Swede Mikael Jonsson became a professional chef in his mid forties when he opened his restaurant Hedone in London last year. Mikael trained as a chef many years ago in Sweden before going on to work as a lawyer. He has always had a passion for food and cooking which can be seen in his blog Gastroville and used to advise Michelin starred restaurants where to source their ingredients from, so it was only natural that in time he opened his own.

We arrived on an autumn evening to a bustling friendly  & informal atmosphere and were seated at our “Kitchen Bar” seats that I had requested, which as the name suggests overlooks a relatively large open kitchen. We ordered the Tasting Menu and waited for the show to start. Once again I was in a restaurant that obviously cared about its sourcing of ingredients and the seasons they come from.

My favourite dishes were all of them! But I particularly loved the Hare Royale, Roasted Breast & Leg of Grouse with Figs, Rowan Berries & Offal Toast (just awesome), 55 days aged Black Angus – it was cooked just as Mikael likes it “Crousti-bleu” which he writes about on his blog here  – & The Chocolate bar. Aurelie Jean-Marie-Flore and her front of house team chose our wine perfectly.

It was a great evening and I am looking forward to returning, but I have some catching up to do on food critic Andy Hayler who has been to Hedone over 30 times! Another professional food critic Marina O’Loughlin said this about Mikael Jonsson in September 2011 – “He might be the bravest food blogger in the history of the pursuit but has he got the balls of steel for the long run?” The Michelin guide may have answered her question by awarding him a Star in 2013. I am sure there is an irony here somewhere.

The £75 Tasting Menu is well worth it. For the Hedone website click here. (Click on a photo to start slideshow)