Harden's says
The long-awaited replacement to Matsya (RIP) comes from Jamavar and Bombay Bustle creator Samyukta Nair, and is inspired by 1920s Shanghai; former Hakkasan chef Peter Ho will oversee the high-end, modern Chinese menu.
Harden's survey result
Summary
Inspired by pre-revolutionary Shanghai (MiMi is a fictional Chinese empress), this chic four-year-old from Samyukta Nair, queen of the Mayfair restaurant scene, is well-rated by its fans – but feedback is thin this year. It is billed on its website as ‘Mayfair’s best-kept secret’… perhaps too secret for its own good!
Summary
Empress MiMi – keeper of the most revered Chinese culinary secrets – is the fictional inspiration for Samyukta Nair’s chic, Shanghai-inspired three-year-old: “an old converted Mayfair townhouse turned into a really charming three-storey restaurant”. Feedback on its luxurious Chinese cuisine is relatively limited, but says that “every dish is spot-on”. It is fully priced though, especially if you start straying into the ‘signature’ parts of the menu featuring lobster, caviar and Peking duck.
Summary
“We went there a mite apprehensive that we would be overwhelmed by pretension… but the dining rooms are beautiful!” – Samyukta Nair’s Shanghai-inspired two-year-old occupies a three-story Mayfair townhouse decorated in an elegant, classic style based on a fictional ‘Empress Mimi’. The chicness of the surroundings helps compensate for some “slightly overpriced” dishes, as does the generally excellent level of service. Top Menu Tip – “the fabled Peking duck is one of the best in town”.
Summary
“Tucked away in a lovely Mayfair conversion”, Samyukta Nair’s (who studied in China) year-old Shanghai-inspired venture has suffered some tough press reviews (notably from Giles Coren in The Times) but generally pleases diners. OK, even many fans concede that it is “super-expensive”, but “apart from the bill, everything else is amazing”, including the superior dim sum (from an ex-Hakkasan, Chinese-Singaporean chef, Peter Ho) and “fabled Peking duck” (which you must pre-order).
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at MiMi Mei Fair?
55 Curzon Street, London, W1J 8PG
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £46.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 6.00% |
55 Curzon Street, London, W1J 8PG
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
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