Really earning each of the two Michelin stars that it currently holds, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley is a treat for the senses – and not one that has to come at a prohibitive price.

The Venue
The five-star Berkeley Hotel is the frankly stunning setting for Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley. Located equidistant between Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge tube stations (and a stone’s throw from Harrods), this hotel offers a beautiful building with suited doormen and a subtle embossed Berkeley sign. And stepping inside, the luxury is obvious.

The restaurant itself, however, is more understated. It’s sophisticated in its lack of overt glamour. Decked out almost entirely in a warm claret colour, the restaurant feels cosier than you might expect for a two Michelin star venue inside one of London’s best hotels. Decorative flourishes are also kept simple with a glass abacus being a centrepiece and white floral displays adding a certain hint of luxury. These flashes of white, stark against the warm claret, are further perpetuated with frames of white circles sat in front of the windows, which flood the room with light during the day. The tables themselves are well spaced out – so you’re not sat elbow-to-elbow with your neighbour – and are immaculately presented. It’s an almost overwhelming attention to detail.

The Atmosphere
Make no mistake, this is where London’s privileged elite come to play on a regular basis, from business meetings and schmoozing clients to celebrating their latest money-making successes. It’s certainly not just the domain of hotel guests – far from it. However, it’s also a place where your average Londoner come to celebrate big occasions, enjoying the pitch-perfect service and startling observation of fine-dining etiquette. Dress to impress, sit back and enjoy. And that is so easily done.

The Food
Boy are your taste buds in for a treat. This is an experience in gastronomic genius. Yes, it’s expensive – you’re looking at £80-£100 per head and that’s before you factor in wine and service – but you can enjoy this restaurant for much, much less by visiting at lunchtime. The lunch menu costs £30 for two courses (£38 for three) and allows the average diner to treat themselves even when the economy is looking as gloomy as it is. And the quality of the cuisine does not falter despite not being the showier evening menu.

Starting with canapes and amuse bouche, you begin with a little teaser of what’s to come – stunningly presented pieces of artwork that you’ll gobble down in one mouthful only for your mouth to explode with flavour. To begin, the Colchester rock oysters are beautifully presented on a large platter of ice that glistens in the sunlight. Perfectly fresh with a salty undertone, they’re accompanied by vinegary pickled vegetables, hot chilli and, unusually, orange. Who knew the sweet citrus flavour of orange went so well with oysters? Marcus Wareing did, apparently. Show off.

The main courses further showcase the skills of the kitchen, utilising simple ingredients. For example, the sustainable Cornish pollock is light and fresh, mixing with sweet tomatoes, a strong hit of garlic, crunchy green beans and tangy onion. In any other kitchen this would be a rather dull dish, in Marcus Wareing’s kitchen it’s a masterpiece, mixing flavours and textures for explosions of taste that linger in the mouth. It’s eclipsed only by the other main course option on the menu of smoked ham hock with soft potato, a rich, filling egg and sharp, sweet pineapple. Something you may expect to find in a greasy spoon (well almost), the kitchen manages to make this surpass that of most fine dining restaurants with their far fancier meats (who needs veal, foie gras and venison?). You’ll never look at ham hock the same way again – or pineapple, for that matter. Although it’s so prettily presented that it may depress you to dismantle it.

The Drink
You can get lost in the wine menu, with over 800 options to trawl through, and a skew towards French bottles covering every region and grape you can possibly imagine. Best leave the choice up to the excellent sommeliers who offer great recommendations to match your budget and food selections. If you have money to spend and want to really sample the menu then on Friday and Saturday evenings a wine menu is available at £60 to complement the Du Jour menu, or £105 to match the Gourmand menu. Or you can really splash the cash on a fine wine selection to match the menus at £195 or £210 respectively. But that would have to be one very special occasion.

The Last Word
Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley is everything that the Michelin judges have promised it will be. Enjoy it on a budget or really splash out; either way, add it to your must visit list now.

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