Mews of Mayfair

The set price lunch at Mews has to be 1 of the best value set lunches in London. For £19 I had Smoked salmon, Steak and a delicious rasberry and lemon mousse shortbread. Beautifully cooked and served in a lovely environment in the heart of the west end it's not to be missed.

This was a wonderful unspoilt oasis. We had a table outside and it was perfect to watch the world go by and re-charge our batteries on a Saturday afternoon. The food was wonderfully cooked and presented and tasted as good as it looked. I had fantastic oysters and beautifully sweet but firm prawns for my main course, all complimented by a fresh mojito. The atmosphere was relaxed, staff were polite and courteous at all times and nothing was too much trouble. I would recommend to all my friends and family for either than special occasion or a treat and you definitely will not be disappointed… Exclusive in a refined yet down to earth way – a pleasure to visit and will be doing again very soon…

I was drawn to Mews of Mayfair by the menu that sounded so promising; it was exactly what I was looking for after a frantic and stressful week. The restaurant is tucked away in a warren of Mews buzzing with crowded restaurants and bars. As I entered the restaurant I noticed how pleasing the decor was, all white and clean looking, with delicate little butterflies painted on the walls.

We ordered the house red, which tasted like it was far cheaper that the £20 that we were paying for it, however the bread rolls that they brought out were deliciously fresh. I ordered the ham hock and duck terrine as a starter.

After returning from the ornate bathroom, I noticed that the room was suddenly much darker, but could just about make out my starter was waiting for me on the table. Although the ham hock and duck terrine was good and accompanied by a delicious pear and apple chutney, it was hard to get the full enjoyment out of it, with staff beginning to rush around frantically, due to the fact that it was only the floor of the restaurant that was suffering from a power cut.

As a main I had ordered burger with Foie Gras, which arrived surprisingly quickly considering all the other tables had been told that there was a problem with their food and the waiting staff were not sure when it would be arriving.

The actual burger itself, tasted as a good home made burger should, but the first thing that I had noticed when it had arrived, was the bun. The bun looked exactly like the cheap kind that you would buy, when you suddenly realised that the one thing that had forgotten for the BBQ were the buns and quickly ran to the corner shop and bought the ones that had probably been sitting on the shelf for a couple of months. The Foie Gras had obviously been cooked in the same pan as the burger and disappointingly this over powered any taste that it might have previously possessed. The chips were the only thing that saved the meal from being a complete disaster, they were wonderfully crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

The overall impression that I got from Mews of Mayfair was that it promised something it just couldn't deliver, I would have been completely satisfied if I had popped to local pub for a meal and this was what I had been served, however I was not paying pub prices and therefore expected more. When I asked my friend what she thought of her food she turned to me and said; 'It was fine, but that's all I can say,' I believe that pretty much sums it up!

This month I checked out one of London’s top restaurant establishments. Ladies and gentleman let me point you in the direction of Mews of Mayfair owned
by James Robson. This is a hidden little gem, tucked away in Lancashire Court near New Bond Street in the centre of the West End. It is located within a historic cobbled courtyard; this secret discovery is pure gold.

It is perfect for all occasions, be it that special day or evening with your partner, family and friends. How about a spot of shopping in London followed by a glorious lunch or dinner and escape from the madness of Oxford Street? Whatever the occasion, the four floors of these 2 converted mews houses offers something for everyone in the heart of Mayfair.
(Local underground stations include Bond Street tube – 5 minutes away and Oxford Circus tube – 6 minutes away.)

As we walked down the cobbles, there were lots of customers standing outside enjoying a late night drink after work. We made our way in to the ground floor bar and I was impressed with the 18th century chandelier and the chilled out atmosphere as guests sat back in the leather sofas with glasses of champagne.
I walked up the stairs to the restaurant on the 1st floor and was equally impressed. It felt very homely and relaxed with hand stitched butterflies adorning the silk covered walls and white leather sofas and chairs which add a touch of elegance to the understated atmosphere. It was intimate and exquisite.
The 60-seater restaurant was full of happy guests enjoying their meals and soaking up the ambience.

The restaurant managers Aurelien Mouren and David Bardot showed us to our seats
and provided impeccable service throughout the evening. All the waiters are French and ooze sophistication and class. The menu has a mix of both French and British modern influences and will satisfy all discerning palates. The meals are fantastic value for money, with main courses ranging from £14-19.
There is a vast selection of fine wines and champagne to accompany your meal as well as beers and spirits. I had a divine bottle of red Chateau La Claymore.
The restaurant is open 6 days a week for a set lunch at 12-3 and 6-11 for evening dining.
(Although it is closed on a Sunday, the bar is still open serving drinks and light snacks.)

The waiter presented us with glorious thyme bread rolls as we pondered what meal to choose from the vast menu.
To begin with, I opted for warm rag stone goat cheese, beetroot and toasted hazelnuts which were just sensational. I also sampled the finely cut rare steak tartar which was bursting with seasonal flavour.
For my main course, I ordered slow cooked leg of lamb wrapped in cannelloni pasta bedded on mashed potato and finished nicely with rich gravy. I also sampled the fillet of sea bass and cockles. The food was out of this world and the presentation of each dish was simply outstanding.
I was so full after these wonderful dishes that for pudding, I opted for a light strawberry sorbet to cleanse the palate.

The manager Aurelien showed us to the private dining room on the top floor which accommodates up to 30 guests making it the perfect choice for weddings, private dinners, and cocktail parties. The room has classic 18th century chandeliers and is visually impressive, covered with a gigantic map of the world on the walls in a light brown to match the wooden beams and cream leather chairs. There is a 50 inch plasma screen which is discreetly hidden by a mirror which is ideal for conference and presentation events.

