On a cold day in London there's one sure way to heat things up; order a dish that requires being set fire to at your table. Here's our pick of where to find London's best flambéed fireworks in London restaurants.
The baked Alaska at The Barley Mow
82 Duke Street, London W1K 6JG
Head to the very comfortable dining room upstairs at this Mayfair pub and you’ll find a dessert menu that includes a classic Baked Alaska. It’s doused in rum before being set alight. If you can’t find anyone to share that with you, opt for the crepes Suzette instead.
Steak Diane at The English Grill
39 Buckingham Palace Rd, London SW1W 0PS
The main restaurant at this hotel right beside Buckingham Palace prides itself on its tableside theatres. And they certainly go all out when it comes to serving up their main dish of Steak Diane with a virtuoso bit of flambeeing which almost hits the ceiling.
The chicken tikka at Punjab
80 Neal St, London WC2H 9PA
London and indeed the UK’s oldest North Indian restaurant (it opened way back in 1951) has built quite the reputation for its chicken tikka which arrives sizzling at the table before being anointed with a shot of brandy and then being set on fire.
The lobster spaghetti at 45 Jermyn Street
45 Jermyn St, St. James's, London SW1Y 6JD
This St James restaurant loves a bit of tableside theatrics from the caviar trolley doing the rounds to two always-on mains that are set on fire beside you. There’s a flambé beef Wellington, but our choice would be the lobster spaghetti which comes with a generous amount of brandy.
Rabbit from a hat at Park Row
77 Brewer St, Soho, London W1F 9ZN
Not strictly flambe, as the fire in question doesn’t actually touch the food, but this starter at the DC Comics-inspired restaurant does involve a magician's top hat being set alight before revealing the rabbit and smoked chicken terrine underneath.
Apple tarte fine at the Ivy Cafes and Brasseries
Across town
Head to any of the Ivy Cafes around town for a dessert that will warm any frozen hearts. The apple tarte fine is topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream after which a saucepan of flaming Calvados is poured all over it.
See also: Back at the original Ivy on West Street there’s a Baked Alaska with cherry sorbet that’s perfect for two.
Crepes Suzettes at The Ritz
150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR
The Ritz has been serving up Crepes Suzettes for 115 years now, so they ought to be pretty good at it by now. Served up in the hotel’s restaurant it’s part of the Ritz’s Arts de la Table menu which celebrates the joys of Gueridon service at your table.
See also: Oslo Court is known for its old-school menus and the Crepes Suzettes are always on the menu. And the newly-reopened Connaught Grill also has it on the menu.
Bananas Foster at the Colony Grill Room
8 Balderton Street, Brown Hart Gardens W1K 6TF
There’s a distinct Transatlantic bent to the menu at The Beaumont’s restaurant and this traditional New Orleans dish is a belter. Here it comes with ginger cake before being topped with flaming spiced rum.
Literally everything at Otto’s
182 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8EW
There probably isn’t a dish on their menu that Otto hasn’t wondered to himself whether it could be enhanced by being set on fire. In summer it’s gariguette strawberries, in winter there’s baked Alaska and the beef fillet is also flambeed with cognac. You can also order ahead for some specials like the pressed Anjou pigeons.
Photo: David Ellis
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