Bar Boulud at the Madarin Oriental in London has been on my ‘to-do’ list for nearly two years now and I finally had the chance for a visit recently. We were seated at a lovely, cozy corner booth for a late lunch, despite my making a reservation for the location in NYC. Whoops! Not to worry, apparently this happens all the time.

I was torn between a burger, steak frites, and moules frites. The server recommended moules, but I made a last minute call for steak. Girl was hungry! The portion of steak was perfect, fries were tasty (though a tad cold), and the whole plate came with a simple green salad and Bearnaise. The later two weren’t mentioned on the menu, but I was quite happy to find them.

Mum enjoyed a burger and we decided to stay for dessert after our neighbors each devoured their own tarte tatin. We shared one and were glad we did. It was buttery, rich, and not overly sweet. It was good, but not great.

Bar Boulud will absolutely be on my regular South Kensington/Knightsbridge location, but next round will definitely opt for a different dessert.