Think you know Mayfair? Think again. For while this corner of W1 has long been associated with old school stuffiness, there are signs that it’s fast becoming a hotspot for 2015 – a place where you’ll want to stay and play post work.
Much of the buzz is about Kitty Fisher’s – the seriously haute dining spot (named after a Georgian-era courtesan) from Young British Foodie Chef of the Year 2014 Tomos Parry and former Pitt Cue Co sous chef Chris Leach – which opened just before Christmas. Critics are enthrall: the Evening Standard’s food writer, the fabulous Fay Mischler, has waxed lyrical about the wood fired menu – think salt cod croquettes, braised ox cheeks and pork chops washed down down with Bad Kitty cocktails in a historic Shepherd Market haunt – while The Telegraph’s Xanthe Clay has hailed Kitty Fisher’s as “the hottest restaurant in town”. Last year’s dining venue du jour, Chiltern Firehouse, must be quaking in its boots…
But Parry and Leach aren’t the only ones to have put Shepherd’ Market back on the map. London’s respectable red-light district also under the spotlight on Talk of the Town London’s recent ‘Lovers in London’ tour. The lively Valentine’s themed walk took locals and visitors alike through Shepherd Market in the dynamic young company’s usual tongue-in-cheek way.
Elsewhere Chez Chow – a decadent basement drinking den from the team behind North Audley Cantine – has just opened its doors. Named after the owners’ dog – Teddy the Chow Chow – the bar specialises in French-Asian fusion food and cocktails including a Homemade G&T with house fermented tonic (£11), the Aged Old Fashioned (£14) aged in its own oak barrel and the Popcorn Sazerac (£11).
But the big news is that Le Chateaubriand is set to open a London outpost on Mayfair’s Mount Street later this month. For those who have been living under a rock, Le Chateaubriand has been creating waves the other side of the Channel since it opened in 2006. (The Paris branch is currently at no.27 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list). The Mayfair restaurant will be called Le Chabanais (named after a 19th century brothel) with Paul Boudier (Le Chateaubriand’s former head chef) at the helm. Expect a 90 cover European-style restaurant on the ground floor, a downstairs bar plus a private dining room that can accommodate up to 10 people. We can’t wait!
