Lady’s Helene Darroze Restaurant Review

There’s a secret bar in Mayfair. No, it’s not a private members club. It’s practically hidden in plain sight. The Champagne Room at The Connaught hotel is tucked away down an unassuming passage, and with only three tables and no sign, it’s easy to miss. But it’s worth a visit, if for no other reason than a postprandial drink after lunch at Helene Darroze.

Helene Darroze Restaurant Review

The restaurant—which is run by the famous French chef of the same name and has two Michelin stars to boot—has recently launched a new lunch menu, and they’ve invited me to see what it’s all about.

Helene Darroze Menu

The menu itself is a wooden circle with solid white spheres on top. It looks like a game of Chinese checkers, only the checkers have words like “lobster” and “strawberry” on them.

My server explains that the menu is meant to allow people to choose what they want to eat based on the main ingredient in the dish.

Which is nice, because at restaurants of this caliber I sometimes find myself furtively Googling the names of supporting ingredients under the table, hoping to avoid the shame and humiliation of being called out for not knowing exactly what vadouvan is.

For those that do know exactly what vadouvan is, there’s also a regular menu next to the Chinese checkers one that goes into detail of what comes in each dish. Everybody wins.

I spend a few minutes playing around with the spheres, trying to decide not only what to have, but also how many courses to choose—I can do three, five, or seven.

They’re all the same size, rendering the choice of starters, mains, and desserts unnecessary.

All the while I hear my mother’s voice in my head telling me not to play games at the table, especially a table with multiple Michelin stars. It feels deliciously wicked.

Lunch at Helene Darroze Restaurant

Eventually I settle on five courses and let the meal unfold. The service is attentive and friendly, and the progression of the meal is paced just right.

After an amuse bouche of Bayonne ham sliced at the table, I start with an impossibly pretty plate of salmon dotted with Oscietra caviar, haddock, lemon, and capers.

The flavors aren’t as intense as I would like, but the dish is paired with a beautiful rose wine chosen by the sommelier.

Then comes a surprise hit: eel, wild garlic, spring onion, and brioche with a bright green pea veloute poured over it from a clear glass teapot.

I’m not expecting much from a course with the humble pea as the star ingredient, but it’s the best dish of the meal, and has a great blend of smoky, savory, and vegetal flavors.

The artichoke course with Brebis Basque cheese and Lardo di Colonnata is another winner. Being from California, I’m picky about my artichokes, but these are both fresh and creatively paired with herb tortellini.

I start to hit a hunger wall by the time the lobster comes, but its beautiful presentation lures me in. Served with clams, sobrassada, and paella consomme, it looks like a winner.

But the pretty dish proves a tease, and the taste is a bit subtle for my liking.

The meal ends on a high note with Helene Darroze’s signature dessert, a Baba Armagnac with a choice of three Armagnacs produced by the chef’s own family.

The baba is the perfect receptacle for the brandy, and the accompanying rhubarb and galangal elements are nice seasonal compliments.

I can’t complain about the little metal stand laden with petit fours, either. It’s a great end to an overall enjoyable experience.

Champagne Room

When my meal at Helene Darroze ends, I don’t want to leave the restaurant’s comfortable dining room and my sunny table by the window.

Which is why the Champagne Room makes for such an ideal place for a drink after a long, late lunch.

The champagne list is extensive and impressive, and cocktails like the Gloom Daisy—which is made with Bowmore whiskey—go down all too easily.

To top it off, the heavy crystal glasses feel like something out of a fairy tale, which is pretty much how I feel tucked away in a hidden bar in the middle of Mayfair at the end of an indulgent afternoon.

Helene Darroze Restaurant Review

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Helene Darroze restaurant review and that you get a chance to have lunch at The Connaught hotel yourself someday. It’s a great London treat.

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