DB eats: Waldorf Astoria London Syon Park

A building site visit two months ago to this latest addition to the luxury Waldorf Astoria portfolio left me trusting uneasily in a competent team’s ability to overcome a supremely unpromising location.

For all the publicity about town meets country, Duchy of Northumberland cachet and the prospect of tai chi sessions in a 40 acre private garden just seven miles from both Heathrow airport and Hyde Park Corner, you can’t escape the fact that you’re staying next to a garden centre in suburban Brentford.

This doesn’t seem to bother the locals and, understandably, the first few weeks since the hotel finally opened its doors have seen many popping in to satisfy curiosity about this implausibly glamorous new neighbour.

For those without a car to sweep up the driveway, it’s a 40 minute train ride from Central London, followed by a 15 minute walk (if you know the short cut). In our case this was passed rather entertainingly by observing the stately progress of a local youth on a bicycle steering his shopping trolley of what might charitably be described as bric-a-brac down the middle of the dusky street.

It’s all refreshingly different from the approach to London’s other luxury hotels, but rather a gamble to assume the average Waldorf guest will appreciate this point of difference.

However, once welcomed inside by the doormen in their rather dashing astrakhan hats, past the live butterfly wall and the patisserie display to arrive in the Peacock Alley bar, you quickly settle into the reassuringly reliable glamour of the international luxury hotel universe.

The cocktails really are worth a splurge, even if you haven’t just navigated the railway gauntlet. Food & beverage director Erick Kervaon and his team have put together some ambitious, imaginative but very successful creations, which fit neatly with Syon Park’s heritage and the homegrown food offer.

The perfume spritz which accompanies Divine Enchantment, an eminently girly, deceptively drinkable blend of Champagne, raspberries, rose and geranium, may be overfussy for some, but the more masculine Brewer’s Feast cocktail was a real triumph.

A mix of Mette hop eau de vie, Bourbon and homemade ale syrup, this was a cleverly conceived, skilful extrapolation of a refreshing summer pint. More qualified cocktail experts will no doubt enjoy testing Peacock Alley’s confident claim to make the best Manhattan in the UK, as well as sampling the bar’s homemade vermouth.

And so to dinner. The Capability’s spacious dining room has been cleverly laid out to keep a sense of intimacy, even on a quiet Monday night. Executive chef Lee Streeton has put together a British-inspired menu, which in time will no doubt reap the benefits of his on-site vegetable and herb garden, as well as newly planted apple and pear trees.

Deprived of these treats for the moment, we tucked very happily into proper home-smoked salmon, a flavoursome haddock tart with poached quails’ eggs and a dish of Dorset snails, wild boar bacon, garlic and black pudding. Beautifully textured and balanced, the delicately patterned snail shells decorating the dish were a lovely touch to a punchy combination.

Next up came a sizeable, perfectly cooked sirloin steak, which arrived confidently alone on its plate – not that there would have been space for much else.

Having gorged himself on the same Aberdeen Angus/Charolais crossbred beef at Black & Blue a fortnight previously, my carniverous companion declared this a narrow but convincing winner, although, he insisted on adding, not quite up to the chart-topping excellence of the steak we had enjoyed a few months previously from the East London Steak Company.

I opted for a perfectly cooked, deliciously tender venison loin; such a treat when done well, so disappointing when the timing is misjudged.

The wine list was extensive, classically leaning and, bar a few Languedoc-style budget safety nets, significantly marked up. In this context our £104 choice of the Nuits-St-Georges Maison Roche de Bellene ’07, the current project from Nicolas Potel, seemed commendably modest. It was also tasty, with dark, youthful griotte cherry fruit adapting neatly to the various meaty dishes on the table.

Commendably, Kervaon outlined a plan to make much, if not all of the 180-strong wine list available by the glass, which may help mitigate the current bottle prices if such a project really does prove feasible.

Management roles excepted, the recruitment policy here has largely avoided the five star chain protegés, with the result that, while the team is highly trained and efficient, some charming cracks of character slip through and it is evident that many of the staff are excited and nervous in equal measure about their role in this major new venture.

The sommelier Paul and I even calculated we probably played tennis together near Cheltenham when we were eight. Us Cheltenham folk are used to long odds coming up, but that’s quite something.

Finally we attempted a test-drive of the puddings. Our weary palates may have had their critical faculties dulled by the onslaught of the previous few hours, but both the rhubarb with crisp-topped crème brûlée and the chocolate pudding with its salted caramel core were faultless and carefully portioned to a size that was elegant yet sufficient to force us to admit defeat.

If you’re paying top, Central London luxury hotel restaurant prices, as you certainly are here, then the last thing you want is to leave feeling remotely short-changed on the satiety front.

In Central London, the "playful luxury" theme which pervades this hotel would doubtless command more of the critical limelight. In all other respects the bar and restaurant here are very much on a par with the rest of the capital’s high-end hotel offer.

However, the nagging question remains: is the Waldorf Astoria’s reputation enough to tempt sufficient customers out to splurge in this dreary corner of south west London? It’s not an enviable headache to have, but we’ll just have to watch and see if this ambitious luxury gamble pays off.

For a profile and interview on London Syon Park, click here

The Waldorf Astoria London Syon Park,
Syon Park,
Brentford,
Middlesex
TW8 8JF

Tel: +44 (0)207 807 7777
Web: www.waldorfastoria.com

Gabriel Savage, 22.03.2011