams for a while. . The restaurant is part of the Westbury Hotel, a stone’s throw from Regent street and, sort of expected around here, has an ambience of understated elegance and sober opulence. It’s not very big and it’s pretty welcoming with warmly toned lights and well-spaced out tables.
Alyn Williams was the head chef at Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley when it won its two Michelin stars before setting up his own restaurant in 2011. I’ve been wanting to try it for a while and when The Better Half (TBH) and I came up with the Michelin Star Experiment, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to visit.
The summer heat is still pretty unrelenting but I had to nip in to London for the sole purpose of having a morning suit tailored. Our wedding is not until next year, but I do like to be organised and not leave things to the last minute. When it comes to tailoring, there was only one destination I had in mind – Saville Row. I had an appointment for 10:30 with Dege & Skinner which would give me plenty of time until our lunch booking at nearby Alyn Williams at the Westbury for 13:15. Surprisingly, the whole process went very smoothly and by 11:30 I was done and dusted, with my measurements taken and a (chunky) deposit paid. So off we went to Selfridges
dominated the centre of the room at Alyn Williams. As we were presented with the menus a barrage. of nibbles were sent from the kitchen, the pick of which being oyster leaf and. The first course of langoustine,. lemongrass, chilli, coconut and cucumber was obviously Thai inspired and was a. light refreshing start to the meal. The langoustines were plump and sweet and
Amazing tasting Menu! Celebrating our anniversary was so glad we chose here! Great staff, amazing food with great flavour combinations! Will def return! Fois gras was a particular favourite!
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Celebrating my belated birthday with my cousin, Vivienne, I'm glad that I made a good dinner venue choice this time.
I first had a taste of Chef Alyn Williams cooking at the Dinner in the Sky event last year in Canary Wharf, which I really enjoyed. Hence, I was confident that I had made the right choice for this special occasion.
We were sat at a nice, quiet corner at the far end of the room. I love cocktails as much as I love champagne, so it seemed logical to order a champagne cocktail - I ordered the Imperial Lavender whilst Viv had The Prestige. Both really nice apéritifs.
I also had a glass white wine, which was the recommended Slovakian wine, Château Belá Riesling.
We were shown both tasting menus and were informed that we could replace/swap any of the dishes from the other menu should we wish to do so. It is nice to know that there are restaurants like these who are flexible and make an effort to accommodate different customer preferences.
We both however stuck to the regular tasting menu as all the dishes appealed to us.
We were served a nice selection of bread and butter to start with. This was followed by some mouthwatering amuse-bouches.
I particularly really liked the cheese gougères. I had some really good ones just about a week ago at Medlar in Chelsea, but these were much lighter and moist and a delicious mouthful of cheese-y goodness. Another favourite was the foie gras.
The first dish was the marinated sea bream, served in a cute transparent bowl. The flavours were really fresh, combined with the subtle sweetness of the cubes of fresh apple and jelly and saltiness of the caviar.
Next was the John Dory that I don't often see in many restaurants. Lovely flaky flesh with quite a firm, meaty texture, which was quite flavoursome.
The aerated foie gras had an interesting combination with the nori and pickled vegetables. I have had foie gras in quite a few places, but never aerated, which was much lighter then usual. Definitely one of our favourites of the evening.
The barbequed Holstein tartare was another highlight for me. The meat was marinated just enough so that I could still taste the meat. I must say that having oyster and beef tartare was a first for me, not quite sure if it would work in most cases, but it certainly was different.
There were two options for the next course - Viv went for the Cornish hogget, whilst I chose the other option of roasted pigeon, as I do love game. Both really well-executed dishes, and we both got to try each others dishes, so we didn't miss out on either.
There was the option for the cheese selection for a supplemental £12, but unfortunately we were quite full at that stage and wanted to save space for dessert. However, if you are one who prefers cheese over sweet desserts, I would definitely recommend going for it, as the tray that they brought over really did look very tempting!
The first dessert was a Meyer lemon sorbet served in its skin and topped with grounded bits of caramel popcorn - refreshing and a great palate cleanser. The next dessert was just as satisfying - simple yet classy.
And to finish, some petit fours which were some petite brioche buns, and salted caramel and Turkish delight chocolate truffles.
The whole evening passed by really smoothly, without feeling rushed like the previous weekend. Service was calm and attentive, without being overbearing, and the friendly restaurant manager made an effort to come by our table to check on us during and after our meal.
This was my first time dining at the restaurant, and it certainly won't be my last.
Check out my blog for the full post with photos x
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When my other half suggested having dinner with their boss and bosses’ partner, naturally it was left on my shoulders to find a restaurant. As I scoured the internet frantically, for something special, like a parent at Christmas, trying to find the last of 'the toy' that their child put top of their list, Alyn Williams at the Westbury Hotel caught my attention.
