LADY BLONDE @ MEWS OF MAYFAIR.

Some say all good things come in threes. Blind mice? French Hens? Robin Reliants? I’m not convinced. For me, the most desirable digit – whose spindly legs could kick three’s bottom cleavage into touch – is 'four' with weddings, poster-beds, -nication and skin (sorry but it’s true) fighting in its corner. So it was with dragging stilettos that I went for dinner with someone who I thought had had good dating potential until he announced his brother would be joining us. Apparently he had found himself at a loose end. He obviously hadn’t heard that three is a crowd.
 
The up-side was that we were going to Mews of Mayfair, a four-in-one venue situated in Lancashire Court – a narrow, quaint little capsule of restaurants and bars, hidden behind the grandeur and activity of New Bond Street. The four floors house a bar, restaurant, private dining room in the attic and late night lounge in the basement.
 
We met in the ground floor bar for drinks. The dimly lit space was welcoming with leather seats and a buzzing after-work crowd but there was something else that caught my eye; amongst the faces that turned towards me when I entered, there were two that took me by surprise. The brother was not quite the lank, friendless, youth in need of a babysitter I had envisioned; he was in fact the better-looking, of an already good-looking, twin. I ordered a Bemewsed cocktail – a Mews signature cocktail made up of fresh lychee, elderflower and champagne. I sipped the refreshing content of my flute and surveyed the pair – perhaps the number two with all the grace and glory of a swan’s neck is the magic number?
 
We made our way up to the restaurant. The interior is pale with the leather banquettes, tables and chairs, walls and floor seeming to settle under a creamy veil. The light, simplistic design is not eye-jarringly bright, ascetic or austere, it is understated, undemanding, intimate and chic. Wandering eyes fall upon hand-stitched butterflies on the silk-covered walls adding a little flourish of detail for those who desire it. It was refreshing to be seated in central Mayfair in such an unpretentious, unfussy space that isn’t jostling to impress with ‘fance’ and pomp. The immaculate service and quality of the food were true to the location but the reasonable prices and easy atmosphere were pleasantly un-Mayfair.
 
To start we ordered ravioli paysanne with seared foie gras, a goat’s cheese tart and freshly shucked maldon rock oysters with cabernet vinegar and shallot dressing – twelve of them. Twelve aphrodisiac shots in shells? In retrospect, that explains a lot…
 
For our main course, I had a deliciously tender and flavoursome braised beef bourguignon with horseradish mousseline, and the boys were both silent while they devoured rib eye steaks with chanterelle mushrooms and sides of thick cut chips and green beans.
 
None of us really had room for pudding but the prospect of sharing was quite appealing so we ordered a chocolate fondant, a vanilla crème brulee with marinated orange and a wild honey cheesecake with ginger biscuit. All were exquisite and instigated a fair bit of spoon crossing…
 
With two floors covered and a third beckoning from the basement, Mews of Mayfair was proving to deliver on all levels. So, it was with enjoyment and pangs of excitement that I descended to The Lounge with a man on each arm. Suddenly the prospect of ‘three’ was not so bad, perhaps even preferable to four, and definitely added an appealing dimension to just two. Yes I was convinced, three had its plus points and by dawn, I was three times a lady.

BEST BITS.

Situated on the top floor, Mews of Mayfair has a vaulted private dining room with (sound-proofed) views of the kitchen. It can accommodate 10 to 30 guests and is fully equipped with a plasma screen discreetly hidden behind a mirror amidst an over-sized map of the world.
 
With the basement lounge staying open till 1am (Tues to Sat), Mews of Mayfair is the perfect place to wile away an evening with drinks in the bar, followed by dinner, and then dancing and cocktails in The Lounge.
 
The quality of the food and service are everything they should be given the prestigious address.

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MEWS OF MAYFAIR.

Mews of Mayfair are offering a complimentary glass of champagne on arrival for anyone quoting ‘Lady Blonde’ when booking the restaurant on line at www.mewsofmayfair.com

Mews of Mayfair, 10-11 Lancashire Court, New Bond Street, Mayfair W1S 1EY
t: 020 7518 9388
e: info@mewsofmayfair.com
w: www.mewsofmayfair.com