Mayfair, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Wow, what a debut!” – this “huge”, two-floor (plus basement bar), glass-fronted opening, on which Russian-owned Hedonism wines have reportedly spent £20m, is the most ambitious new project of 2018, occupying a landmark, 250-cover site “with a great view over Green Park”, which old hands will remember from days of yore as the home of Fahkreldine (long RIP). On the ground floor (‘Hide Below’ – price shown) is an all-day luxurious brasserie, while this first-floor location is dedicated to even finer dining from a six- or nine-course tasting menu (all-in with wine from about £200, with a lighter three-course option available at lunch). Chef-patron “Ollie Dabbous has done it again” with his “exquisite”, “light-with-a-Nordic-touch” cuisine, which “looks fabulous and tastes even better”; and whose “extraordinary attention to detail” matches that of the “stunningly beautiful” interior (which, in an ultra-luxe way, also appears “charming and simple”). At both locations, you can order from the “remarkable wine list”, also with the option of dialling up any of the 6,500 wines stocked by Hedonism’s Mayfair store (keep a clear head though – their most expensive vintages are over £10k!). “Definitely memorable!”

“What a find!”. Alyn Williams’s “outstanding” dining room hidden away at the back of a luxury Mayfair hotel is “one of the very best restaurants in London” (“and bizarrely underrated”). “It’s hard to fault the cooking and staff” – accolades reflected in this year’s high ratings – “and there’s even plenty of space between the tables”.

Chef Tom Kemble’s “excellent cooking” has been blessed by the Tyre Men, and professional service to match makes eating in this “calm and perfect” dining room, at the back of a Mayfair auctioneer, “like a private dining experience” and an excellent business choice. “But the wine is the key factor”: the auction house has access to a “fast-changing list” that offers some of the best value in town.

Culinary mastermind Alain Ducasse is behind something of a renaissance at this “very elegant dining room” in Mayfair, which had lost its way quite badly a few years ago. With its luxurious decor and “wonderful” modern French cuisine it can be “unbeatable for a special occasion”. Hardly surprisingly, it is “not cheap”, but this is one of London’s grander dining rooms and deserves to be more discovered again.

Just off Regent Street, the year-old West End outpost of Hackney superstar Pidgin has taken a little bit of time to settle down, and part of its original concept – the trolley service of British ‘dim sum’ – went by the wayside in early 2018. Now in a more conventional ‘small plates’ mode, at its best, it’s a repeat of the “all-round brilliance” of its sibling – “really fun” and with “outstanding food you will want to go back for again and again”.

Mark Jarvis, chef-patron of Anglo in Farringdon and Neo Bistro off Oxford Street, launched this smallish (35-cover) Mayfair newcomer in May 2018, just as the survey was closing. Early feedback is positive about the ambitious, seasonal British cuisine, from chef Sam Ashton-Booth (former head chef of Anglo) with options including a five-course tasting menu (with matching wine flight available) as well as à la carte and an express lunch.

The “awesome” setting of its “beautiful” interior provides one of London’s most impressive backdrops for a meal at this grand dining room, north of Oxford Street (recommended for romance, but especially for business). Most reports give a thumbs-up to the “pricey-but-solid” cuisine overseen by Jason Atherton, but – especially at the price – results can be “rather forgettable” (and there were a couple of disastrous meals reported this year). Afternoon teas and Sunday roasts are a recent innovation.

“Still the best place to take friends from abroad…”, “Still the best place for a business power breakfast…”, “Still the absolute best buzz in London!” – Corbin & King’s Grand Café near The Ritz is still at the centre of metropolitan life: a “highly tuned, effective and bustling brasserie” where the “fabulous room” means it “always feels like a glamorous treat”; and where the “interesting crowd” typically includes a few famous faces. Its “comprehensive menu” of comfort food (with some Mittel-european specials) is “not out-of-this-world” and has never aimed to be, but is generally “well executed and presented”. That said, laurel-resting is an ever-present danger here, and there were one or two more “underwhelming” meals reported this year. Likewise, while on most accounts “everything is so slick”, there have also been a few more reports recently of “mixed” and/or “brusque” service. Top Tip: “a good traditional afternoon tea, which (unlike so many places nowadays) doesn’t cost the earth”.