Alyn opened his restaurant, ‘Alyn Williams’ in November 2011, with a menu of refined, modern European cuisine, and in 2012 earned himself a well-deserved Michelin star. Prior to this he spent five years as head chef at Marcus Wareing’s restaurant in the Berkeley hotel, which has a two Michelin starred status.
As I sat waiting for the rest of the table to arrive the waiter placed in front of me some little choux-like pastries, warm with blue cheese and topped with parmesan. These little beauties were deliciously salty and as I was the first to arrive, I thought it only fitting that I had more than my fair share. Once the others turned up, some apple meringues with black pudding on top and a mackerel filled tube were set in front of us and gone in seconds, before we were sat at our table.
The menu gives you the options of three courses or you can have the seven course tasting menu. Obviously the tasting menu is what we went for. The good thing here is that the team are very flexible with the menu, so you can mix and match or choose something else if there is something you’d rather not have.
An amuse bouche in the form of vegetable soup with a horseradish foam told me that I was going to enjoy this meal. Marinated sea bream with blood orange and winter truffle served in a small glass bowl looked stunning and tasted amazing. Miso glazed smoked eel, sea urchin and buckwheat noodles had a lovely aroma coming from it and was delicious, a perfectly combined dish. Aerated foie gras with beetroot, red cabbage and pedro ximenez was light and fresh and well presented. Smoked duck with barbecued brassicas and black pepper yoghurt sat in full glory, showing off its pink flesh and an enticing strip of fat. Wiltshire pigeon with carrots and fennel pollen was the main dish of the menu. Perfectly cooked and paired harmoniously with the carrots and fennel pollen, this was a lovely plate of food.
Once we’d stuffed our faces with the first courses we then went on to cheese, which is optional at an added price. A trolley was wheeled over to our table with a glass cover, and when opened gave you a full cheese punch in the face. It smelt amazing! You get to select five cheeses from the huge range in front of you. My favourite was the Roquefort, gorgeous and strong… like myself.
Dessert soon followed; crème catalana and rhubarb and manjari chocolate with candied orange and buttermilk. I’m a big fan of rhubarb and we all know, paired with vanilla is a match made in heaven. The manjari chocolate was a little hard, I think I managed to ping a piece across the room trying to dig in with my spoon. That said, once I’d perfected my digging skills each component complimented each other and if you like your Jaffa cakes, you’ll be a fan of this. To finish the evening, in case we hadn’t had enough, some chocolates arrived; little balls of chocolate and salted caramel and Turkish delight.
Service was more than above average here. With good knowledge of the food, the waiting team knew their stuff. The room was classic and elegant with high ceilings and exposed wine coolers. If I had to criticise anything it would just be the atmosphere in the room. It was a little too quiet for someone with a cackle as loud as mine.
Another incredible restaurant, visited 1st October. Very reminiscent of Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester. Food was innovative and I was able to pick and chose from both the normal and the veggie tasting menus. Was also able to share a wine paring. Service is great. A visit to the polo bar is also worthwhile.
I have to say, Michelin-star restaurants don't always live up to my expectations here in the UK, this one however, was exceptionally worthy of its star.
I am a big foodie when it comes to Michelin-star restaurants, and I take pleasure every time in ordering their tasting menus.
Alyn Williams' tasting menu was a great surprise. Every dish explodes with flavour and fresh ingredients. Great creativity translates through every plate, from the combination of ingredients to the complexity of creation all the way to the aesthetics of the plates.
The service was impeccable, worthy of such restaurants. The ambiance is a bit too up tight and very formal, we were the youngest people at the restaurant. The price is surprisingly very affordable (£65) , and they have even cheaper prices for lunch.
Overall, I highly recommend this place, but make sure you dress up.
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This meal began with good gougeres. Langoustines were tender, served with carpaccio of scallops, which had good inherent sweetness, seved with spiced carrots (16/20). An interesting dish was curried cauliflower panna cotta with onion bhajia. The subtly spicec cauliflower panna cotta had lovely texture and flavour, and the bhajia was a very delicate version with a thin crisp; an unusual dish that worked really well (15/20).
An intermediate course of scallops and asparagus came with a gem lettuce sauce. The scallops were excellent, sweet and nicely cooked, but I am not sure about the wisdom of serving cold artichokes with hot scallops; moreover the lettuce sauce seemed rather insipid. This was pleasant enough, but not the same level as the rest of the meal (14/20).
Sea bass was grilled and served with lemon gnocchi; the fish was carefully cooked and had very good flavour, the gnocchi delicate (16/20). I tried 50 day aged pork with salt-baked kohlrabi and wild leeks with oak moss. The pork was excellent, the belly not too fatty and with a crisp crackling, the loin moist and having very good flavour (easily 16/20).
