Occasionally, I want to go all out and indulge in fine dining. I have had Park Chinois on my list for a while after I saw the restaurant getting fitted out many moons ago. Was it any good? Time to find out…
Ideal for:
Having an exciting fusion Chinese dinner in a plush setting.
When you want to have a blowout meal after bonus time.
That special date night or a milestone birthday meal.
Ambience & Décor
The décor of Park Chinois looked like a 1930’s jazz club, complete with swish red velvety chairs, copper fixtures, plush upholstery, all housed in an ornate room that was dimly lit. As fine dining décor goes, this was a beautiful, intimate setting. The demure ambience was perfect for the live jazz and hold conversations.
Service
All waiters were smartly dressed, and very slick in their service. It really was impressive given how busy Park Chinois was.
Food
The food was French Chinese fusion and we ordered plenty to the point the bill was a stupendous £250 per head (inclusive of alcohol and tips). To start, we had Crispy Chilli Chicken, Szechuan Peppers (see left), Salt & Pepper Squid and Soft-Shell Crab, Birds Eye Chilli, Curry Leaf (see left). The Chilli Chicken’s heat came from the mound of chillies it was served on as opposed the chicken itself which was unexpected and disappointing. The squid was nothing special yet was seasoned well, but the winner was the crab. The chilli gave a kick without overpowering and the curry leaf gave that Indian twist to a beautifully cooked crab encased in a well-seasoned, not oily, light batter.
The mains fared better. The standouts were the Cantonese roast duck, Champagne, Orange Sauce (see right) and the Grilled Sea Bass, Spicy Bean Sauce (see below). At a combined price of £110, I wanted these to wow, and they did. The portions were extremely generous for fine dining, and the flavours were all classics that were done well. I do not order fish for fear of disappointment, but not only was the fish perfectly flaky, but the spicy sauce was just so delicious. I would return for these two dishes. Other mains ordered were the Crispy Corn Fed Chicken, Chilli, Mango Sauce, and the Hakka Paneer & Seasonal Peppers. The heat from the chilli and sweetness from the mango worked well and the chicken was well seasoned.
Once again, the portion of this was generous. The paneer needed to be spicier, and I think was a tad meek, given Hakka Paneer is meant to have an explosion of flavour and taste. The Yangzhou Fried Rice was the perfect tasty foil to some of these dishes. Small shout to the Moulin Rouge cocktail (Haku Japanese Vodka, Honey infused with Lavender, Rhubarb, Raspberry, Citrus) as it was heavenly, to the point I had three. Given how much we spent, we did get one complimentary dessert as a palate cleanser (see top picture), but all were nice without wowing.
Park Chinois had all the facets of a success story; sexy Mayfair location, beautiful setting, and a comprehensive fusion menu, but I felt the dinner was not worth the astronomical price paid. When you spend so much, every item must be perfect, and they just were not, and for that reason, Park Chinois gets a B rating.
Photos of Park Chinois and more can be found on Instagram here.
Final grade: B
Final comment: Park Chinois had all the glitz, but some of the food lacked the sparkle.
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