MNKY HSE

On paper, Mnky Hse seems all Mayfair style and no substance: a too-cool website vaunting the ‘discreet’ entrance, Instagram-friendly interiors, logo-heavy artwork and, of course, that jarring name. Fortunately, there is substance in the Latin American cuisine. Kick off with a Mnky Business rum cocktail for a smoky bit of theatre, before heading to the cavernous, buzzy dining room (celebs after ‘discretion’ may gravitate toward the cosy alcoves). From a tasting menu, we enjoyed crispy pork chicharonnes drizzled with salt and vinegar and dipped in a creamy pumpkin mole, before moving on to zingy seabass ceviche scattered with shards of dried purple sweet potato. Other menu highlights include an intensely meaty lamb shoulder taco, strips of Japanese wagyu beef that melt on the tongue, and flaky roasted stone bass on a bed of silky pearl barley risotto. Sweet corn cake comes with a bubblegum-like purple corn sorbet, and if dessert turns to dancing, there’s a huge spirits list with plenty of rum, pisco and Tequila. The staff are friendly, the crowd is bling and business, and your bill will be large. If this particular Mayfair glam is your thing, you’ll find more here than simply your next profile picture.

With an enviable location on Mayfair’s Dover Street, MNKY HSE (pronounced Monkey House) is an upmarket restaurant, cocktail bar and event space in Central London. Walking down Dover Street, you might not even notice that the restaurant and bar is there - MNKY HSE is tucked away behind a discreet street-level entrance, but head down the staircase and you’ll find a chic dining room.

MNKY HSE is set across two floors, with the upstairs ground floor being home to a sleek, luxurious bar and lounge, whilst downstairs at basement level is the restaurant, which celebrates the best of Latin-American cuisine. Moody low-lighting makes this an intimate, cosy space, and the menu fuses elements of Latin-American cooking with top quality British ingredients. The kitchen here is dedicated to using the best ingredients when they’re in peak season, which means the menu changes often, reflecting a moment in time.

On the extensive menu you’ll find something for everyone, from easy going bites and sharers like grilled shishito peppers to tacos - wild mushroom with pine nut mole, smoked beef short rib and grilled pineapple pickle, and fried Baja sea bass with pickled green mango, for example.

The robata grill at the heart of the kitchen turns out a selection of grilled chicken, lamb chops, Wagyu tomahawk steaks, churrasco skewers and more. Besides all that, there are ceviche dishes galore, oysters by the dozen or half dozen with grapefruit granita and tabasco, and butter roasted lobsters with yuzu, truffle and crunchy purple potatoes. If the wealth of options leaves you struggling for choice, you can plump for the MNKY Feast Platter, which serves up a bit of everything along with salads and condiments.

After dinner, the restaurant transforms into a club, ready for guests to dance the night away and enjoy a selection of ‘MNKY Masterpieces’ - including the Hentou Fizz (Hendrick Neptunia, orange cordial, frangelico, yuzu, tonka, coffee beans and prosecco). MNKY HSE also serves a brunch menu during the day and offers a dedicated vegan menu for plant-based eaters.