The 26 best restaurants in Mayfair
Better-known for its members' clubs and high-end shops, restaurants in Mayfair put the spotlight on classic white-tablecloth spots and sceney neighbourhood stalwarts. These are our pick of the top tables to book while in the splashy area – from recent openings that focus on sustainability (Chantelle Nicholson's beautiful Apricity) and lesser-championed cuisine (Sarap, a Filipino hit) to Michelin Star spots and glitzy date-night hangouts such as Hide, Sexy Fish, Park Chinois and more. All have been tried and tested by members of our team, and appear here in no particular order.
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El Pirata of Mayfair
El Pirata isn’t your average Mayfair restaurant. Diners aren’t here for the photo evidence or crystal chandeliers – ultimately, there’s nothing overly glitzy about the Hispanophile hangout on Down Street. But that’s where the charm lies. Inside, smiley servers swerve each other's paths’ as they dote on tables, zooming between the kitchen pass and cosy corners where couples on double dates give each other mute nods of approval after sampling each small plate. The sound of guitar strings flutters through the split-level space as we’re seated in the thick of the action – besides eye-catching artwork and a view of our fellow tapas-chompers. We sip on Cava and devour creamy chicken croquettes before dipping sizeable prawn fitters in garlic aioli – the only dish that didn’t win us over due to the chunky texture, but nearby tables thought otherwise. The menu features all the classics alongside more experimental dishes, warranting return visits when an initial trip is ruled by the nostalgia of childhood summers along Andalusian shores. Sizable chicken chunks soak up the sweet smokey juices of sliced chorizo, oils mopped up with leftover bread, while the wild mushrooms in garlic and breadcrumbs provide a hefty meat-free punch. Patron Jose Rodrigues has a winning formula that’s kept Londoners returning for flavoursome familiarity for three decades. If the smiles and food-fuelled chatter in the room are anything to go by, there’s lots of life in this Spanish sanctuary yet. Connor Sturges
Address: El Pirata of Mayfair, 5 - 6 Down Street, London W1J 7AQ
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Justin De SouzaBossa
A taste of Rio has landed on the streets of Mayfair. This new hangout bridges the gap between the seasonal British food scene and the vibrant energy of Brazilian culture. Dotted with booths and tables for groups and more intimate gatherings, the dining room is dominated by an open-concept kitchen with seating where guests can watch these masters at work. We arrive early for a drink at the bar, where the mixologists put on a show of alchemy – starting with the national cocktail of Brazil, a Caipirinha – a refreshing palate cleanser made with cachaça, sugar, and lime. We move on to something more earthy in nature with a smooth landing – the traditional açaí berry milk punch. Once seated, the dishes are presented to the table as a mix of moreish small and large plates from ‘The Beginning’ and ‘Middle’ of the menu. We start with sliced raw yellowtail dusted with bottarga, dried berries, and kombu, umami-flavoured kelp – the bitterness of the berries combined with the sweet fleshy fish is a must-try delicacy. For something more indulgent, part-steamed oysters with a caviar halo were a crowd-pleaser. While seafood runs the show at this place, the shining star at our table was the Entrecote, with Beef Jus – a dish made for sharing and savouring. The buzz as the evening goes on is truly contagious. For those not yet ready to end the evening, head outside and down the stairs to the newly opened Maroto club burgeoning beneath the Bossa restaurant. This is where the party really starts. Megan Wilkes
Address: Bossa, 4 Vere Street, London W1G 0DG
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James McDonaldMuse, Belgravia
Tom Aikens has a fair few tales to tell from an eventful career that’s taken him from stints with Koffmann and Robuchon to being the youngest British chef to win two Michelin stars, aged 26, while at Pied à Terre, followed by private cheffing for Andrew Lloyd Webber, among others, and an eponymous Chelsea restaurant – not without ruffling a few feathers along the way. But for his return to London fine dining he digs deep into his personal archive, bringing recipes, producers, ingredients and nostalgia to a discreet, upstairs-downstairs des res seating just 26, tucked down a Belgravia mews (hence the play-on-words name). Small plates come bearing whimsical names such as Conquering the Beech Tree, a dish that Aikens has evolved over the years and now appears as flame-grilled langoustine tail with pork fat and tiny cubes of singed apple, the name referring to a childhood challenge that he feels sums up his risk-taking culinary approach. It’s