Dinner at Sanderson

Sanderson (without the 'the' apparently) will forever be London's coolest, most instagrammable, and stylish hotel in my mind. During the Summer months, there's no greater place to enjoy a fine meal, than in the hotel's garden courtyard, under heated lamps with a silk pashmina (provided by the restaurant) to wrap around your shoulders as the temperature drops. Serving classic-contemporary dishes in a typical English style, Sanderson is a glamorous but still very relaxed location which has passed the test of time as dining trends come and go in our foodie capital.

So on a balmy evening Charlie and I met at The Long Bar (it's 80ft!) for a cocktail or two before making our way to the restaurant. The surroundings are styled by Ian Schrager and Phillipe Strack - the fun, fabulous and always fashionable interiors of Sanderson are instantly recognisable. With inspiration drawn from Salvador Dali and Alice in Wonderland, the boutique hotel's lobby area is home to oversized lip sofas, a hanging egg chair, and other oversized and unusual artworks.

After finishing our killer cocktails, we ordered from menu which was teeming with fashionable takes on English favourite dishes; Charlie opted for a terrine of Chicken, while I enjoyed a beautifully presented goats cheese, beetroot and walnut salad. We couldn't help but try a taste of each other's starters, following the declarations of how delicious each dish was.

I opted for a slow cooked pork belly main course, served with scallops and a light salad, a dish which  was cooked wonderfully, and the flavour of the pork was like no other pork dish that I'd ever tried. We accompanied our mains with side portions of broccoli, hand cooked fries and a garden salad - perfect for breaking down what could have been quite a heavy but flavoursome main course.

With Rugby the following day, Charlie fuelled up on a perfectly marbled steak (and more fries), which judging from his squeaky clean plate in record time, I'd say he rather enjoyed! He proclaimed that the Bernaise sauce in particular was a highlight, resorting to ordering another pot of it after I couldn't resist dipping my fries in it too!

Throughout the evening the service was excellent, with our waitress offering recommendations, and leaving us the perfect amount of time before tempting us with the dessert menu. Of course, we couldn't refuse. 

A warm chocolate brownie and incredible passion fruit mousse dish later (both absolutely incredible, in fact I may return to Sanderson very shortly just to indulge in a plate of each) and Charlie and I left feeling incredibly satisfied, but not that overly full feeling that you get from a heavy meal. Our evening at Sanderson was the perfect date night; a fabulous location, delicious food and the perfect way to enjoy some time together after a hectic week.

Sanderson Hotel

50 Berners Street

London

W1T 3NG

020 7300 1400

Have you visited Sanderson? What dishes would you recommend?

Dinner with Leonard

When a life sized tweed camel named Leonard stands proudly outside the Michelin starred restaurant, you get the feeling that this evening is going to delight you in ways that you never knew would be possible. And that's exactly what happened when Charlie and I dined at Leonards restaurant within Le Grand Bellevue in Gstaad.

Helmed by Chef Urs Gschwend, who earned a Michelin star at the hotel's restaurant, the menu consists of bistro style modern and contemporary dishes, which are Swiss twists on international favourites. Easily the most sought after menu in Gstaad, possibly even in the whole of Switzerland, Charlie and I eagerly anticipated our first Michelin Star dining experience outside of the UK.

What I Wore

Dress by ASOS   |   Bag by Rebecca Minkoff   |   Shoes by Next   |   Sunglasses by Jeepers Peepers

The evening started with cocktails on the hotel's beautiful terrace area, we enjoyed the berry infused Bellevue Smash made with Tanqueray Gin, Chambard, Raspberries, Blackberries and Lime juice as well as the refreshing home made Iced Tea while soaking in the dramatic views of the surrounding Alps.

After a teaser course of melt-in-the-mouth salmon, Charlie and I tucked into our starters. Upon recommendation of Daniel, the owner, I chose the poached Gstaad Egg, on a bed on spinach, Hollandaise sauce and chives - easily the greatest egg dish I've ever tried. It was hard to imagine how essentially a fancy take on the breakfast classic could be made into a Michelin Star worthy starter, but we soon discovered that anything is possible at Le Grand Bellevue. Before I'd even asked Charlie how he was enjoying his Scottish Salmon tartare, the plate was completely clean, so I'd say he found it pretty good!

In need of some warming comfort food (after a really tough day at the spa... you know how it is) I opted for the Picada Aquerello Risotto, with chorizo and green peas. Much like Charlie's starter, it was gone far too quickly, leaving a delicious tingle from the many flavours lurking on my palette. Charlie's Tagliata of beef sirloin was cooked to absolute perfection, and unlike in many luxury eateries, there was plenty of meat within the serving to satisfy his hunger pangs.

It's only because we enjoyed the ambience of Leonards Restaurant for a leisurely two hour dinner that we even had room for deserts, and they were certainly worth making room for! I opted for the Romanoff, similar to an Eton Mess in style, it consisted of Strawberries, home-made vanilla ice cream and meringues created from Gruy�re, and lots of double cream. It's a good job it was so delicious, because Charlie's Chocolate Parfait looked like all my dreams come true in chocolate form. He informed me that it truly was as good as it looked.

Luckily we didn't have far to roll walk after our meal, and we retired to our room extremely satisfied from our scrumptious meal and incredible experience at Leonards.