Dovetale

Between remembering to lay out seven forks per person and starching white tablecloths within an inch of their life, fancy hotel restaurants often forget to factor in the fun. But Dovetale, a British hotel restaurant in Mayfair, has a bit of frills (cloakroom, pristine service, a bathroom that looks like a spa) while keeping things light (normal amount of forks, diners who aren’t in business suits, make-your-own-sundae trolley). Don’t get us wrong, Dovetale is expensive. But instead of a tiny piece of monkfish and a story about its lineage for £67, you get satisfying plates like a whole turbot that’s big enough for three to share if you get the excellent roast potatoes on the side. Bread baskets filled with complimentary, still-warm mini baguettes are paraded around and seats by the fireplace in the courtyard are sought after. This is a hotel restaurant that doesn’t feel like a hotel restaurant, in the best way possible. 

photo credit: Jon Day

photo credit: Joe Woodhouse