a story told in the pop-up beech tree that arrives with it, as intricately assembled as the food which is tweezered and layered and daubed with all the lip-biting concentration of a game of Operation. Veloute is drizzled, sea herbs scattered, ‘choose-your-weapon’ handmade knives proffered. A pollock-and pave-potato miniature comes with seaweed three ways and a baby leek tied with a fairy knot of chive; a dish of scallops is a rockpool still life teeming with cauliflower and pickled grapes; a patisserie-like, Robuchon-inspired dessert pairs celeriac and truffle with chocolate for a palate-pausing hit of savoury sweetness. And in an era where decent sourdough ferments everywhere, the ancient-grains bread here is incredible. Muse opened to accusations of pretentiousness, but Aikens – very visible in the kitchen – is conjuring searingly good food in a space that has all the cosseting welcome of a neighbourhood bistro. Top-of-the-tree stuff, in fact. Rick Jordan
Address: Muse by Tom Aikens, 38 Groom Place, London SW1X 7BA
Price: ££££
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HUMO
Amid the throng of new restaurants around London, all touting exciting concepts and innovative angles, few can successfully cut through the noise. Mayfair’s latest arrival, however, has done so triumphantly. Bringing a fresh new take on wood-fired cooking, HUMO takes creative cooking seriously. The kitchen runs without gas or electricity; chefs cook on a four-metre-long wooden grill stretching across the middle of the restaurant. Chef Miller Prada cut his teeth under the watchful eye of Endo Kazutoshi and has efficiently taken the precision and skill from his omakase training and paired it with a distinct understanding of the London foodie crowd’s desire for food served with a side of drama. The menu is split into four sections, each relating to food cooked differently: ignite, smoke, flame and embers. While the cooking process acts as HUMO’s main draw, my favourite aspect of the menu was the personal touches inspired by restaurant team members. The yellowtail dish, for example, features seven-day aged tuna, served with a zingy soy and citrus sauce and Castillo coffee from Miller’s family farm in Columbia. The sea bass is a mellow dish, topped with Mexican vanilla and cracked Malagasy pepper and drizzled with homemade olive oil from Giacomo’s family in Lazio. The wine list also offers a refreshing take, listing bottles by geographical location rather than country – sections include island, coastal and high altitude. There’s a reason this restaurant went viral on Tik Tok: the attention to detail on delicately balanced dishes combined with the relaxed, free-hand style flame cooking methods create a genuinely unique experience bang in the centre of London’s most sophisticated neighbourhood.
Address: 12 St George Street, London W1S 2FB
Price: £££
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Thomas AlexanderThe Mayfair Chippy
Head to Mayfair’s North Audley Street at lunchtime and there’ll be a queue for one restaurant: The Mayfair Chippy. It’s precisely what you’d imagine: a classic British chip shop, done to Mayfair standards. Walls are tiled, floors are checkerboard, and friendly staff are dressed in white aprons. It’s a delightfully lux-kitsch take on the theme. Unlike your typical seaside version, it’s a seriously polished operation: there’s table service and a wine list, and the menu is on par with any fine dining seafood experience. Expect the classics: cod or haddock (battered to perfection), served up in ‘newspaper’ lined fryer baskets on beds of proper chips that come with copper pots of dipping sauces – mushy peas, tartar, curry sauce, and ketchup. There are also platters of oysters, crab, and Market seafood specials (plus clever vegetarian and vegan versions – try the oyster mushrooms with truffle mayo or battered halloumi). The signature here is ‘Afternoon Sea’ – a fun take on English high tea, with seafood served on cake stands, including king prawns, mussels, and lobster (best enjoyed with ice-cold Champagne). The restaurant has maintained an environmentally conscious philosophy, so everything is responsibly sourced with seasonal dishes and specials. This is a must-try for any coastal nomads or yesteryear aficionados needing a hit of good seaside fare. Charlotte Davey
Address: The Mayfair Chippy, 14 North Audley Street, London, W1K 6WE
Price: ££
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Steven JoyceSocca
When Socca opened on Mayfair’s Audley Street, it had big shoes to fill as successor to the venerated Richoux cafe, which had occupied No. 41 for a century before closing in 2021. But if anyone can rise to the challenge it’s French Michelin-starred chef, Claude Bosi (of Bibendum in Chelsea), and culinary entrepreneur Samyukta Nair, who have teamed up to bring a new Riviera-style bistro that’s attracting faithful locals.
