The apex of fine dining
The décor at Mandhari is Indian themed and fits in with the traditionally classic luxury of the hotel as a whole. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Ceiling murals and chandeliers reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel set the stage for a grand dining experience.
- We began with their French onion soup, which was perfection. The slow-cooked broth base was clear and flavourful and the onions were caramelised, not burnt. It is a simple soup but it takes great skill to balance the different elements as they did.
- For our mains I chose the salmon, and my partner ordered the beef tenderloin. Our waiter and waitress brought our plates in shiny copper covers which they both lifted at the exact same time.
My partner and I recently dined at this restaurant to celebrate a milestone occasion.
The décor is Indian themed and fits in with the traditionally classic luxury of the hotel as a whole.
The restaurant is designed with rich mahogany carved wood panelling and fine art soapstone relief murals adorn the entire length of one wall.
Ceiling murals and chandeliers reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel set the stage for a grand dining experience.
The hostess, named Rose, and the Maitre D, welcomed us warmly after confirming our reservation. Our waiter, a young man with a strong accent whose name I forget, showed us to our table. He was quite jolly and offered us a choice of soft drinks, cocktails or the wine list to begin our evening. I ordered a pia colada and my partner ordered a mocktail.
GREAT SKILL
Victoria, a friendly young waitress, politely poured some bottled water into a carafe, which she then used to fill our water glasses.
She removed the other wine glasses, after which our waiter took our order. The chef’s special menu looked exciting but I was not very hungry so we chose the a la carte menu.
We began with their French onion soup, which was perfection. The slow-cooked broth base was clear and flavourful and the onions were caramelised, not burnt. It is a simple soup but it takes great skill to balance the different elements as they did.
For our mains I chose the salmon, and my partner ordered the beef tenderloin. Our waiter and waitress brought our plates in shiny copper covers which they both lifted at the exact same time.
Our portion sizes were large, and the accompaniments were extremely well presented.
We ordered fries and a side salad. Victoria wheeled an impressively arrayed table of fresh ingredients and created a bespoke salad for me. Meanwhile, the pia colada was so good I ordered a second one.
The beef was first-class – juicy and tender, served on a bed of crunchy vegetables and sauce.
My salmon was fresh and well-prepared, but was slightly on the acidic side.
PLEASENT SURPRISE
I find that salmon can be quite bland if not properly marinated. In my opinion, this particular marinade or the sauce could have used some cream or butter to cut the tart taste. The portion sizes were so generous we opted not to order dessert.
It is a good thing we didn’t because the staff presented us with a mini black forest cake, complete with complementary champagne. What a pleasant surprise!
We had some herbal tea to complete our relaxed evening. It came with a platter of homemade marshmallows, decadent macaroons and a nutty sweet treat whose name I forget.
The service was impeccable. The staff was friendly, polite and attentive without hovering. Our bill came to just under Sh10, 000.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Mandhari.
