A Cut Above in Park Lane

The term ‘celebrity chef’ is one of the great irritations of modern life, like the congestion charge and Louis Walsh. Many who aspire to the title are no more ‘celebrities’ than the cast of Made in Chelsea; like them they just happen to be on TV, and some others are not ‘chefs’, they’re just cooks who have never faced the wrath of the Michelin men.

Wolfgang Puck, on the other hand, is both a celebrity and a chef. His world famous and ground-breaking Spago in Beverley Hills holds two Michelin stars and he has appeared in both The Smurfs movie (as, of course, Chef Smurf) and The Simpsons (as himself). If you want to chuck in that he also got a namecheck in no less iconic cultural artefact than Die Hard (by the evil baddie, Richard Thornburg who, when on the phone, reassures the person on the other end, “Of course we can get a table. I know Wolfgang personally. I interviewed him”) then it is clear a bona fide Hollywood star has arrived in town.

But is his food any good? Well, I have never eaten a better steak. And steaks are what Cut is about. It is a self-described ‘modern American steak restaurant’ but they also do some spectacular things with lobsters. Highlights were the Wagyu short ribs with Indian spices, slow cooked for eight hours. Spectacular and addictive. The sautéed scallops, with Yuzu Kosho butter, and the lobster with black truffle emulsion are both probably the best use of either main ingredient I have ever tasted.

The decor? 45 Park Lane (the micro-hotel from The Dorchester, a two-minute walk from the mothership) is breathtaking – a rich wo/man’s pleasure dome of Damien Hirst adorned walls, modern deco vistas and the best conference/screening room I have ever seen. The bar is the perfect place for a discreet power meet and in the restaurant they play Led Zeppelin, very quietly.

Some celebrity restaurant critics have complained about the prices. I won’t bore you but it’s probably best to budget for £100 a head if you want to enjoy yourself. But then: A) What did you expect? It’s Wolfgang Puck, on Park Lane, for the Dorchester, dummy. B) I suppose restaurant critics have to find something to complain about even when faced with one of London’s top five restaurants. And C) ‘Celebrity restaurant critic’? Don’t get me started… what kind of a job is that for a grown man?

Cut, 45 Park Lane, W1K 1PN; 45parklane.com