After our meal, we headed down to the glamorous basement lounge for an after dinner late night drink. The cool premium bar was very stylish and up market.
The DJ played great club mixes and is there to keep you entertained from Tues-Sat until 1 am. The mews is a perfect destination choice for dinner followed by hitting the bar and dance floor in true style.
There is a selection of vintage wine, deluxe spirits, cocktails, canapés and light dishes to choose from and I enjoyed the cocktails and buzzing atmosphere very much.

I would like thank Aurelien and his staff for a wonderful evening. I will be sure to return. I hope all you readers of Life magazine check out this ‘hidden little gem.’

Mews of Mayfair, 10-11 Lancashire Court, Mayfair, London. WIS 1EY
For reservations call – 020 7519 9388
www.mewsofmayfair.com

(nearest car parks- Grosvenor Hill NCP- 3 minute walk/ Burlington car park- 6 minute walk).

I had some friends visiting me from New York and wanted to take them somewhere really special. So when a friend suggested Mews of Mayfair I decided to give them a go and I was glad I did.
We agreed to meet early so we could have some drinks before dinner and were thrilled when we managed to get a table in the busy courtyard. We decided to have a few cocktails as the waitress had informed us of how all the drinks are made with fresh fruits and purees. And wow, you can really taste the difference! The flavours and freshness of the fruits really made the cocktails taste great.
We told the waitress we were having dinner later and she informed us that the host can come and get us when the table is ready.
After a few more cocktails a charming young man came to tell us our table was ready. He then walked us upstairs and also transferred our bar bill to the restaurant. As he recognised my friends were not from London and I told him we wanted to have a really fun night he said he would arrange a table for us in the lounge after dinner. We really felt very special!
The menu was a mixture of British cuisine with French twists. We shared a selection of starters the real stand-out dishes being the ham hock and rabbit terrine and the scallops.
For our mains we ordered tiger prawns with watermelon, chilli and ginger, the pan-fried cod with calamari and the mews gourmet burger with foie gras! All 3 dishes were exceptional. The prawns worked so well with the watermelon and chilli and the cod tasted so fresh. As for the gourmet burger with foie gras my friend assures me it's the better then any burger she's ever had in New York.
For dessert we shared tiramisu and passion fruit cheesecake which was every bit as good as our mains.
Just as we finished our coffees the charming young host came to escort us to our table in the lounge.
Here the night continued in the same fashion, with excellent service, music and of course drinks.
We all had an amazing night and my friends have told me they can't wait to come back to London and return to Mews.

Seeing all the positive reviews I decided to give this place a visit to see what the fuss was about, and sadly I was grossly dissatisfied with the whole experience.

Initially I was impressed with the way they handled the reservation on the phone, the staff were well spoken, and they we're willing to make adjustments to suit the personal needs.
Once we arrived the restaurant was in a very attractive location with a small group of bars and restaurants lined up next to each other which created a private yet buzzy atmosphere.

Once entering the restaurant I expected to be greeted by a member of staff to seat me and my party, however one member of staff just walked straight past me, so I was forced to aproach the receptionist first and initiate the greeting. I expect to be greeted first rather than me having to aproach the staff, I believe this is an industry standard.

Having confirmed we had a reservation the receptionist simply pointed at the table we we're at, stating “that is you're table there”. Personally that is something I expect at a motorway diner, on top of that they didnt ask to take our coats, I had to personally force feed him to ask us to take our coats. Maybe I should be taking the supervisors job?

Once we sat ourselves we ordered a round of drinks whilst waiting for the rest of the party, these drinks are set at prices which I expect high quality ingredients and high innovation, but I was dissapointed to find that I could buy the same quality at one of the mainstream nightclubs in Mayfair at half the price! Besides whilst the waiter was preparin the drinks he dropped the glasses, twice! As we we're enjoying our night (due to good company) another group of people came in and they again had to force feed the staff to take their coats, except this time the receptionist placed a dozen coats onto one of the empty seats for our table, and it took him 5 minutes to take it back. Now I dont know if this was a completely new group of staff but they were aweful.

Once the entire group was here we're started ordering our food, the menu sounded delicious, and we're were exited to see if it tasted as good as it sounded, and sadly it didnt. I dont mind eating this quality of food at a low budget, you get what you see kind of restaurant but, these prices are so high I expect more than a place that looked like it had been prepared by a high school sweaty teenager. The temperature of the food was bordering on cold, and it took them 25 minutes to serve the starters. Not impressed at all.
I decided that to enjoy this night we needed more alcohol, so I ordered three bottles of house wine, which was to a very good quality, it was probably the highlight of the evening. Again the main course took about 25 minutes to be served, it was cooked to a standard that can be easily prepared at home, for a tenth of the price. The portion sizes were satisfactory, the flavors we're not complementing each other at all, it was confusing to eat. The deserts we probably the most intresting course, it was simply three scoops of ice-cream. Thats a serious comment.
The girlst seemed to enjoy the butterflies scattered across the room, the manager was friendly and curteus.

Having spent over £300 pounds I expected something more, I could eat better quality of food with better trained staff at Bella Italia! For the prices they are charging and the poor quality products and services I most definatly would NOT go to Mews of Mayfair again. Quality of food was 5/10 star (average), service was 4/10, atmosphere was 6/10 star, value for money 1/10 star! Overall I would rate it a 4 star, there are much better standard of restaurants that are in the similar price range, that provide a much more satisfying experience.