Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
beautifully presented and served with style by the faultless staff. The wine list is a mas-
terclass in top French wines, and is kind to the purse as well on lesser- known varieties.
It all takes place in a comfortable, conventional basement dining room which may be too
old-fashioned for some, but which perfectly sets the scene for a truly classic meal.
43 Upper Brook St., W1.
&
020/7408-0881.
www.le-gavroche.co.uk. Reservations required as far in
advance as possible. Main courses £26.90-£54.80; set lunch £48.90;
Le
Menu Exceptionnel
(whole
table) £100. AE, MC, V. Mon-Fri noon-2pm; Mon-Sat 6:30-11pm. Tube: Marble Arch.
Expensive
Greenhouse
CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN The secret garden and
fountain comes as a surprise to first-time visitors. Tucked away in Mayfair, the Green-
house's pretty dining room looks out onto the greenery. Lyon-born head chef Antonin
Bonnet is an inspired master, producing first-class dishes without destroying the
natural flavors of his ingredients. His skill in mixing unusual combinations shines
through in dishes like a cleverly assembled autumn salad with black olive powder,
Iberico ham, and balsamic dressing, followed by roast pigeon breast with pomegran-
ate, turnip purée, almonds, and a jus of giblets and pancetta. Vegetarians are well
treated with a separate menu so tempting it might convert carnivores.
27a Hays Mews, W1.
&
020/7499-3331.
www.greenhouserestaurant.co.uk. Reservations required. Set
lunch 2 courses £25, 3 courses £29; 3-course fixed-price dinner or vegetarian menu £70; tasting menu
£85;. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Fri noon-2:30pm; Mon-Sat 6:30-11pm. Tube: Green Park.
Hibiscus
CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN The cooking is spectacular—
with enough culinary fireworks to satisfy the most adventurous—while the setting is
elegant and understated. Claude Bosi made his name and reputation at his Hibiscus
restaurant in Ludlow in Shropshire, then came to London in 2007 with his wife
Claire, who runs front of house. His style of cooking includes ingredients that you
wouldn't expect in classic French dishes: Pork pie sauce appears in a starter of scal-
lops along with pink grapefruit and sorrel; roast goose is paired with smoked eel. This
is one to save for—put yourself into the hands of the master and appreciate an excep-
tional and different eating experience.
29 Maddox St., W1.
&
020/7629-2999.
www.hibiscusrestaurant.co.uk. Reservations required. Lunch
3 courses £29.50-£53.50, 6-course tasting menu (whole table only) £85-£97.50. A la carte 2 courses
£60, 3 courses £80. Fri and Sat evenings 4 courses £77.50, 6 courses £87.50, 8 courses £97.50. AE, DC,
MC, V. Tues-Fri noon-2:30pm and 6:30-10pm; Sat 6-10pm. Tube: Green Park.
Scott's
SEAFOOD Scott's is glamorous and glitzy, a seafood restaurant that
is on every celebrity's speed dial. Opened as an oyster warehouse in 1851 by a young
fishmonger, John Scott, the restaurant moved to Mayfair in 1968. The dining room is
drop-dead gorgeous, oak-paneled with art on the walls and a show-stopping crusta-
cean display in the central bar. Meat eaters are taken care of, as are vegetarians and
vegans, but fish is the raison d'être; it seems perverse to ignore the freshest of oysters,
caviar that starts at £80, octopus carpaccio, smoked haddock with colcannon, or a
simple, perfectly cooked sea bass. The owners have opened the
Mount Street Deli,
100 Mount St., W1 (
&
020/7499-6843;
www.themountstreetdeli.co.uk) opposite,
a perfect place for breakfast, a light lunch, or afternoon tea.
20 Mount St., W1.
&
020/7495-7309.
www.scotts-restaurant.com. Reservations required. Main courses
£17.50-£42. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat noon-10:30pm; Sun noon-10pm. Tube: Green Park or Bond St.
Moderate
Automat
AMERICAN The famous faces who flocked to this Mayfair eatery when
it opened aren't seen too much anymore, but there's still a steady clientele of
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