Hidden gems in Mayfair
Canapes |
Restaurants, bars, products, events.... Food and drinks reviews, topics and everything in between.
Canapes |
Trio of tuna |
Dorset crab raviolo Dashi “beurre blanc”, braised fennel, Baerii caviar & trout roe |
Dongchimi |
BBQ turbot |
There are many restaurants in London these days that focus on local ingredients, trying to source as locally as possible to ensure the freshness and condition of the ingredients. However, few like Restaurant St Barts take that to the next level. It would only use ingredients from the UK and refuse to touch anything beyond that. For example, it won't use lime at all given the temperature of the UK is not able to grow lime to the desired quality the restaurant seeks. It offers a tasting menu only format, with fermentation and aging methods to produce flavours you normally would not find from British ingredients.
Duck a la orange |
There are plenty of great French restaurants in London, from the classic Otto to creative venues such as Bibendum. However, these places would easily set you back well over £150 if not more. I found it hard to find anything that is less than £100 for a 3-course meal while the quality is close to a Michelin star level. The Midland is one of those rare places that I feel does the job. The beautiful setting within St Pancras Renaissance Hotel and some of the most comfortable chairs have turned this place's decor into one of the finest in London.
Peking duck |
Noble Palace, the low-profile Chinese restaurant hidden in St James has been a regular spot of mine when I am seeking a casual dim sum meal or a full-on Cantonese-style banquet feast. The kitchen is pretty fixable of coming up with a bespoke menu to your liking according to classic Cantonese cooking, as long as you give the kitchen a week or 2 notice in advance. For my 18th visit, I came up with a menu containing some classic Chinese British dishes such as sweet and sour pork and dishes popular in Hong Kong, but have yet to get mainstream interest like the seafood clay pot and wok fry Dover sole.
Langoustine and black pepper tagliatelle |
Grilled lobster with black pepper, pickled rose petals |
Berners Tavern pork and pistachio pie bread and butter pickles |
Venison, cabbage, redcurrant |
Beef wellington |
P4 in style |
Ref prawn and white asparagus |
Spiny lobster |
I am a seafood addict, whenever I arrange travel, I always look to see if there is a seafood restaurant that has a reputation worth trying. La Barra was an easy decision as back in 2019, I had the chance to visit its older brother Canabota which I very much enjoyed (and it went on to win a Michelin star). So when I discovered it has a more casual seafood offering in the name of La Barra, I booked without needing to think twice. The space is mostly a highchair counter setting, with only a few more traditional sit-down tables at the back of the venue.
Iberico pork and cheese |
Lo Hei salad |
Whenever Chinese New Year comes around, many Chinese restaurants across London would create a special one-off menu to celebrate the occasion. For Park Chinois, its New Year specials are loaded with interesting dishes with a classic vibe, such as a simple stir fry mustard green topped with aged cured duck. I have to admit I have been to Park Chinois so many times now (This is my 27th) so I always welcome new dishes to try out. This time, I opted for a selection of dim sum as starters before diving into some Chinese New Year special dishes as the main event.
Spinach and mushrooms on tofu |
Smoked Jasmine beef rib |
Peking duck |