Mews Of Mayfair

One of Mayfair’s best-kept secrets

To be honest Mews of Mayfair is one of those places that leaves you a little bit torn; it’s so damn good you can’t help but want to tell the world and his dog about it, though a tiny little part of you will also want to keep it schtum to avoid the oversaturation that’s come along with so many of London’s hyped-up eateries. Luckily for you the little angel on my shoulder told me to do the right thing…

Situated in the cobbled nightspot that is Lancashire Court, just of Brook Street, it’s admittedly an area I haven’t visited since the delicious Rocket closed its doors a few years back. Spread over four floors, Mews was founded by London entrepreneur James Robson back in 2006. With slickly sophisticated décor and 18th century converted Mews house setting , it feels like you’re stepping into one of London’s chicer members’ clubs, without the hefty fees.

Upon arrival my guest and I sampled a couple of the particularly delicious signature cocktails in the ground floor bar before heading up to dinner. It would be rude not to on a Friday evening…

The first floor brasserie managed to be elegant and yet pleasantly low-key; scrubbed pine tables with fresh spring flowers upon them gave an air of somewhere far more casual than the depths of Mayfair, though the crisp linen napkins and perfectly attentive wait staff reminded us of where we were.

Plumping for a spot of seafood to start, we enjoyed a plate of absolutely spectacular oysters, fresh and salty, and a fully dressed juicy Devonshire crab, quite the most delicious I’ve tried. For my main I jumped at the day’s special of red mullet served with beetroot puree, red chard, walnut gnocchi and truffle sauce; an absolutely divine combination of flavours – the gnocchi in particular was to die for, I could have eaten a whole plate of just that. My guest went for a Mews burger with triple cooked chips (almost as good as proper Belgian triple cooked chips…) and we indulged in a side of properly cosy mac and cheese. It had to be done. Dinner was accompanied by a bottle of very good Pouilly Fuisse ‘Vieilles Vignes’, upon the recommendation of the manager and quite the nicest wine I’ve had in a long while.

Though pleasantly stuffed by our delicious feast there was of course room for dessert, and thank God there was; we ended in some kind of pudding-induced haze but whatever was on the plate involved plenty of very dark chocolate and salted caramel and was a spectacular finish.

Where Mews really comes alive is after dinner however, as we headed down to the basement lounge for plentiful fruity cocktails and raucous dancing to noughties R&B until the wee hours. One of Mayfair’s best-kept secrets, Mews undoubtedly manages to be chic and feel exclusive without the pretentiousness of some of its counterparts. You should go there. Just not too often. And don’t tell everyone about it, ok?

Reviewed by Laurel
Published on Mar 17, 2014

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A good brasserie in a pretty mews

Lancashire Court is pretty hard to find; it’s a mews off Brook Street that isn’t clearly marked on most maps. Mews of Mayfair is located here, counting as neighbours a branch of Hush and an Elemis Day Spa.

Given the cosy size of the cobbled alley it inhabits, Mews of Mayfair seems surprisingly large. The four storey building houses a basement lounge, the ground floor cocktail bar, the first floor brasserie and two private rooms. They’ve even squeezed in a gallery showcasing young London artists that doubles as a private room and backs onto the courtyard.

They make a big deal out of locally sourcing ingredients, so there’s a map printed on the back of each menu to show where their favoured producers are from. Some are super local, like the smoked salmon from H. Forman & Son, and gin and vodka from Sipsmiths. Even the halloumi is from Sussex and the mozzarella from Laverstoke Park Farm.

There are some delightful lightly salted buns in place of bread, which makes sense when we learn the chef used to be a baker. One of the daily specials, the gooey fried goat’s cheese parcels drizzled in marmalade, are delicious. The roasted fillet of Cornish hake is cooked to perfection, served with tasty grilled peppers and courgettes.

The fillet steak is good, if not great. A little less impressive is the Devon crab mayonnaise with toasted sourdough, which needs a bit more seasoning and mayonnaise. For dessert we eat a lovely lardy cake with drunken lemon drizzle, which is syrupy and has enough citrus to make it interesting.

There’s a well-conceived wine list with some very good wines available by the glass, increasingly a rarity. We try an oaky Chardonnay, a light, slightly dry Gavi di Gavi for the fish, and a fruit Argentinian Malbec for the steak. There are digestifs and dessert wines too; a sweet Pedro Ximenez sherry goes down very nicely. If you’re looking for a competent restaurant in a pretty mews, this is just the ticket.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Mar 25, 2013

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