It's been over 15 years since Heston Blumenthal opened the doors of his first restaurant and carved his name indelibly into the history books as one of the world's truly great chefs. He's now opened his second restaurant, inside the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel, and it's already booked up for months. Chances are that in a few more days, the rave reviews of critics and diners alike will extend those bookings even further.

The Venue
From the moment you approach the Mandarin Oriental, you get a sense of stately refinement. As you approach Dinner the feel shifts to classic elegance. The hostesses greet you in advance of the dining room, offer to check your coat, and then casually escort you through the restaurant's foyer where you're flanked by impressive walls of glass that not only sparkle, but house part of the restaurant's very impressive wine collection. Instantly, you notice the floor to ceiling windows that make up the far wall of the restaurant, and provide pastoral views of Hyde Park. Ivory walls are adorned with milk glass light fixtures shaped like antique copper jelly moulds, and dark wood accents add a warm feel to the room. More modern fixtures like churning, brushed metal clockworks (actually part of the spit roaster) and wheel-like enamel chandeliers with bare filament bulbs add a sophisticated touch. The durable table tops, despite their crisp lines, could use something to soften their look, but that's about the only time the classic modern styling goes even remotely astray.

The Atmosphere
The restaurant is bustling with an array of service staff assembled to cater to your whims as they arise. The lunch crowd, comprised of everything from business folk to hotel guests, with the occasional mother and child thrown in for good measure, are relaxed and casual, although the 'comfortable' dress code seems almost out of place in such a beautiful setting. The staff has been well taught by the kitchen, and understands not only the menu items, but the care and ingredients that go into preparing them. They are polished, polite and happy to elucidate the very simply and somewhat strangely worded menu. Likewise, the sommelier is a true joy to work with who, much like the staff and the room itself, makes a perfect accent to a restaurant designed to impress. Indeed, the restaurant relies on a great deal of showmanship to help affirm its identity. As evidenced by the glass walled room off the main dining room, where you'll find the chef's table and the spotlessly clean kitchen which offers a chance to watch the magic as it happens.

The Food
If the décor and the staff are merely players on the stage, then the food is unquestionably the star. Designed to highlight various gastronomic favourites throughout British history, the ingenious menu presents items you just won't see anywhere else. The Meat Fruit starter is chicken liver parfait cleverly disguised as (what else) a Mandarin orange. The exquisitely creamy, mousse-like paté comes encased in a opaque, orange aspic, whose distinct fruit flavour adds a complementary sweetness to this wonderfully savoury dish. Served on a wooden block, with an ample portion of grilled toast points, this amazing creation should not be missed at £12.50.

Beef Royal (£28.00) is said to be a 'signature dish'. Here they take an Angus short rib, slow cook it at precise temperatures for seventy two (you read it right) hours and serve it with diced cubes of braised ox tongue, and a creamy onion purée. The garnish of tiny roasted onions and carrots are a nod to the skills of the garde manger department, and are as attractive as they are delicious. The meat is cooked nicely, there's certainly no chance it is overcooked, but although it is wonderfully tender, it doesn't 'cut with a fork', but nor is it greasy, which makes it stand out from other dishes of its ilk. The Ox Tail is brined and braised giving it an almost bacon-like quality. The jus, a combination of the braising liquid and red wine, is hearty, unctuous and a bit salty. If you're the type that eats his food with a salt shaker in one hand and a fork in the other, you probably won't even notice, but more conservative salt users might.

The dessert menu presents yet another 'signature dish' - the Tipsy Cake. This one takes some time to prepare, so you'll have to order it with the meal, but it's definitely a choice worth making. Picture golden balls of brioche, soaked in crème anglaise and brandy baked in a cast iron crock pot and served with a section of golden pineapple whose sugars have been caramelised beautifully in a spit roaster. It tastes twice as good as it looks and looks twice as good as it sounds. Sweet and delightfully creamy, this brioche pudding makes its bread and butter cousins pale by comparison. At £10.00, it is the most expensive dessert on the list, but so very worth it.

The Drink
Drinks are of the traditional varieties, but the wine list is a stand out: all twenty eight pages of it. The prices range from £35 to over £3000 so there's no way you won't find something affordable and pleasing. The aforementioned sommelier, jovial and passionate, is always on hand to make suggestions or tell you about a bottle that has piqued your interest. The by-the-glass list is carefully constructed and will yield some enjoyable choices. The Les Larmes Celestes Pancherec du Vich-Bilh (£7.50) with it's candied orange notes makes a perfect choice for the Meat Fruit starter. Stray away from the wines and you'll find a fairly impressive tea list as well. On it, you'll find herbals, white and green teas and even a genuine Raw Puerh which (at £14.50) a cup might only appeal to the true connoisseurs. Espresso in its many forms is smooth and perfectly extracted. The Cafe Americano (£4.50) comes with a complimentary Earl Grey, white chocolate cream ganache and biscuit. This delightful creation offers enticing flavours that balance nicely and will hit the spot, if a full pudding is too much to bear.

The Last Word
There's no doubt that Dinner is going to be a runaway hit. It has everything it needs to be a success, not least thanks to its amazing culinary creations. It's not flawless as of yet; the myriad of servers can sometimes leave you wondering who to ask for what, and simple things like refilling your water glass or crumbing the table can go undone, especially towards the end of the lunch rush as the room swarms with servers preparing for the next round, leaving the lingering tables wondering what happened. For a restaurant of this calibre, these things really aren't good enough but you get the impression that these issues will iron out as the restaurant matures.

As for value, you can apparently get a meal for £50 (or a set lunch for £25). However, if the fantastic food and opulent setting work the magic they're designed to, you'll probably spend a whole lot more. And won't regret a penny.

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