The interiors’ sea-and-sand palette conjures Cote d’Azur vibes, with blue banquettes, honey-coloured wooden floors beneath timber panelling, and shell-shaped lampshades that disperse warm, seduction-mode lighting. Bosi’s menu riffs on French Mediterranean comfort food, his melt-in-the-mouth starters including raw tuna slices with shallots and tangy sauce balanced by the black pepper rim, and crab on taramasalata slathered on bouncy chunks of focaccia. The langoustine with lemon and sunflower seeds was forgettable, but the Provençal-style socca pancakes – perfectly toasted, with an aubergine, shallot and pepper chutney – hit the spot. Stealing the show was the lobster mains with orecchiette drenched in a creamy bisque, followed closely by the grilled prawns stroked with citrus butter. Other standouts include the turbot, cooked to perfection in butter so aromatic it made the Romesco sauce redundant; while Bosi’s richly flavoured ‘mum’s tripe and cuttlefish gratin’ is an elevated take on traditional home cooking. Socca has strong land legs too, the marinated lamb chops pairing well with (over salty) mescal salad. The excellent desserts were reassuringly heavy on the classics, like warm chocolate coulant and tarte au pomme with vanilla ice cream. Those who prefer their sugar in liquid form will knock back the exquisite La Colombe d’Or cocktails (Seven Tails XO, lemongrass and ginger cordial, apple and celery bitter) like there’s no tomorrow. Noo Saro-wiwa
Address: Socca, 41A S Audley Street, London W1K 2PS
Price: £££££
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Bacchanalia
Before you even enter Berkeley Square’s Bacchanalia, you can visualise the restaurant’s spectacular interiors. In true Richard Caring style (Annabel's, Sexy Fish), the opening was a high-profile launch party that saw Florence Welsh entertain guests including Naomi Campbell and Harris Reed. Rumoured to have cost upwards of £25 million, the interiors are the work of Martin Brudnizki (The Beekman, Soho House Hotels). And the statues gazing over you as you take your seat? Damien Hirst, of course.
All get top marks for committing to a theme. Bathrooms, for example, are an experience in themselves – prepare to hear faint battle cries while spending a penny. Many of the themed aspects work well, such as the gargantuan interpretation of Romans In Their Decadence, complete with selfie-snapping mock-ancient citizens. Service from waiters draped in togas is fun, but certainly not suited to low-key diners. No amount of decadence can make up for terrible food, of course – so hopes were high ahead of our visit. Athinagoras Kostakos, the chef behind Scorpios Mykonos, has devised a menu celebrating the best of Greek and Italian cuisine – these are dishes you know done well rather than intricate plates with Michelin aspirations. Cheese croquettes filled with taleggio, provolone and cheddar are paired with indulgent truffle mayonnaise, although the must-order among the starters is the flawlessly seasoned keftedes – melty meatballs on a smoked yoghurt base.
The tagliolini truffle pasta was one of the most popular dishes on the menu. But with truffle mayo still tingling on the palate we opted for the bucatini bolognese. As authentic as the bolognese ragu was, the density of the pasta meant it sat heavily on the stomach for some time afterwards. We topped crusted baby potatoes with slithers of sea bream – buttery, caper-infused fish and crispy skin – and washed it down with a Sicilian white picked by our attentive sommelier. For pudding, order the soft-serve greek yoghurt ice cream – the sweet silkiness is interrupted by chunks of syrupy walnut cake. Or the signature tiramisu – mercifully light, mousse-like and dusted in bitter cocoa powder – the perfect finish, albeit lacking a boozier hit. Connor Sturges
Address: Bacchanalia, 1-3 Mount Street, London W1K 3NA
Price: ££££
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John CareyCOYA Mayfair
As Coya Mayfair in Piccadilly celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, the Peruvian restaurant remains a sensory universe unto itself, known as much for its arresting decor as its cuisine. Following a 2020 makeover, its interiors are as chromatically exuberant as ever, a riot of Inca-inspired wall carvings and Amazon-esque gold-leaf foliage that glints in dim lighting as the DJ pumps out the bass. The menu, never to be outdone by the surroundings, has kept its standards high, offering elevated Peruvian cuisine with Japanese and Spanish twists. Standouts include the blue prawn ceviche zhooshed up by the sweet tang of chilli lemon and mango; the citrusy Conchas tiradito (scallops, olives and corn); and the Lubina Chilena hunk of seabass under a miso glaze. The crispy spicy potato sides, richly dressed in a Huancaína spicy tomato and cheese sauce, are a perennial crowd-pleaser. Best of all, the mixologists’ Pisco cocktails will ensure that the night begins or ends on a deliciously sour note. Noo Saro-Wiwa
Address: Coya, 118 Piccadilly, London W1J 7NW, United Kingdom
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KOYN
London has seen its fair share of Japanese restaurants but this latest addition from Samyukta Nair and LSL Capital (founders of Michelin-starred Jamavar, MiMi Mei Fair and Bombay Bustle) in Mayfair will undoubtedly be a fast favourite. Housed in the former US embassy in Grosvenor Square, KOYN brings a modern twist to traditional Japanese cuisine with a duality concept inspired by Mount Fuji. The two-story space has an airy sushi bar named MIDORI on the ground floor and an open kitchen robata grill called MAGMA downstairs. The menu, curated and led by ex-Nobu chef Rhys Cattermoul, is compact yet thoughtfully packed with classics and refreshing signatures – nigiris, sushi rolls, robata specials fill the menu. With only one request – the miso black cod – we left it to the chefs to surprise us with the rest. 13 dishes and two very satisfied diners later, it’s the dry-aged sea bass and sweet shrimp with oscietra caviar in yuzu dashi soy that make for a delicate starter. This is best accompanied with the chūtoro (semi-fatty tuna) dressed in sudachi soy, kizami wasabi and tangy yuzu pearls. On the flip side, the robata standouts are the ume glazed charred scallops, roasted cabbage with koji dressing and unsurprisingly, the miso black cod is enough reason to want to return. But the spiced red mullet dipped in a yuzu kosho tosazu sauce along with an applewood smoked Chilean sea bass shouldn’t be overlooked either. Lastly, the agedashi tofu, usually seen as a side dish, had us raving about it long after our visit. There is an extensive selection of cocktails, sakes and whiskies originating from Japan to choose from but the Akoya mocktail, a blend of Everleaf with shisho, coconut and lychee, delightfully helps cut through the umami richness. Zahra Surya Darma
Read the full review of Koyn, Mayfair.
