Latest opening: Adam Handling Chelsea
What: A no-expense spared fine dining joint within the recently opened Belmond Cadogan Hotel. Dating from 1887, the property is made up of five conjoined townhouses and is now Belmond’s flagship hotel (the luxury hotel and leisure company’s portfolio also includes Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and The Cipriani in Venice). Located where Chelsea and Knightsbridge meet, The Belmond Cadogan Hotel is a luxurious but relatively understated property (rooms start at £500 a night).
Who: Err... Adam Handling. The Scottish-born chef trained under the late Andrew Fairlie and made his name at Westminster’s St Ermin’s Hotel and has now opened Frog-branded restaurants in Covent Garden and Shoreditch. Adam Simmonds is heading up the kitchen at Belmond Cadogan Hotel. His employment is quite a coup for Handling: Simmonds has won stars at Wales’ Ynyshir (then Ynyshir Hall) and at Buckinghamshire’s Danesfield House.
The vibe: With its own entrance on Pont Street, Adam Handling Chelsea is as restrained as the hotel itself with a muted colour palette, herring bone wooden floor and tasteful modern art. It’s a far cry from his other fine dining ventures which are a bit more casual in feel.
Handling's lamb wellington
The food: Handling has penned his most upmarket and ambitious menu yet. Most starters are around the £25 and most mains are £35 and over. There is a seven-course tasting menu priced at £120 with matching wines priced at an additional £150. While this price point is not out of step with the area, it’s nonetheless a big jump for Handling. The menu is on the safe side of creative, including the likes of butter-poached king crab, carrot and sorrel; Highland waygu beef with smoked bone marrow, shallots, caramelised white onion and miso puree; and poached rhubarb, saffron custard and jasmine tea sable.
And another thing: Handling oversees the entirety of the hotel’s F&B offer, from the contents of the mini bars to the breakfast, afternoon tea and room service.
