Reviews Alex Dilling At Hotel Cafe Royal

There was a single set menu for £175 per person. The canapés were well-crafted and tasted great, with the prawn and seabream tartare being the standout. The fried base beneath it added a good contrasting texture to the softness of the seafood. The oyster and asparagus starter was refreshing. Despite, HATING oysters and finding them beyond unbearable, this dish, for me, was actually very eatable and rather nice. This was the first time I had ever thought this way about an oyster dish so very well done!! A smart dish of duck paté with an artistically crafted croissant followed. The real highlight of the meal was the smoked salmon, which was without a doubt, one of the best fish dishes I have eaten. The warm piece of salmon had a gorgeous, buttery texture. There was a lovely touch of sweetness in the flavour and the distinctive notes of the oak used to smoke the fish were clearly there. It was complemented perfectly by a smooth, vibrant wild garlic sauce and a stuffed morel. This was a beautiful dish, all around. The stuffed turbot was well-cooked but would have been better if it was easier to determine all the ingredients' flavours. It was difficult to pick up on the mild flavours of turbot and cuttlefish. The flavours of the prawns and chorizo were more dominant. The veal sweetbread was served tableside, adding some entertainment. The peppercorn sauce served with it was intense and flavoursome but unfortunately, I wasn't massively keen on the sweetbread itself, mainly due to its texture. The asparagus beside it was fresh and had a good crunch. The caramel, coffee and chocolate dessert was light and delicate. There were a variety of pleasant flavours but I personally would have preferred it to be slightly sweeter, especially the coffee ice cream. Nevertheless, it was a nice dessert that had that desired level of decadence, without being excessively rich or heavy. I was generally pretty satisfied with my meal. But I think one of the biggest disappointments was the service. Despite being swift, efficient and in no way rude, it came across as rather robotic and impersonal. Shyness perhaps? Also, I feel the wine prices were steep; the starting point for a glass of champagne was £28. But maybe for a restaurant located slap bang in the middle of Piccadilly, these prices are inevitable. Dined on 27/04/23

Outstanding. Dined here a couple of weeks prior to Michelin awarding 2* and at that point it was abundantly clear the team were targeting that level of cuisine and service, if not more. Balance of flavour and individual items were beautifully put together with great complexity. Great produce and presentation. Some of the best I have ever come across. A fairly small restaurant, where they must only be able to have 20-30 covers, resulting in excellent service and atmosphere. I would not be surprised if 3* are awarded in the next year couple of years.

I came here to have my anniversary dinner with my fiance and we had a very pleasant experience, and the staff Roben/Ruben is very nice:) abrigato!

Great experience, attentive staff and an intimate environment above the bustle of regent street. We had 3 course set menu which was very filling and a good price. Only negative, and a personal preference, I did feel like they were trying to up-sell the wagyu beef (extra supplements of £75). Only disappointing dish was the truffle croissant which we couldn’t taste any truffle in.

We had dinner here on 07/09/2022. The tasting menu is a sequence of extremely well-prepared small dishes. My suggestion would be to offer an option for pigeon meat. The atmosphere is beautiful, but it was hotter than ideal. We will return once the à la carte menu is implemented.

We had a brilliant time here with excellent food and equally excellent service. The food was the most picturesque food we have ever eaten and tasted superb. We enjoyed having a few choices even on a tasting menu and thought the quantity of food was generous - certainly not one of those tasting menus where you leave hungry. It was a nice touch that Alex Dilling came and served one of the dishes. He was very chatty and we also enjoyed the opportunity to chat briefly to him at the end of the meal. Service throughout was second to none. Very polished and attentive. A really special mention to James who was absolutely brilliant. He was extremely helpful dealing with my wife’s dietary requirements as she is pregnant. We really enjoyed having a chat at the end of the meal and he is a real asset to the restaurant. Thanks James for making our evening. Would highly recommend dining here. A shoe in for a star in March and hopefully maybe two!