Hélène Darroze’s eponymous three-starred restaurant at Mayfair’s luxurious The Connaught Hotel takes guests on truly breathtaking journey of French cuisine combined with plenty of international influences, where each menu is an original work of culinary art, where each dish is grounded in seasonal produce sourced from the farmers, makers and growers carefully chosen by Hélène.
HÉLÈNE DARROZE AT THE CONNAUGHT was opened in 2010, and half a year later received its first Michelin star, in 2011 — the second. After a complete renovation and modernization, the restaurant reopened in 2019 and was awarded the third star of the prestigious guide in 2021.
From personally tailored menus to the artfully designed dining room, HÉLÈNE DARROZE AT THE CONNAUGHT is an elegant expression of craft.
Born in Mont de Marsan in Les Landes, Southwestern France, Hélène is the fourth generation from a family of chefs. She grew up instilled with a deep respect for her own regional culture and ingredients and immersed herself in the discipline and values of fine dining. After completing her business degree at L’Ecole Supérieure de Commerce in Bordeaux, she moved to Monaco where she worked with Alain Ducasse in his Le Louis XV, awarded with three Michelin stars, at the famous Hotel De Paris.
In 1995, she returned to her home region of Les Landes, when her father gave her the keys to the kitchen of the family-run, Relais & Châteaux affiliated restaurant in Villeneuve-de-Marsan. This allowed Hélène to refine her culinary style with family support.
However, Hélène sought to build her own career and, returning to Paris, opened her own restaurant Hélène Darroze, in the heart of Saint-Germain des Prés on the Left Bank. The restaurant received international acclaim and was awarded two Michelin stars.
Building on the success of Paris, Hélène opened her first restaurant outside of France, HÉLÈNE DARROZE AT THE CONNAUGHT in London.
Here guests will find The Dining Room with an open kitchen The Chef’s Table, Art à la Table and a special Armagnac room. The interior of the restaurant was designed by French interior architect Pierre Yovanovitch. Blush shades, curved lines, and deep velvet and leather seating reflect the restaurant’s warm, approachable ethos.
A bespoke chandelier made of hand-blown glass with blue lacquered, wrought-iron adds a contemporary contrast, alongside the individual oak tables with dramatic red ceramic lacquered metal bases. In addition, the two unique paintings by artist Damien Hirst, commissioned by The Connaught, have been reinstalled and sit on opposite sides of the restaurant as guests enter. Almost every element is custom-made, once again placing craftsmanship in the limelight.
In the Photo: CAVIAR • “Kristal” – Thousand Islets Lake • Crab “Exangurro”, cucumber, lime
Hélène was actively involved in the restoration of the restaurant, investing £70 million in it. And besides the restaurant, she is also responsible for the catering services in the hotel.
In the Photo: SNAIL • Wimborne – Dorset • Wild mushroom, Piedmont hazelnuts, guanciale, lemon thyme
Hélène’s cuisine is an opportunity to share her greatest pleasure with others: creating dishes that are dear to her and her guests. Her creative flair brings self-expression that uses emotion as a starting point and is bound by the common thread of authenticity, resulting in dishes and menus full of instinct and emotion, yet always remaining faithful and sensitive to the absolute quality of their core ingredients.
In the Photo: SEA BASS • Newlyn – Cornwall • Chestnut, salsify, endive, ‘Matelote’ sauce
“My restaurants are restaurants built around authenticity. My quest is always to find the best ingredients, — tells Hélène Darroze. — The produce from my native country (South Western France) but also local produce to the restaurant. It is now more than ever important to support local producers. It is not because it is convenient, but rather because I know the work and ethos that go into producing each ingredient. Each and every produce has its legitimacy to be served at my table. My main goal is to give pleasure to people. I put a lot of myself on every plate. There is always an emotion that reflects me (my trips, my roots, my education, my county) behind every dish or act of service”.
Each meal starts with a seasonal consommé to gently cleanse, open the palate and begin the dining experience. Guests can then choose dishes based on the provenance of each key ingredient. Menus adapt more frequently to fully embrace the changes in British weather and micro-seasons.
Using the very best seasonal ingredients remains an integral part of Hélène’s cuisine, and she meticulously selects the best products from her native Landes, the French Pace-Basques and the British Isles.
Passionately obsessive about the quality and origins of her ingredients, Hélène lives by the philosophy that the star of any dish is not created by the chef but by the finest ingredients that make up the plate.
In the Photo: A5 WAGYU BEEF • Gunma prefecture – Japan • Celeriac, ‘King Edward’ potato, sage
“Every dish I have ever created is part of who I am — not just of my work and travels, but also of my family and teams, past and present and of the incredible artisanal suppliers I have come to know and respect, — explains Hélène. — Now with just over ten remarkable years in London, I have the opportunity to focus even more on the outstanding quality from some of Britain’s greatest producers and suppliers. Over the years, they have become a growing part of the menus at The Connaught and perfectly complement my long-standing relationships with the finest producers from Southwest France. The refurbishment has afforded me a perfect platform to showcase them at their very best.”
The Tandoori lobster with carrot, citrus, and coriander is one of Hélène’s signature dishes and one of the experience’s highlights from a client perspective.
In the Photo: FIG • Alain Lieutaud – Var, France • Marigold, goat’s cheese
To the menu, you can choose both wine accompaniment, developed by the restaurant sommelier, and items from the Wine List.
The Wine List includes some of the finest wines in the world, with a collection of over 3,000 bins and a total of more than 20,000 bottles. Wines have been chosen explicitly through tastings, monthly trips and visits to the essential wine regions in Europe and worldwide. Above all, the wines reflect the unique and special bond Hélène and her team have with the producers.
Armagnac plays a significant role here, too — a distinctive style of French brandy and the oldest French eau-de-vie dating back to 1310. It is also a signature feature of the restaurant. Hélène’s family have been devoted to Armagnac for three generations.
Darroze Armagnacs are considered by spirit lovers as some of the finest available, and today their cellars hold over 250 different Armagnacs from thirty estates and fifty vintages.
In the Photo: SIGNATURE BABA • Armagnac Darroze • Raspberry, long pepper, Sarawak pepper
HÉLÈNE DARROZE: “What motivates me every day is to give joy to my guests. People come to our restaurant to have a beautiful experience and to be happy. It is our responsibility to deliver. That is my motivation each day and the reason why I question myself and want to keep pushing forward. I find lots of inspiration in my travels, but my biggest one is Les Landes and the Basque country, where I grew up. It’s the foundation of my cuisine. I’ve always been surrounded by such amazing ingredients. It gave me the constant desire to give happiness through food.”
In addition to Michelin recognition, Hélène received the Veuve Clicquot Award for Best Female Chef 2015 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Hélène is also a co-founder of the charitable association “La Bonne Etoile”, which helps children from disadvantaged families.
And in 2012 she was admitted into the French Legion of Honour as a Chevalier (Knight) by President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Hélène Darroze at The Connaught
www.the-connaught.co.uk/helene-darroze-at-the-connaught
Address: The Connaught, Carlos Pl, Mayfair, London W1K 2AL
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday
Lunch: 12pm – 2pm
Dinner: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Contacts:
Telephone: 020 3147 7200
Email: helenedarroze@the-connaught.co.uk
Instagram: @helenedarrozeattheconnaught
Text: Marina Timo
Photo courtesy: EATWEEKGUIDE
