It’s become a tradition that each year I treat my Dad to an experience for his birthday. In 2017 it was the Belmond Le Manoir Lunch and British Pullman train journey, and in 2018 I decided to take him for a champagne lunch at Gordon Ramsey’s Savoy Grill.
His birthday is just a few days before Christmas, so the restaurant were serving their Christmas set-menu which, despite offering a great variety of dishes, meant we pretty much had to go for the full Christmas roast…ya know, just to prep ourselves for the main event 😉
Whilst my Dad had been to the Savoy Grill before, it was my first time (although I have had Afternoon Tea at The Savoy, and cocktails in the American bar), and I was thrilled to discover that the Art Deco decor is very similar to the rest of The Savoy hotel. We took a seat in our curved booth and began our meal with a glass of champagne each before perusing the menu.
I chose to start with the delicious pork and pistachio terrine, whilst Dad opted for the salmon gravadlax.
For mains we both chose the full Christmas roast, which consisted of turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes, vegetables, gravy, cranberry sauce. It was absolutely incredible and one of the best roasts I have ever had. On Christmas Day Dad jokingly told mum hers wasn’t as good, which you can imagine didn’t go down too well – haha!
For dessert I chose the mulled wine poached pears. Sadly they weren’t as good as the mulled wine poached pears I had enjoyed at 100 Wardour Street the evening before with the girls, and I don’t think the cassis sorbet really worked, but alas, they were still tasty. Dad however chose the chocolate delice and after a little taste of it, I found it so moreish I had major dessert envy.
Just before we left one of the waiters wheeled out the Beef Wellington for the table next to us, and oh my goodness it looked INCREDIBLE. I’ve promised myself I’m going back to The Savoy Grill ASAP just to try their beef wellington! Also, the staff gave us two mini-mince pies with the bill which I thought was a really lovely festive touch!
We had the most delicious pre-Christmas birthday lunch and loved every minute of it. The food was exceptional, the restaurant itself absolutely beautiful, and the atmosphere were great for people watching but not so busy and noisy that you couldn’t hear what your companion was saying. I highly recommend dining at the Savoy Grill for a special occasion!
Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of SEO at Havas Media Group by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.
