Elite Traveler

As Dinner by Heston Blumenthal Prepares to Close, I Tried Its Most Playful Dining Experience

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, the two‑Michelin‑star venue at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, will shutter in January 2027 after more than a decade in London. The author experienced the restaurant’s “Topsy Turvy” tasting menu, which flips the traditional sequence by serving dessert first and ending with starters. The menu blends theatrical elements—backward‑printed menus, oversized goggles, and a tapestry of British culinary history—with technically demanding dishes such as nitrogen‑infused ice cream and a three‑year‑refined chicken‑liver‑mandarin. Priced between £170 and £230, the experience serves as a playful farewell to Blumenthal’s experimental ethos.