Rocket

Rocket’s three branches, in the City, Canary Wharf and Mayfair, would lead one to assume the prices match the postcodes, however menus across the board are affordable, with wines starting from £16 and main courses being in the region of £12 to £15. The Mayfair branch is cosily tucked away in a mews off New Bond Street that contains several other cleverly hidden eateries, it’s almost like a secret community of foodies has decided to alight here, away from rowdy neighbours and shoppers.

Downstairs is reserved for drinking and snacking, while the dining room with its velvet-decked chairs and warm colour scheme is upstairs. Some of the menu is ideal stodge for soaking up drinks consumed in the bar, such as the pizza selection which includes toppings like smoked black pudding, prawn and pancetta, while other dishes have more finesse, like the lime leaf marinated cod and butternut squash, which are heavily infused with delicious coconut. We chow down on spicy Creole prawns with okra tempura and sweet corn, and a piquant chorizo, prawn and new potato frittata with ingenious parsnip crisps and a dollop of paprika cream cheese. One of their signature dishes, the surf and turf salad provides a healthy take on the classic by adding heaps of dressed rocket, tomatoes and green beans to strips of rare beef, battered baby squid and succulent prawns. Dessert-wise the banoffee pie with its rich crispy biscuit base and gooey layer of caramel ticks all the right boxes; it’s upmarket comfort food at its best.

On a sunny day, it is difficult to get a seat outside at this modern and pretty little restaurant tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of New Bond Street in the tiny pedestrian alley of Lancashire Court. I went there on a Thursday lunch time and it was almost full – lucky we had booked.

As you walk up the stairs the first thing that catches your eye is a large black and white photo of a rather handsome dog (it is a Weimaraner in case you want to know). The end of the room is decorated with a rather impressive “wall of wine” but otherwise it is light and airy with huge windows (which are usually open) and an attractive glass feature ceiling. There were a couple of rather stunning flower arrangements too.

The tables are comfortably worn wood and the seats are nicely upholstered and padded although you are a little too close to those seated around you.

Starters include buffalo mozzarella (£6.50), tuna, prawn and chorizo brochette (£6.50) and lamb, feta and black olive parcels with an apricot and ginger relish (£5.50). But you are presented with a bowl of fat, juicy olives to get your appetite going anyway.

We opted for main course salads. The Chef’s salad was a little disappointing. It was fresh and there was an assortment of cheeses (Saint Agur and pears, goat’s cheese) as well as tomatoes, peas, leaves and a parmesan pinenut dressing. The tastes were nice enough but it was very chilled and the portion size on the small side. My colleague’s smoked chicken and goat’s cheese salad with pears, pecans, red onions, grapes, leaves and basil with a bacon, honey and mustard dressing was a superior choice – a serious portion size and some great flavours.

Mind you, we were both very envious when those around us were served with large, fluffy and generously topped pizzas from the huge oven that you can clearly see from the restaurant area. These range in price from £8.50 to £11.50 and include some interesting combinations such as anchovy, chilli, olives and capers; black pudding, pancetta, butterfly king prawns and green chilli; and smoked chicken and caramelised baby onions with cherry tomatoes and rosemary. There are also vegetarian and meat calzones on the menu.

We resisted ordering a side of hand cut big chips (£2.50) or garlic and rosemary pizza bread (£3.75).

They have an extensive wine list with 70 wines priced under £45 and have a wide selection by the glass ranging from £3.75 to £7.50. There appeared to be a good choice of bottles around the £20 mark too.

The bill for our light and quick lunch, comprising a large bottle of sparkling water (£2.75), a smoked chicken salad (£12.95), a Chefs salad (£12.95), a filter coffee (£1.50) and a double espresso (£2) and service at 12.5% came to £36.17. Incredibly good value for Mayfair – particularly as the venue is so lovely.

The clientele is eclectic – both formal and informal groups of business folks, shoppers, tourists and what appear to be groups of well dressed students. Despite being pretty busy, the ambient noise level is quite low so it is a good place to chat. My colleague reports that the clientele remains much the same in the evening. It is an informal and friendly place to dine – a rare find in the middle of Mayfair.

The staff are friendly and efficient – perhaps a little on the relaxed side if you are in a hurry. And our waitress appeared to be an expert of dogs as I asked about the dog photo and she ran through a number of breeds as well as mentioning that a former branch used to have French bulldogs.