Marcus

British Restaurant in Knightsbridge

Two Michelin stars

Marcus
Marcus image
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10 / 10 from 7 reviews
Address
The Berkeley
Wilton Place
Knightsbridge
London
SW1X 7RL
Map
Telephone
020 7235 1200
Cuisine
British
Region
Knightsbridge
Nearest Station
Hyde Park Corner
0.08 miles
Opening Summary
Mon-Sat: 12pm-2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm
Restaurant Facilities

Disabled Facilities

Children Welcome

Credit Cards Accepted

Booking Advisable

After an extensive refurbishment, the former Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley has reopened as Marcus.

The new interiors masterfully reflect and complement the modern, fresh approach that Marcus Wareing has taken across the board with the relaunch of his eponymous two Michelin starred restaurant. The new ‘look’ exudes cool sophistication; a carefully considered blend of timeless elegance, clean, classical lines and a refined colour palette provides a fresh, inviting and relaxing backdrop for Marcus and his team to thrill and enchant their guests. Marcus remains at the helm, working closely with Head Chef Mark Froydenlund.

The essence of the food has been retained but has been updated. The menus deliver modern European food with a British influence characterised by the finest produce, exacting execution and creative flair. Tasting plates are an innovative new offering, as is the option of ordering just one course at lunch (from £12).

The À la carte now priced at £85 for three courses.

The Lunch menu is now priced at £55 for five courses.

The Taste menu starts at £105, both available for lunch and dinner.

Marcus Picture Gallery

Marcus Picture
Marcus Picture
Marcus Picture
Marcus Picture
Marcus Picture
Marcus Picture
Marcus Picture
Cumbrian rose veal neck, beetroot,
Cumbrian rose veal neck, beetroot,
Sourdough bagel, rarebit, Worcester
Sourdough bagel, rarebit, Worcester
Marcus at the Berkeley
Marcus at the Berkeley
Octopus, chilli, lime, English wasa
Octopus, chilli, lime, English wasa
Slow roast Goosnargh duck, chicory,
Slow roast Goosnargh duck, chicory,
Chef's Table at Marcus
Chef's Table at Marcus
Pear, smoked pecan, maple syrup
Pear, smoked pecan, maple syrup
Venison haunch, burnt onion, cep
Venison haunch, burnt onion, cep
Scallop, bacon broth, sweetcorn, ca
Scallop, bacon broth, sweetcorn, ca

All In London Review

Excellent food, warm and luxurious surroundings and faultless service

Knowing the restaurant has hit the top of the ‘All In One Ultimate Restaurant List’ for the year means that I go armed with very high expectations for my evening at the much celebrated ‘Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley’. I am almost apprehensive as we pull up and the lovely doorman opens the cab door – the closest to star treatment I’ve had in a while - as I don’t want it to disappoint.

Once in the Berkeley lobby, the restaurant is accessed via a dark door at the end of the Caramel Room; I knew the restaurant was there, but still felt as though I was entering a private members club or mysterious rendezvous point; perhaps that’s the idea and is meant to add to a sense of exclusivity.

We plucked up the courage to enter the door (was Narnia beyond?!) and were warmly greeted by all members of staff that were present between the entrance and our table, which was five I counted! Only a quarter or so of the tables were occupied on our arrival for a 7pm reservation; somewhat of a surprise given that it was such a struggle to get a table. When the restaurant was fully occupied about an hour and a half later the penny dropped; this isn’t the kind of place that tries to turn the tables half-way through the evening. You come here to linger, to soak the atmosphere, to feel flattered by the oh-so attentive service; oh yes, and to eat.

The table and the surroundings were beautiful; elegant rather than kitsch chandeliers, rich and warm (read opulent!) plum colours rather than clinical white, and bold circle motifs and flower arrangements rather than a clinical backdrop that one may have expected of a restaurant in this class. I noticed the table cloth; just white, but so crisp, so perfectly ironed, so symmetrical; there had clearly been much attention paid to even such a relatively small detail.

