Chef Daniel Boulud’s first UK restaurant, Bar Boulud, London opened its doors last week at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This widely anticipated, French-inspired, bistro and wine bar is directly accessible from Knightsbridge and will follow the successful format of Bar Boulud in New York which has achieved significant acclaim.
The Adam D. Tihany designed interior seats 169 in two large connecting rooms, the first with an impressive zinc topped bar and the second with a sleek open kitchen. Classic materials such as wood, leather and cork add a contemporary touch and an aesthetic inspired by the craft of wine making, including walled wine stains from Chef Boulud’s favourite vintages and photography of various renowned Lyon bistros and brasseries. Guests can also watch the chefs at work at the charcuterie bar running along the edge of the open kitchen or dine in one of the two interconnecting private dining rooms, both seating 16 people each.
A full bistro menu is based on seasonal, rustic French cooking and includes signatures dishes such as Truffled White Sausage, Grilled Atlantic Sea Bass, Braised Rabbit Ragout and Coq au Vin as well as a selection of terrines and pâtés made on site under the direction of acclaimed charcutier Gilles Verot. With a focus on Burgundy and the Rhône Valley, an impressive selection of wines, by the glass and by the bottle, and occasionally from Magnums, Jeroboams and Rehoboams, feature old world wines as well as new world selections made in the Rhône or Burgundy spirit. A selection of beers is also available on draft from small, artisanal producers and continental microbreweries with specially designed glassware for tasting portions.
Trained in France by legendary chefs Roger Vergé, Georges Blanc and Michel Guérard, Boulud opened his first restaurant Daniel in New York in 1993, which last year received the prestigious Three Michelin Star status. Daniel was shortly followed by Café Boulud, Bar Boulud, DB Bistro Moderne and, most recently, DBGB Kitchen and Bar, on the Bowery. His culinary roots can be traced back to his family farm near Lyon, France where he developed a love of home cooking using fresh seasonal produce. Appointing Dean Yasharian from Bar Boulud in New York as Executive Chef and Stephen Macintosh from The Wolseley as General Manager, Bar Boulud, London is set to follow in the successful spirit of Boulud’s superb New York restaurants, becoming the latest jewel in London’s culinary crown.
Bar Boulud, London will open from 6.30am to 1am daily.
