Bodo's Schloss (Bar, Restaurant)

Top 10 things we learnt about Bodo’s Schloss bar & restaurant:

1) If, like me, you’re not a skier, visiting Bodo’s Schloss is about as close as you’ll ever get to the luxury mountain lifestyle of Courchevel in the Alps.

2) Every exclusive Alpine resort is hard to find, and Bodo’s Schloss is no exception, hidden in the shadow of Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington. Look out for the giant Bodo cow if you’re struggling with locating the entrance.

3) Unfortunately, it will always be known first and foremost as a celebrity nightspot, which is hardly surprising given that the driveway to Kensington Palace is right next door and that it is frequented by royals and celebrities in equal measures.

4) You might struggle to get past the nightclub queue, but come to Bodo’s Schloss for dinner and royal treatment beckons, specifically from handpicked ladies dressed in lederhosen.

5) Austrian cuisine certainly has its limitations, but Bodo’s Schloss is about embracing the Alpine experience. The first thing you’ll notice is the abundance of wood. It’s everywhere: walls, floors, ceilings, candle holder, wine bucket. Just make sure you don’t light up your cigarette indoors.

6) The food choices might be restrictive, but the restaurant does excel in what it offers. A starter of asparagus and Parma ham was fresh and earthy. Although, it did cost £10, so I was expecting to see some posh white Austrian asparagus.

7) A wiener schnitzel is always going to be a wiener schnitzel; there is little chance of dressing it up into something to yodel about. However, the Schloss schnitzel is easily the best in London: the veal was lean; the meat was high quality and the bread crust perfectly golden and thin.

8) The prices are high for the type of food offered, but again, I haven’t lived the high life in the Alps, so these prices could be a bargain for the Courchevel clientele.

9) Bodo’s Schloss ranks high amongst the cute drinking receptacle stakes. If you want to impress you date, try the Saint Bernard or the ski boot and you will get a porcelain version of its namesake.

10) Unless you have an Austrian passport, this isn’t the type of food you can eat daily, but it’s well worth that special, once-in-a-while visit, even if it’s just to check out their 70s cable car DJ booth....read more