Céleste London Restaurant Review: Michelin Starred Perfection at The Lanesborough Hotel

It’s official. I’ve found my new favourite restaurant in London. One that exudes timeless glamour, luxury, finesse and a piece of London – packed into one very classy and refined package. Celeste at The Lanesborough opened in July 2015 after the hotel underwent a complete refurbishment and transformed one of London’s most iconic hotels into one which will again remain an icon for many more years to come. It’s all still very traditional and classic inside, and you wouldn’t even know it was just a year old interior wise – but take a closer look and you’ll notice everything is that little more polished and materials made from ever slightly more modern fabrics. In short – I’m in love.

A glass of bubbles in our hands later and some lovely company, we tucked into some rather delicious canapes. Crispy mackerel tails topped with a mackerel rillette which was packed with flavour. Alongside thin wafer discs, filled with a delicate cheesy filling. My starter was a magnificent plate of flavour and comfort. A mix of roasted cauliflower with a lemon curry infused oil, aged Parmesan and what I think was a meaty crumb topping. Despite some of my unknown in this dish I really couldn’t fault it. Rich, refined and just the right quantity on the plate.

What I loved most about Celeste, apart from the food of course – was the service and attention to detail. Not once did I have to raise my hand for some extra water, request the bill without looking around the room or ask for my Champagne at the start of the meal. Everything was brought to our table before we even had a chance to think about it – now that’s service. Their lunch menu is rather well priced too at £35 for three courses. Mains of wild boar sausage was drizzled in a wonderfully rich jus and served with smooth buttery mash – with not a sign of elasticity to it. Day boat cod with crushed potatoes, lemon confit and white butter sauce was a flavour affair and the fish was cooked to utter perfection. Chef patron Eric Frechon & executive chef Florian Favario know exactly what they’re doing in the kitchens here and comes to no surprise that they recently won Celeste a Michelin star.

There’s also another talented chef lurking in the kitchens too – pastry chef Nicholas Rouzaud. Artfully skilled creations are pumped out of the kitchen with such precision and consistency. Each dessert arrived identical to one another – with not a piece of chocolate or segment of orange out-of-place. Star dessert or in fact dish of the whole meal was the home-made iced cream with roasted almonds, caramel and fudge sauce drizzled over the top. So indulgent and filled with all of my favourite things. My dining companions dessert of thin chocolate wafer, orange, cream and broken brownie, I’m informed was an utter delight – though sadly they refused the share it with me.

We finished our lunch with coffee and petit fours which came in the form of a chocolate sphere which is smashed at the table to reveal marshmallows, caramelised nuts and chunks of fudge. The perfect way to end our meal.

We had such a lovely time at Celeste and was not only pleasantly surprised by just about everything, but it lived up to all of the expectations we had and hoped for. Fine dining, beautiful service and refinement. I can’t wait to spend many more meals here at Celeste and see how the food develops – because I know it’s only going to get even better.