Moments after we sat down the beautiful, grand, even theatrical champagne trolley made its entrance, accompanied by the young but knowledgeable and friendly Sommelier. Three champagnes were on offer, the cheapest at a ‘mere’ £14.50 a glass (we indulged) going up to a Bollinger special cuvée (I didn’t ask the price, but doubt my credit card would have gone the distance!). Not really a champagne expert, but having been to quite a few well-to-do weddings and enjoyed a trip to the Champagne region a few years ago, I feel that I’m qualified enough to say, this one really was absolutely delicious. The Sommelier had selected his offering well.

The wine list (perhaps more accurately the unwieldy volume/bible/encyclopaedia) arrived shortly after with a vast selection of fine wines from across the world, including lesser known vintages and varieties, as well as regions. It was like standing in front of the toothpastes at the supermarket; far too much to choose from to make a fully informed decision. We decided to go with the Sommelier selection to match each part of the meal instead. Just FYI though, I did spot quite a few bottles at £35, which for well-selected wine in a restaurant such as this seemed to be pretty decent value to me.

I had the vegetarian menu (which I realise is rather inappropriate in a French fine-dining restaurant!), whist my companion had the standard menu. To get the minor criticisms out of the way early, I found two courses (‘Goat’s curd, shallot, bread’ and ‘Wild mushrooms, cauliflower textures, almonds’) barely luke-warm so much so that I wasn’t clear if they were being served as cold salads or hot dishes. In addition the bread served with the former was burnt and so detracted from some of the other delicate flavours, whilst the shallots were quite tough and therefore difficult to cut with a standard knife. The burnt bread issue was replicated on the clusters that were served on my companion’s ‘Quail, goats curd, girolles, peas, caper butter’. He also said that this course was rather lacking in strong flavours (other than the bread!), which was a shame, given that his first two had been so deliciously full of flavour. The Foie gras to start for example, can be rather metallic and overbearing; here it was perfectly balanced with the accompanying blackberries and cobnuts, delicate and perfectly judged.

Highlights for both of us were the main courses: ‘Falafel, onion, cornichon and pink peppercorn yoghurt’ in my case, and ‘Beef, cucumber, raspberries, nasturtium’ for my companion. Both dishes stood out as truly unique, beautifully presented and brimming with complimenting and delicious flavours. The pudding too was outstanding. We both had ‘Earl Grey tea parfait, milk, caramelised honey, sable’ which is something neither of us would ordinarily have chosen from a full menu. However the Earl Grey worked so beautifully and delicately in the parfait, never overpowering, and the whole dish was so much lighter than I expected; rounding off the delicious meal perfectly.

Over and above the wonderful flavours we enjoyed, I felt that the service during the entire evening was head and shoulders above anything I have experienced elsewhere. It was all seamless and faultless. Rather than being allocated a waiter to the table, each person clearly had areas of responsibility which meant that we had perhaps six or so different staff attending to our table. This could have made it less personal, less friendly, but instead each person took the time to engage in conversation with us when appropriate and treat us individually. At no point were we left waiting, was anything missed, anything brought twice or was a mistake made. To achieve that level of teamwork in what came across as an effortless way, was exceptional.

The seven course set menu with the addition of amuse bouche and petit fours came in at around £100 a head. With the wine selection and service this was around £200 per head. Add to that the champagne and coffee (the latter of which I did think it was rather stingy not to include in a near £100 set menu!) and it was closer to £250 a head. Clearly this isn’t a price level that would allow this to become a weekly fixture, but something that can be indulged in as a special occasion, and special it will certainly be.

p.s. I wanted to award a 9.5 out of 10

Reviewed by All In London
Published on Sep 12, 2011


In The News

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The All In One Ultimate Restaurant List Interview: Marcus Wareing

One of London’s Top 100 Restaurants 2013

Best For

The best chef's tables in London picture

The best chef's tables in London

Be part of the kitchen action

Marcus Wareing is a rather more relaxed man than Ramsay, therefore rather than throw his diners in at the deep end he allows them to oversee the kitchen’s goings-on without actually being in it, in an exclusive, air-conditioned room that caters to a maximum of ten people. Expect to pay upwards of £150 a head for dinner.

London's best Fine Dining Restaurants picture

London's best Fine Dining Restaurants

So much more than just a dandy plate of food

What should one expect from a fine dining establishment? A super-plush interior? Service that makes you feel like royalty? Flavours so good they linger in the mouth for hours after the meal, and prices that make your eyes water? Wareing’s restaurant has all this in spades.