Address: Koyn, 38 Grosvenor St, London W1K 4QA
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Simon-BrownMount St. Restaurant
It’s been a long time coming on Mount Street. In September 2022, the Mayfair street lined with member’s clubs and neon Lamborghinis welcomed the first opening in The Audley – a ground-floor pub deemed by our editors as one of the prettiest in London. A couple of weeks later, the 200-year-old building revealed the four upper floors: Mount St. Restaurant and four private dining spaces including a secret nook with a card table and bar called The Games Room. The ambitious project comes courtesy of Manuela and Iwan Wirth (of hospitality company Artfarm, also responsible for beloved Scotland hotel The Fife Arms), under the direction of Paris-based design and architecture studio Laplace.
Right from the get-go, it’s clear this most dazzling of restaurants in Mayfair is a love letter to contemporary art – the staircase entrance could double as an art gallery. Inside walls are adorned with sumptuous works by serious names – Freud’s A Plate of Prawns (1958) and Andy Warhol's Lobster (1982) are museum-worthy and yet perfectly fitting. There’s art all around and in every detail too, from the salt and pepper cruets right down to the floor, a mesmerising mosaic by American artist Rashid Johnson, titled Broken Floor. There’s so much to feast your eyes on within the dark and moody space you could easily sit at one of the round brick-red leather-topped tables and take it all in. But while you’re there, you may as well tuck in. The fare here is traditional British with a nudge and a wink. The lobster pie comes with a googly-eyed crustacean peering out, the caviar is cheekily served with sour cream and onion Pringles, while the mid-18th century mock-turtle soup has been modernised in the form of a croquette. King Henry VII-types will relish in the Highland venison, cooked to perfection, but the Dover sole is the real star of the show. Order it with a side of triple-cooked chips for the poshest fish and chips in town. Lauren Burvill
Address: Second Floor 41-43 Mount Street, London W1K 2RX England
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Dovetale
Tom Sellers is on a roll. It’s only a few months since the Nottingham-born chef, who found fame and Michelin stars at Bermondsey’s Restaurant Story, opened Story Cellar – a bistro-style offshoot specialising in rotisserie chicken. Now, he’s overseeing the open kitchen at Dovetale, in a corner of the 1Hotel Mayfair – the summer’s most hyped London opening, with its biophilic living walls, oak tree reception and doormen in flat caps. Dovetale occupies a large space, all tactile Scandi-luxe neutrals and flickering fires spilling out onto a terrace enfolded by greenery. It feels about the right setting for Sellers at his most grown-up yet, with a provenance-driven European menu that elevates the classics rather than overly tinkering; and a lengthy wine list that skews organic and natural but has room for iconic French vintages, overseen by the charming, quick-talking Connecticuter Tara Ozols, who won Michelin’s prestigious Sommelier Award earlier this year. There’s a summery freshness to the fragrant Isle of Wight tomato tart and a sashimi-style Cornish wild seabass, its quivering loveliness offset by clean fennel, almonds and preserved mandarin slices. More decadent is a wagyu carpaccio inspired by the mustard-y Harry’s Bar version a few streets north, which the lovely waiter Carmen recommends we wrap around perfectly rectangular beef fat chips. Every technique feels on-point: in the rich cylindrical Dover sole in the Veronique style invented by Auguste Escoffier; in a Ratatouille Byaldi – the one from the Pixar film, probably learned under Thomas Keller – that’s a sublime swirl of delicately sliced ingredients. So goes the grain-fed Black Angus beef rib, its textural perfection offset by a trace of the countryside on the nose. Lest it all get a bit serious (the £660 N25 Oscietra caviar or the £10,500 2015 Domaine Coche-Dury seem aimed at a certain clientele), a retro trolley by the bar serves Knickerbocker Glories alongside decadent classics like a Grand Marnier souffle. We opt for a Boozy Bocker – a Hail Mary order that turns out to be a sophisticated, surprisingly clean ensemble of coconut and rum ice cream with roasted pineapple, coconut shavings and the fluffiest whipped cream. Of course it is. When it comes to food, Dovetale really isn’t messing around. Toby Skinner
