Reena Patel heads to Hilton London Syon Park to sample Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse Bar & Grill

When we heard that a celebrity chef has hung up his name above the restaurant doors at our local luxury hotel in London’s leafy Syon, we couldn’t help but resist the taste temptation.

So, here we were, ready to sample Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse Bar & Grill menu at the hotel’s former fine dining restaurant, which used to be called Capability.

Mr Husband and I arrived at the hotel’s bar on a Saturday evening to sample an aperitif from the revived cocktail menu before we took to the main dining area for our meal. He had a very well muddled Manhattan, while I sipped on a delicious citrus sherbet infusion of premium lemon infused vodka, shaken up with fresh mint and served ultra-chilled in a sugar rimmed martini glass.

We were both quick to notice how much busier and buzzier the bar and restaurant has become since the change in hands and revised menu has been introduced. Long gone are the formal airs and graces (although we thought the food and service at the previous restaurant was extremely exceptional) and instead, a more relaxed and down to earth approach charms the punters in.

Simple, honest, British food takes centre stage on Marco Pierre White’s menu. For our starters, we enjoyed gooey baked Camembert with fresh bread and crispy crab cakes with a lemon and herb mayonnaise dip. To follow, we moved on to classic, comfort-food mains of steak and chips with peppercorn sauce for Mr Husband and pan-fried sea bass with saffron, chorizo and a lemon and chilli butter sauce for myself. We also liked the sound of the roast rump of lamb with Dijon mustard served with Dauphinoise potatoes and the lemon and rosemary free range chicken with truffle chips, rocket and parmesan salad. To pair our three-course experience with wine, we highly recommend trying the Vidal Pinot Noir from New Zealand –robust enough to complement Mr Husband’s steak plate and packed with plenty of light, juicy fruitiness to work equally well with my fish dish.

Feeling full from our mains, we decided to share a dessert of sticky toffee pudding and requested for a serving of vanilla ice cream to go with it, which mellowed down the sweetness of the toffee caramel sauce. There’s a good selection of other desserts to choose from including classic bitter chocolate mousse, a Cambridge burnt cream and box tree Eton mess.

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill is handy when a Sunday roast just won’t cut it, or when you fancy a mid-week brasserie menu without the fuss.