Chef Heston Blumenthal has announced that his London restaurant Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will close next year. The restaurant is located inside the luxury hotel Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park and has been running for more than a decade. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will continue serving guests until January 2027. After that, the restaurant will shut its doors, as reported by Time Out.
Why The Restaurant Is Shutting Down After 16 Years?
Heston Blumenthal spoke about the decision in an interview with The Times. He said the closure brings mixed emotions after so many years. “There are some huge feelings there; sadness. It's bittersweet, but it has run its natural course,” he explained. “We are effectively tenants in a building and our tenancy is finished.” The chef also pointed to the difficult situation many restaurants are currently facing. He said, “In these times most restaurants are suffering in one way or another.”
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He further explained that increasing food prices are making things harder for businesses. “It's exacerbated by the fact that food prices are rising. We chose to partner with the Mandarin because of their level of service. But they've got budgets, and budgets don't always meet up. Sometimes they do. It's one of the things that you are always going to be getting with a tenancy and a restaurant in the hotel,” Heston Blumenthal said.
About Dinner By Heston Blumenthal
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal opened in 2011. It quickly gained recognition and earned its first Michelin star in 2012 and a second in 2014. The menu focuses on historic British recipes. One of the most famous dishes is “meat fruit”, a chicken liver parfait designed to look like a mandarin. Other dishes include scallop frumenty with spelt and smoked seabroth, as well as the Victorian-style “tipsy cake” served with spit-roasted pineapple. Guests can also choose a special eight-course tasting menu priced at £195 (approximately Rs 24000) called “A Journey Through History”.
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Fat Duck Will Continue
While the London restaurant will close, Heston Blumenthal will continue running his famous restaurant, The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire. The restaurant first opened in 1995 and remains one of the chef's flagship dining spots.