June Newsletter

Hi Fellow Foodie,

Welcome to our June newsletter, featuring all the “hot” news. I couldn't resist referencing the current heatwave we're enjoying or enduring if you're travelling into London.

We are halfway into 2025, it’s frightening how quickly time flies. So with a mountain of news to share today, lets get into it and start with a quick round-up of my June.

Two reviews: My first visit to Judy’s at The Punchbowl. The pub was once famed for being owned by Guy Ritchie but is now under the ownership of Butcombe Brewing Company and becoming famous for its food including the pie!

Click here to read my review

Another first: Bottomless brunch at Bocconcino’s – my first experience of a bottomless brunch. I’ve heard that the food at bottomless brunches sometimes can feel like an afterthought, but not at Bocconcino’s, it was a a fantastic lunch and had a great vibe. Highly recommended for celebrations especially as its a all inclusive price.

Click here to read my review

A tough assignment: Researching the seven best food pubs in Mayfair was such an ardous task, what a tough job. I eventually managed to picked out 7 of my favourite Mayfair food pubs, all in my humble opinion are well worth a visit.

New recipes: I did get my apron on and added a few new recipes to the website, including a rather nice Prosecco risotto with scallops, perfect for a summers lunch.

Special Lunch Menus

We’re continuing our search for great-value lunch menus at top London restaurants.

• The Chalk – Tom Kerridge
  Tom Kerridge’s Chelsea pub, The Chalk, offers a bargain set lunch menu: £18.50 for two courses or £25.00 for three courses.

• Piccolino
  I recently dined at Piccolino on Heddon Street and tried their club set lunch: two courses for £24.50 or three for £30.50. To qualify, you need to join the free IR loyalty scheme, which takes less than five minutes to sign up for.

• Silva, Mayfair
  The excellent Silva in Bruton Place offers a set lunch menu of two courses (starter & mains) for £29. Silva have also just launched their new summer menus, further details on their website.

• Brunswick House, Vauxhall
  Brunswick House restaurant provides a fantastic deal: two courses for £15 or three courses for £18. Thanks to Maureen/Rob for this gem.

If you’ve stumbled upon any great set lunch offers, please let me know!

Latest News

National Restaurant Awards 2025
The winners were recently announced, with The Ritz taking the number one spot. It’s been quite a year for Executive Chef John Williams and The Ritz, as they also received a second Michelin star earlier this year. Other notable London restaurants include:

• Trinity (4th)

• The Devonshire (12th)

• A Wong (18th)

• Sabor (29th)

• Row on 5 (30th)

• Bibi (32nd)

• KOL (50th)

• Wildflowers (70th)

• The Grill by Tom Booton (83rd)

• Gymkhana (92nd)

Martinis and Canapés at Wiltons
Nestled on the storied Jermyn Street in the heart of St. James’s, the iconic Wiltons exudes timeless British elegance. From 30th June to 30th August, this culinary institution invites you to savour their exquisite Martinis and Canapés experience, available Monday to Saturday between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm for £18. Expect impeccably crafted Martinis, each a masterpiece of balance and clarity, paired with delicate canapés that showcase Wiltons’ mastery of British cuisine.

Novikov – Wimbledon Tennis

For this year’s Wimbledon Championships, Novikov Italian invites guests to enjoy the tournament live at the restaurant. Celebrate the excitement before or after the games with a special Wimbledon dessert: The Lawn Ball. Crafted by Novikov’s talented Pastry Chef Roberto Guzzi, this unique treat is a tennis ball-shaped dessert made with yuzu mousse, red berries, and a frangipane base (a sweet almond-flavoured cream). The dessert is available from 30th June to 13th July.

Donovan Bar- Mitch & Ben Tonks

Renowned father-son culinary team, Mitch and Ben Tonks, will be hosting a special three-month residency at the iconic Brown’s Hotel in London from June 16 to September 14, 2025. Guests of the iconic Donovan Bar will have the chance to indulge in seafood sourced through sustainable practices, while honoring the intergenerational legacy of The Seahorse in Dartmouth, the highly regarded restaurant where Ben currently heads the kitchen.

Hide – Free Corkage Offer

For a fine dining experience without expensive wine bills, michelin starred Hide offers free corkage on Fridays in July and August. Bring your favourite bottle and pay only for the food.

Mount Street goes retro

Mount St. Restaurant in Mayfair is launching a Retro Menu from 1st July 2025, featuring nostalgic British dinner party dishes with a modern twist. Created by Executive Chef Jamie Shears, the three-course menu includes Melon Ball Cocktail with Dorset crab and caviar, Chicken à la King Vol-au-Vent with black truffle mash, and Arctic Roll with strawberry and elderflower sorbet. Priced from £80, with optional wine pairings from £44, it’s available Monday to Saturday, 12pm-10pm, and Sunday lunch from 12pm.

The Farm Shop

The Farm shop in South Audley Street a short walk from the Mount Street Restaurant added an extension to its basement popular wine bar, its turned the ground level butchery department into addotional bar space serving glasses of wine from £5 and added new dishes to their menu. It’s ages since I’ve last been will check out the new bar soon.

New Restaurant Openings

• Is Mazi is Coming to Mayfair?
  Rumours are circulating that Mazi, the popular Notting Hill Greek restaurant, is set to open on foodie-favourite Bruton Place, opposite the Guinea Grill. I contacted the people at Mazi and was told that it was early days in the negociations, so what this space.

  I’ve have also heard rumours of a Martini Bar and an Italian restaurant adding to the foodie options in this lovely street.

• Shanghai Me – Hilton on Park Lane
  The former home of Galvin at Windows is being transformed by Shanghai Me, which already has restaurants in Doha and London.
  They’re bringing their 1930s Shanghai concept to the 28th floor, serving pan-Asian cuisine.

• Trinity Outside
  Michelin-starred Trinity in Clapham has introduced a bright yellow sandwich truck. On offer are ciabatta sandwiches, loaded fries, beers, wines, and Champagne.
  This brilliant idea from the Trinity team is bound to be a success.

Coming Up Next Month…

I’m thrilled to be visiting two restaurants that have long been on my wish list: Novikov Asia and Claude and Lucy Bosi’s Josephine in Marylebone. From all the reports I’ve heard, I’m in for a treat, and I’ll report back on both restaurants next month.

Also on the list is a return visit for Sunday lunch at 108 Brasserie this sunday. You might recall my review of their Sunday roast last year – I’m looking forward to a return visit. I’ve been invited to the launch event of the new Piccolino in the Tower Bridge Hilton on the 16th, it is the first Hotel based restaurant for Piccolino so I’m interested to see it.

Finally, if time permits I might try one of the special lunch menu’s we have featured recently, any excuse.

Following June’s recipes, I can’t wait to get back in the kitchen to cook a few more dishes. I’m also keen to learn and perfect some classic sauces, so I might feature my attempts – as long as they’re successful!

Until next month,

Martin (Mayfair Foodie)

[email protected]

www.mayfairfoodie.com

Instagram @themayfairfoodie