What could be better on a warm Summer’s day in London than experiencing a luxurious champagne picnic in the park. Dukes London is a sophisticated British hotel, hidden discreetly away in St James and with a fascinating history.
Luxury London Champagne Picnic by Dukes London
Frequented by James Bond author Ian Fleming as well as musicians and royalty, Dukes London was awarded “AA London Hotel of the Year” and “England’s Leading Classic Hotel” at the World Travel Awards. Their service is second to none and their butler’s service champagne picnic in the park is great fun.
Shaken not Stirred
When you arrive at the quiet courtyard near Green Park where Dukes is located, have a look around before heading off for your picnic. As you can see, Sean Connery also made a visit to Dukes Bar – their martini is said to be the inspiration behind the classic line “shaken, not stirred“.
There’s a stunning Champagne lounge decorated in tones of green and rose to echo Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque champagne. The Cognac and Cigar Garden is a welcome outdoor retreat and THIRTY SIX by Nigel Mendham is a fine dining restaurant focusing on British cuisine, which we’ve since visited and thoroughly enjoyed.
Picnic in the Park
Now head for your luxurious picnic in the park. The butlers are charming, passionate about their jobs and about Dukes which they describe as like family.
They will prepare everything you need for a relaxing picnic and let you choose your preferred spot to set up the picnic.
We were so lucky with the weather, although they even provide shrugs and hot water bottles if it turns out to be less warm.
Once they have set up the picnic blanket and tablecloth, together with all the food treats, they leave you to enjoy time on your own. You can call a mobile number to let them know when you are ready to leave.
Inside the picnic hamper, there are a couple of stylish picnic champagne glasses, cutlery, crockery and even salt and pepper pots. We’d been thoughtfully supplied not only with Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut champagne, but also Blenheim Palace mineral water and Fever Tree Sicilian lemonade.
By now we had worked up a thirst for that champagne, and our butler kindly poured a glass before leaving. With subtle aromas of apricot and cherry, we savoured its delicate bouquet for a moment before unpacking our feast.
Apparently it works well for all occasions, whether seafood or hors d’oeuvres, so we knew it would be perfect for our picnic.
Our picnic spot was perfect – I was after sun so I could get a tan on my legs, and Mr Luxe was keen for some shade. The sunlight was dappling through the trees as we unwrapped our goodies.
Our luxury hamper was filled with a selection of British dishes by Nigel Mendham, Dukes London’s Michelin star awarded chef. Each dish is individually wrapped so you can open it when you wish – and what an appetizing selection.
Just let them know if you have any allergies or dietary requirements and they will accommodate them. There’s also a vegetarian menu and one for children under 12 years old. Here is the whole spread unpacked, it does look like a lot for two but it’s so healthy that we managed to eat the lot.
We tucked into a flavourful courgette, basil and goat’s cheese muffin before sampling a Scotch egg with homemade mustard and caper mayonnaise. It’s definitely the best one that I’ve ever had, the quality of the meat was superb and the egg itself was delicious – you can see from the colour of the yolk.
We also enjoyed the fresh asparagus wrapped in prosciutto. The chicken wings had been marinated in a tasty barbecue sauce that was finger licking good.
One of our favorite dishes was the mackerel with potato salad, cucumber and rye. In our book, a picnic isn’t a picnic without a good potato salad!
As for the lamb kofta skewers, we particularly liked the way they were served with juicy heirloom tomatoes and basil. Our final savoury dish was a selection of British artisan cheeses, accompanied by bread rolls and a savoury malt loaf, grapes and a wonderful fresh chutney.
We’d highly recommend the Lincolnshire poacher and Barkham Blue cheeses. Take some time to relax, read the Sunday papers and sip some more of that gorgeous champagne before your dessert.
Dukes had hit the perfect note with a light dessert of Scottish shortbread and Summer berries. These had been very lightly marinated in gin and tarragon, giving them an extra dimension. It was the perfect finish to a luxurious picnic in the park.
It was time to head off, and we stopped to take a photo of Buckingham Palace, just at the bottom of Green Park. We’d highly recommend Dukes London’s champagne picnic in the park, in fact we’ve already bought one for a friend.
Bookings need to be made at least 24 hours in advance and prices start from £35 per person without drinks. All in all, very reasonable considering that you are getting a full butler service. To find out more, contact the Events Team on +44 (0)207 318 6574 or email events@dukeshotel.com.
Looks amazing! What a lovely setting!!
http://www.raydantblog.com
Green Park is a brilliant place for a picnic, lots of space and shade and lovely views!
Your style is phenomenal! Your pictures are high quality and I love reading what you have to say! Have a great weekend! xoxo
Love,
Bri
www.cityfashiongirl.com
www.youtube.com/briannadeg
That’s very kind Brianna
I love this!! Your picnic looks like so much fun and the background is incredible!
http://thecourtneydiaries.com
It was a gorgeous setting and I didn’t even include all the shots we got. Have a great weekend Courtney
Such a cool service! I have to admit that I started drooling when I saw the food… Great that you had nice weather too.
www.LUXESSED.com
We originally had it arranged for another date when I had a virus, I’m so glad we changed the date!