Our pick of Michelin-starred restaurants picture

Our pick of Michelin-starred restaurants

The most influential gastronomic ratings in Europe

Complicated dishes that are beautifully presented, wonderfully combined flavours, a plush dining room and eyebrow-arching prices are usual prerequisites where fine dining restaurants are concerned, and Marcus Wareing’s eatery ticks all the boxes.

Our pick of London's award-winning restaurants picture

Our pick of London's award-winning restaurants

These have all picked up a gong or two... or three

The list of awards is as long as your arm, but the most prominent ones include two Michelin stars, 5 AA Rosettes, number 3 in The Sunday Times Food List 2010, Chef of the Year for Marcus Wareing in the 2009 GQ Men of the Year awards, and of course, top place in our very first All in One Ultimate Restaurant List in 2011.

Our pick of London's celebrity chef-backed restaurants picture

Our pick of London's celebrity chef-backed restaurants

Have wossisname off the telly poach your egg

Marcus has worked at Le Gavroche, L’Oranger and The Savoy Grill, but it was competing in The Great British Menu, where he prepared dessert for the Queen’s 80th birthday that brought him the most fame. Sample his modern European cuisine at award-winning Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley.

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Our pick of London's best hotel restaurants

You'll find some of London's best dining

The swanky Berkeley hotel in Knightsbridge has a suitably impressive restaurant, with the talented Wareing at the helm. The double Michelin-starred eatery serves modern European cuisine with a nod to French influences.

London's restaurants rated best for service picture

London's restaurants rated best for service

We celebrate London's outstanding service

Providing faultless service with just a touch of theatre, the staff take such great care of the diners that a meal here becomes a flattering experience. The sumptuous dining room which was recently refurbished and the beautifully presented food is enough to make anyone feel like a VIP.

User Reviews

Jonathan Roger
from London

Aug 8, 2013

Had an incredible meal here. The food and service are without fault... but the highlight for me was the custard tart (which Marcus served to the Queen, don't you know) which accompanies your coffee. Even better than my grandmother's custard tart - and that's saying something!
Charles
from Dulwich

Aug 6, 2013

Wow, what a fantastic experience. As with the other reviewers we also had the tasting menu and found the whole evening very special. As mentioned it's not cheap but it's not something you'll do very often. If you love fine dining then there can't really be many other places at this level?
Dean
from London

Jul 31, 2013

An amazing dining experience, went a while ago so can't remember all the dishes but we had the tasting menu with matched wines. I've not had anything like this since and I'm hoping to go again soon, would recommend it to anyone.
Paul
from West Midlands

Jan 14, 2013

I had the Chef's Menu and the Sommelier's Wine Choices here and, to date, it's the best dining experience I've ever had!

It was all faultless: plush surroundings; the staff were attentive, friendly, efficient and not at all stuffy (rare in a high-end eatery); the wine was well matched to the food and served at degree-perfect temperatures... and the food...? The Chef's Menu was a journey through incredible ingredients, flavours and textures... and despite 8 courses and being well fed, I didn't feel bursting at the seams at the end of it all - it was incredibly well-balanced.

Name: Paul
Location: West Midlands
Gavin
from London

Jan 14, 2013

Had probably the best meal of my life here. The service is outstanding, the food is on a different level to anything I've had before at other restaurants that are apparently just as good according to the guide books.

The waiting staff had an almost sixth sense, 5 or 6 different people were serving our table but each knew what was going on and they didn't put a foot wrong. They managed this level whilst being friendly and not stuffy, not easy IMO.

The meal was expensive yes, but this restaurant is an experience that will stay with you forever, and to me that's priceless.

Name: Gavin
Location: London
Sooz

Sep 12, 2011

Had an amazing experience here.. the food was delicious and so beautiful on the plate, the staff were so friendly and unintimidating and I felt as though we weren't too out of place (despite not really being proper 'Foodies') so was much more at ease than in some other fine dining restaurants. Small tip - we had the Sommelier choice of wine with each course, and he didn't scrimp at all so by the end of the 7 courses and after the champagne to start, I was certainly feeling the effects! Would absolutely recommend for special occasions even to those who aren't used to 'posh' restaurants.
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