Moncks of Dover Street

Mayfair brasserie

Raw loin of tuna, watercress puree, black sesame

Moncks of Dover Street, a brand new brasserie launched by the same team behind Park Chinois, is an all-day French dining affair. Menu-wise, it has nothing related to Park Chinois at all, for all-day dining, it has a selection of classic brasserie items, such as steak and bourguignon. On top of that, it has some international dishes such as truffle mac & cheese and roasted leg of lamb with spiced couscous. Without a doubt, the price is Mayfair level, with a main of sloe costing almost £40 a plate. The deco is wonderful, it has a classic luxury feel to it, without being over the top, with a blend of light blue and wood colours in the mixed. 

Smoked mackerel pate

Chopped dry-aged beef, traditional garnish, organic egg yolk

Scallop gratin

Out of all of the starters from the all-day dining menu I have tasted, I enjoyed the raw tuna the most, the flesh was fresh and well seasoned, the use of preserved lemon added a lovely tone of fruitiness to the dish, and the black sesame offered a mild nutty aroma, which worked perfectly with the tuna. The main of pan-fried monkfish was average, the fish was overcooked, as was the garnish of vegetables, the presentation of the dish was also not very appealing, for a dish that cost north of £20, I was expecting something more. Much better was the dry aged ribeye steak, the steak was grilled to perfection, very tender and moist. 

Pan-fried monkfish, seafood jus, seasonal vegetables, gremolata

Dover sole meunière, Off the bone, parsley, lemon juice, toasted almonds

40-day dry-aged ribeye

To sum it up, Moncks of Dover Street delivered me some pretty solid Brasserie cooking, apart from the monkfish. However, based on the price it is commanding, the quality of the cooking could be a touch better. The same goes for the cocktails as they were pretty average, which was a real shame. At the end of the day, I dine at its soft launch period so I was expecting errors and average services. My other fear is that Dover Street is not the busiest street in Mayfair so I wonder would that harm the business once the launch hype died down. 


Food 3/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£45

33 Dover St, Mayfair, London W1S 4NF

http://www.moncksbrasserie.com/