Address: 1 Dover Yard, London W1J 8NE
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Tendril
Following his successful stint at Sun & 13 Cantons in Soho last year, chef Rishim Sachdeva is temporarily back in central London to serve a mostly vegan menu before moving pop-up Tendril to a more permanent home. Focused on fresh, seasonal produce and a plant-first philosophy, we can see why it garnered such a cult following among vegan and non-vegan diners. The pop-up is between the affluent Mayfair neighbourhood and the bustling Soho scene, although you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled as it can be easily missed – owing to its minimal exterior design comprising of a simple chalkboard sign on the pavement and the menu pegged by the entrance. The space is light and airy with accents of dark furnishings, creating a serene and intimate atmosphere amid the busy streets surrounding it. The menu is small but delivers a selection of fan favourites and new creations, alongside a mostly vegan wine list. We went for the seven-course tasting menu, reasonably priced at £39 per person, but you can also order dishes a la carte too. A noteworthy starter was the braised Jerusalem artichoke, prepared in two ways. The heart is lightly seasoned with oil, salt and chives allowing the natural flavours of the vegetable to take centre stage which is then nicely juxtaposed by the sharp smoky taste of the roasted shell. While the chipotle mushrooms paired with crispy potatoes and salsa verde left us craving for a second helping, the standout dish goes to the smoked beetroot ‘nduja placed on a crunchy blue corn tostada. The combination of spices with a hint of sweetness offered a flurry of textures and flavours that were unexpected but welcomed. The “Chinatown” purple potatoes dressed in a sticky soy sauce and sesame crackers are a must-try too. The chocolate tart is deeply rich and not overly sweet, making for the perfect pudding to close out the evening – but we hear the tiramisu is one not to miss either. Zahra Surya Darma
Address: Tendril, 5 Princes St, London W1B 2LQ (until Tuesday 31 January)
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BiBi
BiBi has been on our radar for a while now, after chef Chet Sharma bought the site years ago, blissfully unaware of the complications a global pandemic, multiple lockdowns and a fuel shortage would bring. However, the restaurant finally opened its doors in September 2021 and is well worth the wait. BiBi effectively nails the brief: a restaurant that slots naturally into its surroundings, yet abounds with personality and a contemporary feel. The menu is a unique blend of contemporary skills and Indian authenticity, with traditional comfort food dishes plucked straight from visceral childhood memories, and the restaurant prides itself on working directly with farmers. Turn over the menu to explore a map of South Asia, with pins marking the farms that each ingredient has been sourced from – here, you’ll find pomegranate from Kandahar in Afghanistan, cardamom from Sikkim, wild black mustard seeds from Odisha and chocolate from Puducherry. There’s a solid wine list of whites, reds and sparkling, as well as a selection of teas (served hot and cold) to accompany the dishes. Round off the evening with a reverse Espresso Martini – vodka distilled with coffee beans, coconut water and coconut milk– with a distinctive foam made by hand-whisking dried espresso with sugar.Merging high-end food, glamorous interiors and a hard-to-impress postcode. Olivia Morelli
Address: BiBi, 42 N Audley St, London W1K 6ZP
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Mister Nice
We’ve barely made it through the door – past the impossibly clean windows, the gold Mister Nice lettering glinting in the June evening sunshine – when I spot my first Chanel handbag, draped over the chair of a diner as glossy as the setting. This place is polished with a capital P – all black lacquered chairs, pristine plump sofas and wafts of Santal filling the air. As we sip our Cucumber Martinis, there’s a real buzz as couples lean in to chat across the crisp white tablecloths in the candlelight.
