We have a team of specialists in place to ensure you’re always dining at the right place for you. Head of restaurants, Hernan Castro-Vidal, explains how his team can help.
What makes the team at lifestyle concierge the experts?
Each of our specialists has a genuine passion for eating out, and expertise in a specific type of cuisine. They have strong one-to-one working relationships with maitre d’s at the UK’s top restaurants, meaning they can often access tables that aren’t usually offered to the general public. We’ll usually know which dishes are special – because we’ve tasted them ourselves – but we can also tell you what the best table in the house is for lively banter, secluded romance, or thrashing out a business deal.
How does the team know the best places to dine?
We keep right on top of changes. So whenever a new restaurant joins the throng, a kitchen swaps its head chef, or an established eatery gets a revamp, we’ll know about it – and, therefore, so will you. Among our recent visits, highlights include Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Hakkasan Mayfair, Bar Boulud and Savoy Grill. We're looking forward to new openings for 2011 from Jason Atherton, Wolfgang Puck and Caprice Holding's 34. We keep up to date with the latest changes to the Michelin Guide and are quick to visit all the new additions. We’ve also interviewed Viajante’s Nuno Mendes, and asked Texture’s head sommelier to spill her know-how on the wonders of champagne. We share stories such as these with discerning diners in a weekly email and quarterly ezine.
How can lifestyle concierge help me?
We can reserve you a table at the chef's table in many of the UK's top restaurants or organise for a Michelin-starred chef to come to your home and cater for a dinner party; we’ve organised for members to take advantage of great offers on home deliveries of wine and meals in top restaurants; and we’ve helped several members arrange memorable marriage proposals in special surroundings. These are just a few examples of how we can create excellent experiences. Above all, it’s our personal knowledge of individual restaurants and our relationships with those who run them that mean we can pass on the kind of tips that make all the difference.
What advice do you have to offer a foodie?
As well as being clued up on venues and menus, we’re also switched on when it comes to ingredients, and keep a watchful eye on trends and seasonality. Right now we’re telling members where they can tuck into white asparagus and locally-sourced lamb – whether that’s in a gastropub or somewhere more deluxe. We'll also advise where you can enjoy a great meal at a reduced price without compromising service or quality, as there are some super set lunch menus available at well-known restaurants such as Le Gavroche, Alain Ducasse and Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road.
How can I use lifestyle concierge’s services?
Whether you know exactly where you want to go for dinner and need us to book you a table, or you’re travelling to somewhere for the first time and would like a few recommendations from someone who knows the area, we are able to offer assistance. We can advise on what to order, where to sit and where to go after, just let us know how many are eating and which evening you’d like to go.
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