What a delicious slice of sunny luxury! Those Scotch Eggs look ravishing…!
The Scotch Eggs were amazing, Emma!
It was brilliant, great not to have to prepare anything!
Hello,
I am so jealous! It looks like a perfect day. Plus the food looks super delicious!
Cannot wait to read more from you!
Have a nice day,
Zuzana
http://allquietonthedreamerfront.blogspot.com
The food was delicious Zuzana, looking forward to checking out your blog
This looks like a fun day.
Lovin’ the setup and the foods 🙂
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The set up is great, nice not to have to shop for the picnic, set up or tidy away!
these guys have really set the perfect picnic in the park
great shots, my dear
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They certainly did a great job, hope you had a lovely weekend, Dora
The colours comprising the champagne lounge look wonderful and how interesting this place possibly inspired ”shaken, not stirred”! Really, this service is so unique and luxurious, definitely something to indulge in if available when checking into a hotel. Your chosen picnic spot is very beautiful by the way, as is the final photo in this post 🙂
Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice x
It’s a great place to drink a Martini! We chose a quiet spot in Green Park, looking down towards Buckingham Palace but St James is lovely for picnics too
Oh, everything looks so frinkin’ fancy wow! Hahah! It really does look incredible, a perfect time to lounge and relax and just bask in the Summer sun! <3
xx Bash | Hey Bash | bloglovin’
It was all so tasty, Bash – do you have a fave picnic spot in Brunei?
This looks like the perfect classy picnic, what a beautiful spread of food! Great photos, makes me want to pack a nice picnic to enjoy the last bit of summer 🙂
http://www.mintnotion.com
I hope you have a lovely picnic, Eden! You’re right, it’s important to make the most of Summer whilst it’s still here
What an experience!! This sounds right up your street (and mine) 🙂 You and Mr LC look rather happy with those champagne flutes in hand!
Polly xx
Follow Your Sunshine
I wonder if they have anything similar in Doha? We certainly made the most of the champagne
Looks lovely!
http://carinazz.blogspot.com/
It was Carina, thanks for stopping by
How pretty! What a lovely idea to relax in the sun with some gorgeous food
It was so relaxing Manasi – by the way I hope you find a nice place for lunch with your baby
Wow wonderful! I’ve always been wanting to go picnic in the park 🙂
Best, Albert | Palming Pebbles
Palming Pebbles FB
You definitely should, Albert – hope you have a nice park near you
That picnic looks so fun
xo
www.laurajaneatelier.com
You’d have loved it Laura, have a great week
This looks wonderful I love having picnics and this is the luxury way to do it. The food looks wonderful and St James Park is always great to relax in. Also useful that they do an alternative if the weather is colder Lucy x
We had a walk around St James’s Park after our picnic as it’s so close to Green Park, they’ve renovated the little Swiss cottage and you can go right up to it now
Oh how nice! It all looks so delicious. I have never tried a scotch egg, its looks really good. The next time i am in the UK i will try!
www.fashionandfoodandotherstuff.com
A Scotch Egg is very British so you really must try one next time you’re in the UK, Nancy
You should definitely check out Dukes, great for Martinis and the restaurant is really good too
woooow… i want to go on holidays…*crying*..lovely food
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We actually did this in London but it would be a great treat for anyone visiting the City! Have a lovely week
Wow such a nice picnic! And looks so delicious! Have a nice start of the week!
xx
cvetybaby.com
It was such a nice Summery thing to do -have a great week as well, Cvetina
This place sounds AMAZING. That picnic is the cutest idea ever. Glad to see you had a good time!!
xx, Pia
http://gymbagsandjetlags.com
Thanks Pia, and looking forward to checking out your blog, it has such a fun name!
I am so jelly about the sunny weather in London, while it is raining almost everyday in Manchester! Have fun though 🙂
We just got lucky with the weather that day, it was pouring with rain today!
It s an Amazing service. The picnic at this Place is very romantic
Kiss
Admaiorasemper.website
It was very romantic, that’s what I like about picnics – they’re so fun and can be done with any budget
A champagne picknick? I was convinced after just reading the title. Sounds and looks amazing.
x- Naomi in Wonderland
It does trip off the tongue doesn’t it! The only thing I might add is chocolate although that could melt if too hot
I feel hungry only to see this pics. this picniclooks like a fantastic experience. ciao gloria
Gloriadressup
It was an amazing experience, Gloria – thanks for stopping by
Looks like such a fun time! The food looks great!
RedLip&Love
It was very good fun and nice to try something a bit different, Tash – have a great week
I love this!
I have only been for tea at Dukes but now I have to go for a picnic!
www.madmeoiselleaventure.com
Ooh I’ve never been for tea there but I bet it was amazing!
You could have a lovely one Kia, the weather is great where you are and it would make a good blog post!
Wow how fun, I’ve always wanted to have a picnic! This picnic looks so chic and the food looks delicious! I love that picnic basket, where did you get it?
– Liz Lizo
www.LizLizo.com
Picnic is always a great fun!
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