Chocolate cake with passion fruit was rich and enjoyable (16/20). Banana rum baba was an unusual take on the classic, and pulled off the trick of having a genuinely moist bread base, which so often does not happen (16/20). The bill came to £126, with a bottle of Louis Roederer and pre-dinner drinks in addition. Service was excellent throughout. I really like this restaurant, with its appealing dishes, acceptable prices and high class cooking.
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The Westbury Hotel has something to shout about, and has had for some time. Alyn Williams, head chef here is someone who most foodies know about. He's British, and grew up in Britain, contrary to what some people think - HE IS NOT FRENCH. Alyn Williams opened his eponymous restaurant in 2011 and a Michelin star soon followed in 2012. And an accolade which he definitely deserves.
Prior to having his own restaurant Alyn Williams worked with Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing (where he was head chef). Alyn Williams has one shortfall in all this praise he receives across the globe. He supports West Ham - Shocking. If there was a Michelin star restaurant in London which offers the best value for money lunch - it's here. If you go one step further and book through Lastminute.com you can bag three courses and a glass of prosecco for only £25. An absolute steal which shouldn't be sniffed at.
From our delicious sounding menu we started with what turned out to be my favorite dish. A beautiful pheasant egg in a clear mushroom consomme, surrounded by lentils, walnuts and baby mushrooms. It was all very refined, well seasoned and the consomme had an incredible depth but without being too heavy. It's this sort of refinement you expect in a Michelin star restaurant.
It's the first time i've eaten sturgeon before. And it reminded me of mackerel, crossed with eel. It's salty, smoky and actually quite delicate in fishy flavour. Like eel, it's a very understated fish. Cauliflower florets and cauliflower sauce was absolutely divine and the exmoor caviar and pieces of cabbage brought it all together making this yet another refined and elegant dish.
Our main course of delicious tender cooked veal served with glazed veal neck and small cubes of what i think was ham? I must admit i was a little confused about this dish as the menu didn't give much away - none the less i thoroughly enjoyed it. Little florets of salad leaves, sauce of capers and parmesan cheese were all incredibly well balanced together. It's just a shame i didn't exactly know what i was eating.
Hungry? Read more - http://www.londonfoodaholic.co.uk/2014/03/review-alyn-williams-at-westbury-hotel.html
I totally agree with the previous review. This is one of the best food experiences I've ever had ! The tasting menu is definitely the one to go for and it's not that pricey. Every dish is exquisitely prepared and full of flavour. All of the staff are very attentive, professional and knowledgable on the food. The ambience is very luxurious. A real treat !! And Alyn made the evening by coming out and saying hi, he's very modest.
Every place has its specialty. Here in this restaurant the tasting menu is the thing to go for, it is worth trying as one gets to try many of Alyn Williams' signature dishes as servers suggest as well as they are famous too, and the cost is not formidable. Although the portions are small, one feels full at the end of 6 courses dinner. Attentive and friendly staff, they are smiling and very informative too who are also knowledgeable about the food and wine they are serving (well trained). Great ambiance. Can see why it has been awarded with the Michelin star.
Went here for an anniversary meal while on our London trip. We only ordered the set lunch menu, but got a lot more than what we expected. Food and services were good. Highly recommended!
I was alone and tried the tasting menu. An upscale, Michelin start, with good wine menu. All delicious, fresh, somewhat innovative, great mix of flavours and texture. Will definitely return soon.
It's a Michelin star restaurant. What more can I say that an accreditation like that can't say for me? Perfect ambience, lovely attentive staff, amazing food. We had the tasting menu with paired wines skipping dessert (we aren't sweet people but I did spy the dessert and almost regretted my decision!). For a special occasion I can't flaw it. They even had a Western Australian wine so I was chuffed (Cullen).
The best meal I have ever had. They catered for halal with some notice and the food was absolutely top notch. I would definitely go back.
I would recommend contacting them early, and they will do their best to accomodate.
Had the Chefs Choice lunch menu and it was really really nice. Obviously very expensive but truly great flavours.
Fantastic place!!!! Very tasty and quality meal! So great service and well trained personal! We was really enjoy this place and will difenetly come back here again! 👍🏻
Superb, faultless Michelin starred food. Comprehensive complementary beer and wine list. Friendly staff and excellent service.
Really enjoyed the meal here. Excellent service and intricate food.
Absolutely stunning meal the scallop dish was sublime and the lobster taco was also delicious.
Fantastic 'bespoke' set lunch in luxurious Michelin-starred dining room. Friendly staff & excellent service. Incredible value for money for this level of dining
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