Mayfair is hardly short on French restaurants, but Chez Rose, which opens this summer on the former Little Social site, offers something special, mastering the timeless pleasure of very good butter, excellent sauces and an expertly curated wine selection.
The new restaurant comes from chef Spencer Metzger, whose CV includes time at The Ritz and Jason Atherton’s Row on 5, but the inspiration behind Chez Rose is considerably more personal. Named after his late grandmother Rosemary, the bistro is designed as an homage to the warmth, generosity and love of food that shaped his childhood. Speaking about the opening, he shared that while his family started with nothing, his grandmother was always very generous with her time and he still puts immense value on coming together with loved ones over food. Metzger is partnering with Jason and Irha Atherton on the opening, and the menu reads exactly as you’d hope from a Mayfair bistro operating at this level.
Snacks include Irish oysters, whipped duck liver with fig, Comté gougères topped with lardo di Colonnata and thick slices of pâté en croûte with Dijon mustard and cornichons. Starters continue in a similarly indulgent direction. There’s oeuf meurette with wild mushrooms, steak tartare with crisp pomme gaufrette and Orkney scallops finished with café de Paris butter. Elsewhere, St Ives mackerel arrives with Charentais melon and almond, while white asparagus with brown butter hollandaise nails it as a seasonal special.
On the larger side, the menu moves between refined French technique and comfort food. Cornish cod comes with mussels and sorrel, plaice with brown shrimp and dulce, while veal T-bone with sauce moutarde and lamb rump with olive, tomato and confit garlic sound destined for lengthy lunches that accidentally consume most of the afternoon. If you have a penchant for desserts, make sure you save space to try the crepe suzette, a flamboyant 1980s classic, and the 70% chocolate souffle for two, served with vanilla ice cream.