F&B year for Mandarin Oriental

London’s Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park is declaring 2010 the year of F&B with two new exciting outlets opening their doors.

The Knightsbridge property has joined forces with The Fat Duck Group to create the first London restaurant with Chef Heston Blumenthal and will also introduce the award-winning cuisine of Lyon-born chef Daniel Boulud to the UK for the first time when Bar Boulud opens in the hotel in spring.

Blumenthal, of the three Michelin starred The Fat Duck restaurant in Bray, Berkshire and The Hinds Head pub of the same village, has won international acclaim for his unique approach to cooking.

This first restaurant to open outside of the village of Bray will feature the chef’s inimitable style of culinary alchemy with a menu heavily influenced by his ongoing research into and discovery of historic British gastronomy. The new restaurant, the name of is yet to be decided, will seat 140 guests and serve lunch, dinner and afternoon tea.

The kitchen will be headed by Ashley Palmer Watts who has worked with Blumenthal at The Fat Duck for nine years in the capacity of Group Executive Chef.

Meanwhile, Boulud’s French-inspired bistro and wine bar, Bar Bouloud London, located at street level with its own entrance directly onto Knightsbridge, will follow the successful format of Bar Boulud in New York, which has achieved significant acclaim.

Next year will also see Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group manage the 85 luxurious residences — known as One Hyde Park — that are being developed on the site adjacent to the Knightsbridge hotel.