Bucking the trend for minimalist restaurants with stripped back dining rooms and curious menus, Mortimer House Kitchen is the kind of place that revels in its own glamour. It’s never over the top or gaudy though, managing to stay on the right side of chic. The Kitchen is the public-facing part of the larger Mortimer House, a private members’ club, wellness centre and co-working space which was supposedly designed around psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
The dining room is a love letter to stylish interiors and it was positively bustling on our midweek visit – think cane chairs, verdant foliage, an open kitchen and a conservatory space to the side which is effortlessly Instagrammable. As with most restaurants these days, you’re encouraged to share the menu here with your dining companion(s), and food is billed as Mediterranean, but there are a few Middle Eastern and Asian influences too.
From the smaller dishes, we loved crisply battered soft shell crab, mixed in with a medley of zingy yuzu, coriander and chili. Similarly, a single parcel of handmade herb tortelli stuffed with smoked burrata and a smattering of pistachio was packed with flavour.
From the handful of vegetarian dishes, we found ourselves falling for a bowl of courgette spaghetti. While we’re normally against vegetables masquerading as carbs, these thick spirals of courgette had just the right amount of crunch, and the dish was given an extra depth of flavour via nuggets of smoked ricotta. Meatier dishes are just as good, with a tender veal cutlet served alongside stewed Sicilian vegetables being a particular highlight.
We finished up with deliciously creamy scoops of house-made gelato, which also form the base of several other desserts, such as the ring of juicy roasted pineapple which is crowned with salted caramel gelato and a pistachio crumb. Your bill will be high, but amiable staff and that ineffable atmosphere will help to soften the blow. It seems that when it comes to London restaurants, glamour is back on the menu.