London Review : Mews of Mayfair

I am currently on a mission to find good Sunday meals in London – be it Bottomless Brunches or Sunday Roasts. You have already read about my boozy brunch at Aquavit and the resplendent meal we had at Jones Family Project.

Recently, we discovered Mews of Mayfair. The restaurant has been established for about ten years now, which is why I was surprised I hadn’t laid my eyes on this gastronomic gem all this time.

Located inside a quaint and historic courtyard in the heart of Mayfair, MoM has a charming brasserie on the first floor and a private dining room accommodating about 28 on the top floor. Downstairs is an informal bar with pavement tables, heat lamps and blankets for a spot of alfresco dining. The owner also owns a couple of other bars and art galleries on the same street.

The brasserie itself is elegant and bright, designed in a neutral, olive green palette. Lots of natural wood, swathes of marble and walls festooned with mirrors and framed pictures add tones, textures and elements of interest to the tasteful decor.

But it’s the food that excites us. On the weekend, they do a brunch deal with two courses at £22 or three at £26 which is amazingly good value for money, given the fancy location. You can also upgrade your meal to a bottomless version for another £15 per person.

I decided to go for Prosecco as my choice of tipple, although you have the option to opt for a Bloody Mary, Bellini or Mimosa. Unlike other places, what I really liked about their bottomless offer was that you have the flexibility to change from one drink to another throughout the course of your afternoon. So I had a glass of prosecco to start with, switched to a bellini and a mimosa for the first courses and switched back to prosecco for my main. The quality of the prosecco served was really good – light, crisp and not too sweet. The mimosa had sparkling yellow and orange hues; perfect colours to brighten up a grey, autumnal Sunday.

The brunch menu has lots of egg-tastic dishes. I ordered the Broken Fried Eggs, Ratte Potato, Serrano Ham. Fresh from the debauchery of London Cocktail week, this was a perfect plate of hangover bashing food, full of loving carbs. The ham was delicious and the potatoes had nice, crunchy edges. It was a simple and well-executed dish with quality ingredients.

Kris had the Jalapeno Corn Bread, Black Beans, Avocado, Fried Eggs. It was a salubrious plate packed full of wholesome ingredients. The robust bread had a spicy kick and was crumbly which complemented well with the creamy avocado and the earthy black beans. The addition of fresh herbs made it even more vibrant. For a carnivore like me, the flavours of this meat-free dish left me speechless.

For his main, Kris had the Flat Iron Steak. It was well-presented and cooked perfectly strawberry pink, although the meat itself was slightly chewy at times. It was served with crispy shoestring fries and freshly sautéed broccoli. The accompanying Béarnaise sauce was absolutely divine.

I ordered their Sunday Roast – Dingley Dell Pork Belly, Apple Sauce, Crackling. It was exemplary: a generously portioned, sumptuous hunk of buttery pork belly, soft sweet potato mash, crunchy edged roasted root vegetables and a glorious Yorkshire pudding, all served on a gleaming pool of gravy and topped with a salty, puffed crackling. This is solid foundation food that is refined and comforting but not stodgy.

Overall the food served here is upmarket, classical fare with a contemporary twist. Everything is cooked well, seasoned appropriately and beautifully presented like autumn on a plate.

Service was friendly, fast and efficient. There was real attention to detail throughout the afternoon. My glass was regularly topped up without being prompted, tables were cleared up promptly and napkins folded back ready for the next course.