The menu focuses on contemporary French cuisine with an international twist. For starters, silky burrata comes topped with crunchy pistachio, while my companion’s smoked salmon – served with the lightest horseradish cream – is some of the freshest we’ve tasted. Swerve the £85 wagyu sando (not worth the hype), order the perfectly cooked and seasoned poussin grillé and, whatever you do, add a bowl of pommes allumettes each – you won’t regret it. Sarah Allard
Address: Mister Nice, 14-16 Davies St, London W1K 3DR
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ZAC and ZACThe Colony Grill
For a true Mayfair experience, you'd be hard-pushed to find somewhere more classic than The Colony Grill. Walking through the frontage of The Beaumont hotel, staff greet you like an old friend and present you with the first (and certainly not last) hard choice of the evening, to take an aperitif in the iconic Le Magritte Bar or at your table. There is no wrong choice of course, but with alluring revamped decor, from maximalist art to deep-red leather banquettes, going straight into The Colony Grill is the easy choice. Start with one of many new dishes, including the playful take on Waldorf salad, complete with Raw Orkney scallop & a refreshing green apple vinaigrette. Mains here range from grand classics, such as their dry-aged steaks to the lighter, freshest South Coast Dover sole served how you wish. Don't forget to save room for their theatrical puddings, from bananas foster to the build your own sundae.
Address: The Colony Grill, 8 Balderton Street, Mayfair, W1K 6TF
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Ben CarpenterApricity
The rough-luxe looks here are courtesy of a painstakingly low-carbon refit that’s resulted in pinkish patina'd plaster and upcycled masonry, enhanced with tumbling greenery and potted plants. Chairs are fashioned from decommissioned Coke bottles and the most pleasing aesthetic reminder that you’re somewhere fully eco comes in the beautiful uniforms by Gung Ho. Even these stylish prints are textiles conjured from reincarnated PET bottles. New Zealand-born Chantelle won hearts as chef-proprietor of Tredwells in Covent Garden, and acclaim as a Green Michelin Star exemplar. The menu showcases small-scale producers – charred umami miso cabbage, carnivore-pleasing mushrooms. Wine pairings are regenerative and low-intervention, and articulated wonderfully by the knowledgeable team. The prices may not seem as low-key as the look of the restaurant, but this is an establishment where absolutely everyone in the supply chain has been paid properly – and nothing tastes better than that. Juliet Kinsman
Address: Apricity, 68 Duke Street, Mayfair W1K 6JU
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John CareyMurano
Angela Hartnett's Murano has been feeding an elegant crowd since 2008, when the now household-name chef opened the doors on Queen Street and started cooking Northern Italian dishes. A few months after opening, the restaurant won a Michelin star (which it has retained ever since) and four AA rosettes (also held onto for the past 15 years). But this summer, Angela and the team shut up shop for a tip-to-toe makeover to celebrate the milestone birthday, and reopened with a new head chef and a fresh-feel menu. George Ormond is now looking after the pass. His menu – worked on closely, of course, with Angela herself – is considered and stripped back. Just three starters, three pasta dishes, three fish options and three meat options are listed on the a la carte menu each day. Rather cleverly, you can choose between three and six courses from anywhere on the menu – the team adjusts the size of the portions to reflect the amount of plates coming out. The smoked ricotta tartlet combines wonderfully light pastry with creamy ricotta and tart pickled walnut. The pasta dishes stand out, even on a menu filled with hits, so don't skip over these – we particularly liked the wonderfully simple chicken tortellini in brodo. If you're in the market for meat, the saddleback pork with pickled plum is soft and moreish. Don't sleep on the pudding menu, either: the caramelised Amalfi lemon tart is zingy and fresh and won't put you to sleep. There's also a vegan menu as well as a reasonably priced lunch menu (three courses for £55). This is a classic restaurant that's been given a new lease of life, helmed by a team that's passionate about looking forward as well as celebrating the past. Sarah James
Address: Murano, 20 Queen Street, Mayfair, London W1J 5PP
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Chris TerrySabor
Wander just a little from Regent Street, down foodie Heddon Street, and find Sabor. Opened by ex-Barrafina chef Nieves Barragan and partner José Etura in 2018, this Spanish restaurant became a quick hit. An open kitchen serves a long, communal counter on the ground floor, where blue and white tiles line the walls and a buzzy crowd is settling in for after-work drinks by 6pm. The downstairs made up of small plates from all over Spain – perfect for snacking at the counter. Chunks of warm bread come with olive oil for dunking, or order Pan Tomate for crunchy bread laden with tomatoes. Upstairs, El Asador is a more formal dining room for Galician style dishes. And don’t expect the now-standard Negroni or Aperol Spritz on the menu here – it’s traditional Spanish drinks all the way. Sarah James
