Pavyllon is the London outpost of renowned French chef Yannick Alléno, a man who has stacked up more than fifteen Michelin stars across his nineteen restaurants, more than most chefs dare to dream of.
Across his global empire, from Paris to Dubai, he is known for innovation, precision, and a deep commitment to French culinary tradition. This particular location is housed in the Four Seasons Hotel at Park Lane.
We visited on a Saturday night, which, in hindsight, might have been a mistake. The restaurant’s website shows a serene, elegant dining room. What we walked into was a loud, fast-paced scene, more Club Michelin than one-star restaurant.
The kitchen was operating at full swing, visible from the dining room and buzzing with activity. Club music pulsed through the air, forks clattered, trays banged, and yes, the chef had to shout to be heard, “Service!”, across the pass. The tempo was frantic, both in the kitchen and on the floor.
Snacks
The first dish landed on our table so fast it would put McDonald’s in the shame corner. And just as they cleared the starters then a tray stand was unfolded beside us, hinting that the mains were already on their way.
Thankfully, they held off for a while, but the message was clear. It was the kind of pace better suited to a nightclub turnover than a slow dinner.
I started with the Hamachi carpaccio with citrus dressing and pickled radish, a combination I usually love. Thinly sliced hamachi with a clean, bright citrus note makes for the kind of fresh and delicate starter I always look forward to. However, this version turned out more elaborate and floral, with a lot going on flavour-wise. It was good, just not what I had expected.
Hamachi – Citrus Dressing – Pickled Radish
For the main course, we ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu for two. There was not much cheese in it, and what little there was did not bring much flavour. The sauce followed the same pattern, polite, inoffensive, safe—and not a trace of excitement. What saved the dish was the crust and the chicken itself, which were flawless. Crisp, golden, and perfectly done.
The service was good, we give them that. The menu was appealing, and the wine list, like so many others nowadays, was painfully overpriced. We are seeing a clear trend where wine margins are creeping up to ridiculous levels.
Chicken Gordon Bleu– Yellow Jus
Another reflection that keeps coming back to us is the question of involvement. How many restaurants can one chef oversee before the soul starts to fade? We have seen it before with Daniel Boulud in New York, and again with Gordon Ramsay and Alain Ducasse and others. The more the empire grows, the more it starts to feel like a money machine running in automatic gear.
There is skill, yes, but the spark, the feeling of someone truly behind the food, gets lost. It makes us wonder whether we should stop going to restaurants where the chef is not in the kitchen.
There is no denying the craftsmanship at Pavyllon, but the experience felt too chaotic, too noisy, and too rushed to be truly enjoyable. It had all the Michelin gloss, just running on fast-forward.
April 2025
Dinner
No, we thought it was way to loud and busy for our preference.
No, we did not think the dishes live up to the bill in the end.
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