In the grand dining room of Suvretta House in St Moritz, the whistle of the wheels beneath its trolley cart is a siren call for a special sort of culinary pomp and circumstance. It’s the sound that says a beef wellington is on its way.

"Beef wellington has to be the ultimate indulgence,” Gordon Ramsay has said of the dish. “It’s one of my all-time favourite main courses, and it would definitely be on my last supper menu.” It’s also a dish that flies in the face of the ‘easy breezy’ cooking zeitgeist, requiring at least an evening’s worth of preparation, maybe more. Because of this intensive time requirement, the best iterations of beef wellington are usually found in hallowed corners of hospitality like Suvretta House, where the wellington that arrives by trolley must be shared by at least two guests. 

At the Lanesborough hotel in London, the wellington prepared by chef Shay Cooper comes wrapped in a layer of chicken mousse, truffle and chestnut mushroom duxelles, a layer of caul fat, and finally puff pastry. Then it’s garnished with a velvety red wine sauce. Hen of the woods mushrooms and glazed carrots are served alongside it as a mere distraction. “It had kind of fallen out of favour, but it is one of those beautiful, traditional dishes that takes us about 24 hours to make, and it’s quite dramatic when you see one,” Cooper tells us. “We carve ours tableside in keeping with the tradition and leave the bits of puff pastry ends to the side as a little treat.”  

The tradition may be going strong, but the historical origins of the dish are elusive. Some say it was served as a celebratory meal to Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, after victory in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Others suspect the name came from the dish’s resemblance to the leather wellington boot. However, the roots of the recipe may really lie on the other side of the English Channel, where ‘filet de boeuf en croûte’ has been a mainstay in France for centuries. Today, no matter its true history, the wellington lives on as a perfectly packaged parcel – my ideal winter meal shared with family and friends.

The Connaught Grill in Mayfair is known for its bespoke service – including personal knife boxes and tailored napkins. In a smart, wood-panelled restaurant down an atmospheric hallway, guests are able to enjoy seasonal dishes served with theatrical touches, like its original 1955 solid silver trolley. The signature beef wellington is just the thing to soak up the world-famous martinis from the Connaught Bar across the hotel.

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Of course Gordon Ramsay gives the beef wellington a starring role at the Savoy Grill. Served whole and perfectly blushing in the middle, it’s carved tableside on a silver trolley.

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On atmospheric Bruton Place, The Guinea is a Mayfair institution – there’s been an inn on this site since 1423. The Guinea Grill restaurant opened in the 1950s. Since then, it’s become the place to head for dry-aged, grass-fed British beef cooked on an open grill. You’ll find perfectly poured Guinness at the bar and expertly cooked beef wellington in the smart warren of dining rooms.

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With its red and gold-gilded interiors, Bob Bob Ricard really sets a scene for destination dining. It specialises in British and Russian classics with a modern touch – think anything from lobster mac ’n’ cheese to an elevated beef wellington. For an extra dash of extravagance, order bubbles via the famous ‘Press For Champagne’ buttons on every table.

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This fine-dining restaurant near Fortnum & Mason is a go-to spot for those in the know. Buzzing by 8am and still full in the evening, it’s got slick decor, flawless service and a handy location on its side. In the evening, look out for generous portions of Welsh rarebit, followed by beef wellington with dauphinoise potatoes, green beans and peppercorn sauce. Serving two, the dish is flambéed at the table for added pomp.

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