Address: Sabor, 35 Heddon Street, London W1B 4BR
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Park Chinois
In the ongoing battle for the unofficial title of the most decadent restaurant in Mayfair, Park Chinois is up there. It opened in 2015 on Berkeley Street, surrounded by swanky neighbours (Nobu, Hakkasan Mayfair, Benares, Sexy Fish), and became an instant hit with Mayfair’s glittery set. The bar is the first port of call, lined with red-velvet stools and manned by handsome mixologists in tuxedos. In the dimly lit dining room, Salon de Chine, the walls are covered in thick swathes of red and gold silk and, in the evening, a jazz band sets up right in the middle of the tables. Downstairs, the members’ club atmosphere is taken a step further in Club Chinois. Dim Sum is the obvious place to start on the enormous, Chinese-inspired menu – the dim-sum platter has impeccably made, paper-thin dumplings filled with scallop, truffle or prawn. The mains read like a shopping list of expensive ingredients: Wagyu rib-eye, roast duck topped with Champagne and orange sauce. Book-end the evening with cocktails. We recommend ordering the earthy and seriously boozy Umami Old Fashioned, a mix of truffle-infused bourbon, mushroom liqueur, vermouth, nigella, black sesame and house-made bitters. This is not the spot for a casual Tuesday supper. But it’s a seriously fun, very bougie, money’s-no-object night out. Sarah James
Address: Park Chinois, 17 Berkeley Street, Mayfair, London W1J 8EA
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Brasserie of Light
While most department stores are reeling from the troubled state of the high street, Selfridges has found a way to flaunt its confidence – with a whopping £300 million investment in the store. And it’s obvious that a hefty sum of that cash has gone into Richard Caring’s (The Ivy, Sexy Fish, Scott’s) Brasserie of Light – the store’s restaurant with its own dedicated entrance on Duke Street, which allows it to stay open long after the shoppers leave. It’s got all the components we’ve come to expect from Caring’s stable; eye-popping, dazzling interiors from design hotshot Martin Brudnizki, shiny Art Deco flourishes, a sweeping brass bar and round-the-clock comfort food. And staying true to its name, the space is flooded with light. Start with plump scallops served on top of a thick, gazpacho-like red-pepper-and-fennel sauce, or order steak tartare served with huge parmesan crisps for mopping up your plate. For mains, lobster spaghetti comes with generous chunks stirred into a piquant tomato sauce, and there’s an excellent (and very messy) shrimp-and-avocado burger. A buzzy bar with crowd-pleasing food in a smash-hit location. Teddy Wolstenholne
Address: Brasserie of Light, Selfridges, Duke Street Entrance, 400 Oxford St, London W1A 1AB
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Kitty Fisher's
This is a romantic Shepherd Market stalwart – named for an 18th century courtesan known for her extravagance. The dishes here tap into that – the chef’s crispy potatoes that are creating the hype these days (thinly sliced and cooked in butter and herbs, pressed overnight, cut and then fried). It turns out that a lot of the other dishes are pretty wonderful too – starting with the sharing bites: a mouthful of oozing Welsh Rarebit is topped with pickled onions (take our advice, and if there’s two of you, double up); ham and pig jowl croquettes are packed with flavour and complimented by picallili and the bread with soft whipped whey butter is a simple crowd pleaser too It would be remiss not to order the beef, but other main highlights include cod with fennel and artichoke, and Iberico presa pork with leek and apple. Drink from the carefully selected wine list which has some entirely affordable options including a house Languedoc for just £4.50, as well as a (much less affordable) short reserve list, less reasonably priced, but showcasing unusual wines with limited supply. This mini Mayfair joint is still top dollar, and these days you might even be able to book a table. Plus, some of the most genuinely friendly service in the business. Tabitha Joyce
Address: Kitty Fisher’s, 10 Shepherd Market, Mayfair, London W1J 7QF
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Isabel
No favela-chic exposed brickwork or steely industrial ducting here - this is a coiffed, gold-and-blue TAG Heuer of an all-day restaurant, part Robert Palmer video, part Luc Besson fantasy. All in all, one of the most beautiful restaurants in London. The bar is made of Macassar ebony, there's Dublin-green brocade on the walls, and the loos are clad in leafy, chinoiserie drifts of de Gournay wallpaper. A small fleet of catwalk hostesses in sci-fi tulip dresses by Johanna Ortiz are poised to escort you slowly to your seat. Just make sure that seat is at the four-sided bar, all the better for people-watching, set under the soft glow of 300 brass lamps designed to flatter skin tones. Smart, small-plate grazing food all the way, mixing market-fresh vegetables and superfoods with the occasional gaucho influence (a pot of lightly spiced corn, for example) all artfully arranged at the bar or table to avoid sending your glass of Montrachet flying. Much of it is lactose, sugar and gluten-free – after a pizzette or two (tingling 'nduja, prawn and chilli), a plate of pocket-square-thin jamon iberico and just-right quail eggs, you can munch on an array of salads (watercress, courgette, pea, mint and lemon) and ceviches – though carnivores should make sure to order the excellent beef short-rib ravioli with truffle. Pure theatre, with attentive Four Seasons-style service – this is Mayfair people-watching at its best and an all-day menu. An Annabel's for the clean-eating generation? Rick Jordan
