THE BILTMORE MAYFAIR
I’d never expect an onion to be my reason to want to return to a hotel, but those served at the Biltmore Mayfair are the most delicious I’ve eaten. In fact, since it opened a few months ago, the ‘onion flowers’ are perhaps the most-raved-about thing on the menu at The Betterment, the hotel’s signature eatery and one of four dining spots, masterminded by Pollen Street Social’s Jason Atherton. After an evening check-in, we head straight here, first ordering two glasses of delicious Champagne, produced on a tiny family-run vineyard, from the Champagne trolley (a classy touch). Then, we devour dinner, starting with Isle of Skye langoustine crudo with miso and berries, and Brixham crab with rosewater (both great). Lobster, rib-eye steak, venison and grouse are also offered and there’s a separate vegetarian/vegan menu, too. This is where the onion side dish comes in – a whole bulb, cut into petals, dusted with onion powder, deep fried and served with a chive emulsion (aka a herby mayonnaise). It’s sweet, crunchy and magnificent.
The rest of the Biltmore (which is a stone’s throw from Oxford Street and Marble Arch) is as luxurious as the food. The chandeliers glitter, the floral displays are enormous and the rooms are plush; ours has a curved banquette in the corner, a view across the square and a pleasingly powerful walk-in shower. Breakfast is as reassuringly extravagant as everything else – piles of smoked salmon, creamy scrambled eggs, sourdough and excellent coffee. If you are a foodie, and you don’t mind paying £8 for an out-of-this-world onion, this really is the place for you. SARAH TOMCZAK
TRIP NOTES Rooms from £550, lxrhotels3.hilton.com/lxr/biltmore-mayfair