Address: Isabel, 26 Albemarle St, Mayfair, London W1S 4HY
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Corrigan's
Dublin-born Richard Corrigan took London by the balls in the mid-1990s, winning a star at Stephen Bull's Fulham Road before opening the big-ticket Soho restaurant Lindsay House and shucking up Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill, a survivor from the Edwardian era. He's a chef known for his deft, big-hearted takes on country cooking, using a poacher's sack of game and tipping his toque towards France. The table's set with a simple crusty loaf, quartered on an iron skillet, and a bowl of leaves, beetroot and radish from Corrigan's Virginia Park Lodge estate, but what follows is far more elaborate. The menu is still strong on game and British seafood (roast grouse, red mullet, sea trout with razor clams). A starter of Orkney scallops sits in a rock-pool brine of vanilla and cocoa, with coral-like sprigs of cauliflower; tender globs of lobster are decorated with whirls of turnip and fishnet crisps of dulse; a trio of succulent suckling pig is artfully arranged with squash and nettles. Puddings include a rich bar of chocolate marquise, and a delicate cherry cake and tarragon ice cream cloaked in hibiscus jelly. A place to linger in and cast the Apple Watch aside, this has all the ease and expansiveness of a good raconteur. Rick Jordan
Address: Corrigan's, 28 Upper Grosvenor Street, Mayfair, London W1K 7EH
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HIDE
It’s been more than four years since Ollie Dabbous’s latest restaurant Hide opened its doors. Heavy, thick, knowingly blank doors that take serious nerve to push open. They’re the first signal that this is an exclusive spot – in all the right ways, with serene hostesses instantly on hand to whisk you to your table. Most people are here to eat – Dabbous led the restaurant to win a Michelin star just a few months after opening in 2018 – on the oaky ground floor and in the fancier tasting-and-set-menu-only room upstairs, Above. Downstairs, Dabbous’s long-term business partner Oskar Kinberg, who mixes top-shelf drinks to match the much-lauded food, is looking after the cocktail bar. A smart restaurant with an even smarter menu, serving some of the city’s best dishes. Sarah James
Address: Hide, 85 Piccadilly, London W1J 7NB
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JOHN BLACKWELLOrmer
After years under the direction of Kerth Gumbs, Great British Menu 2020 finalist, Ormer is now in the hands of Sofian Msetfi, whose CV includes stints at Tom Kerridge’s Hand and Flowers in Marlow. The 1930s-inspired restaurant sits pretty inside Flemings Hotel, and, this being Mayfair, exclusively serves tasting menus. Diners can choose between either the six- or eight-course option, where dishes might include BBQ rack of veal, flaky butter-poached cod or show-stealing native lobster.
Address: Ormer, Flemings Mayfair, 7-12 Half Moon Street, London W1J 7BH
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Mike CotroneSaltie Girl
Restaurants in this slick corner of London often go one of two ways: leaning into a starched, traditional dining experience or going heavy on flashy opulence. But here is a new arrival which swerves expectations. The clue is in the name – this place doesn't take itself too seriously. Arriving on North Audley Street by way of Boston at the end of 2022, Saltie Girl gleefully embraces its seafaring menu – think ocean-hued walls, shimmering tiles, shell lamps and mermaid motifs – all (somehow) pulled off without feeling too chintzy. After the OG Saltie Girl (the name references an old Maine term for mermaids, apparently) built up a fan base in New England, the owners opened a saltie sister in Los Angeles and rounded out their trio of girls here.
Of course, we're still in Mayfair, so it's unsurprising that the menu spotlights teetering towers of seafood – oysters, crab, chubby prawns with the heads left on, caviar – and raw plates of sushi-grade fish such as spicy tuna tartare or plump raw salmon served with avocado oil and jalapeño. Cheeky nostalgia shines through in the classic prawn cocktail and Waldorf salad (well worth ordering for the tart pickled apples alone). It's only once you hit large plates that meat dishes start to pop up. But, really, you're here for the fish, so stick with the lobster waffle (gimmicky, sure, but lots of fun) or the New England lobster roll, served on ultra-buttery brioche with hand-cut crisps. Don't sleep on the Amalfi lemon meringue tart, which is as pretty as it is refreshing. All of which is best accompanied by something punchy from the cocktail menu – we particularly liked the appetite-whetting basil concoction with gin and more lemon. Sarah James
Address: 15 N Audley Street, London W1K 6WZ
Price: £££
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