November Round-Up

Hi Fellow Foodie,

I hope November has treated you well. As always, let's kick off with this month's restaurant visits and reviews—an interesting, varied bunch this month.

This Month's Restaurant Reviews

1. Kamara - First up was a visit to a new cocktail bar in Soho called Kamara. The cocktails were very much their own creations, inspired by Greece, and we also sampled some excellent small plates. Discover if Kamara's Greek-inspired cocktails hit the spot →

2. The Cocochine - Next stop was all about fine dining and a set lunch classic at Larry Jayasekara's The Cocochine. Teaser alert: along with the set lunch, we added the famous Cocochine chips—absolutely worth it. See if this Bruton Place gem delivers Michelin-quality at lunch prices →

3. Thai Square Trafalgar Square - The day after, it was off to Trafalgar Square for a lovely evening tasting Thai Square's Christmas menu, where I pulled my first Christmas cracker—and it was only mid-November! Find out what's on their festive menu →

4. ProCook - Something different: over the last year I've been a frequent visitor to ProCook. I love this cookware shop, and I'm guessing I'm not alone in my enthusiasm. Read about my favourite cookware finds →

Talking about cooking brings me neatly to recipes. I've added a festive pud created by Tom Cenci at Nessa Soho; he kindly let me share it with you. It's on his menu as we speak—a wonderfully festive Jammy Dodger Trifle, it is so good and a real crowdpleaser. Finally, it's not too late to make your Christmas cake. I've added our family no-fail recipe.

Note: No set lunch offers this month, sadly. A lot of restaurants remove their set lunch menus in December. To be fair to them, the three trading weeks before Christmas have to pay the wages for quiet January and February. For many restaurants at the moment, it's all about survival.

Latest News

Christmas Eat & Drink Festival at Olympia

The festive Food and Drink festival at Olympia runs from tomorrow until 30th November. Tickets available online.

Mercato Mayfair Roof Terrace Christmas Bar

Mercato Mayfair has covered their roof terrace bar and added essential heaters, plus a bar serving mulled wine, hot toddies, beers, wines and spirits. You'll need a drink by the time you reach the bar—it's quite a climb to the roof terrace!

Claridge's Christmas Tree

Claridge's unveils its much-anticipated Christmas tree on Tuesday 25th November, this year designed by Daniel Lee, Chief Creative Officer of Burberry. The 16ft traditional tree brings together two illustrious British names, decorated with approximately 600 bows made from surplus Burberry fabrics—a Victorian symbol of unity—alongside hanging bells and chess-piece decorations inspired by the house's Equestrian Knight Design. The tree will be topped with a gold crown and surrounded by oversized floor-standing chess pieces at its base. Lee, describing Claridge's as feeling "like home from the moment you walk through its doors," saw the commission as an opportunity to celebrate tradition and togetherness through vibrant colours and rich textures. This marks the fifteenth year the legendary Mayfair hotel has invited a distinguished guest to reinterpret their seasonal landmark in their own distinctive style.

Tortilla Slap Championship

Spice up your Saturday! The 2nd Tortilla Slap Championship is taking place at Market Place Vauxhall on Saturday 30th November. Expect free tacos, free margaritas, Lucha Libre wrestling and a live mariachi band from 2-6pm.

Final Reminder - Novikov Christmas Market

Mayfair's own Christmas market opens this Thursday through Saturday 29th November at Mayfair Place (alongside Novikov). I'm planning to go on Thursday—see you there!

New Restaurant Openings

A flood of new restaurants has opened recently. I've picked out five that look worth a visit.

ALTA

ALTA has landed in Kingly Court, bringing Head Chef Rob Roy Cameron's decade of Spanish experience to Soho. The former El Bulli chef and Albert Adria protégé is serving up Northern Spanish cooking with a British twist—Cornish mussels with grilled bread, wood-fired courgette with Romesco, razor clams in white escabeche, and 38-day aged beef sirloin from the grill. The 100-cover space features an open fire grill, chilled seafood counter, private dining room for 12, and heated terrace, with a drinks list heavy on low-intervention European wines, UK ciders, and Spanish vermouth on tap.

Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, London W1B 5PW

The Marlborough/Crisp Pizza

I know we mentioned it before, but The Marlborough has now opened—a partnership between Crispin Somerville's Uncommon restaurant group and the team behind The Devonshire. This is bound to be a big success. You can book tables, but I've heard half the tables are for walk-ins only.

24 North Audley Street, London W1K 6WD

Noodle Inn

A new Noodle Inn is opening in Spitalfields. You'll be relieved to hear that this restaurant is bigger than their Soho location, so hopefully the queues will be much smaller. The food will still focus on dishes from the north-west Chinese province of Gansu.

100 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EZ

Khao Bird

Khao Bird has now opened their own restaurant on Soho's Brewer Street, after a successful residency at The Globe in Borough Market. Featuring cuisine from Chiang Mai and Bangkok, with many dishes cooked over fire. If you're looking for something different, they also offer an interesting Thai-inspired weekend brunch menu.

24 Brewer Street, London W1F 0SS

Hawksmoor St Pancras

If you're a fan of Hawksmoor, you must try their new restaurant, taking over what used to be the Midland Grand—one of London's most impressive dining rooms. It sounds like the perfect setting for a new Hawksmoor.

St Pancras, Euston Road, London NW1 2AR

L'ETO Brompton

L'ETO Caffe opens its newest location at 215 Brompton Road, marking a new chapter for the beloved all-day dining destination. Since launching in Soho in 2011, L'ETO has built a loyal following across London for blending wholesome dining with indulgent artisanal treats and breathtaking occasion cakes. The Brompton Road site features a spacious bar and a distinctive micro garden growing fresh herbs and greens on-site, used in signature drinks including luxurious hot chocolate with miso, hojicha latte, and rejuvenating retinol tea. The dog-friendly space is perfect for everything from a quick coffee and handcrafted patisserie to leisurely brunch or a full-course meal with wine and cocktails.

215 Brompton Road, London SW3 2EJ

Trending Articles This Month on Mayfair Foodie

Unsurprisingly, our article on cocktail bars in Mayfair has attracted a lot of attention as we're entering party season, along with our guide to private dining rooms.

Our glowing review of Lilibet's saw a lot of action. Jay Rayner and Grace Dent both reviewed Lilibet's recently—maybe they were tempted after reading my review? Dream on, Martin! Anyhow you can Read my review here

On the recipe front, the Jammy Dodger trifle recipe mentioned earlier seems to have captured people's imagination, and for no apparent reason apart from the fact its very tasty, my sausage and fennel pasta had a lot of views.

Christmas Menus and Opening Times

Our guide to some interesting Christmas menus and opening times over the festive period.

Nessa Soho

Nessa in Soho is serving up a nostalgic 70s-inspired Christmas menu from 17th November until 22nd December. Executive Chef Tom Cenci is bringing back retro classics with a modern twist—think Cheese and Pineapple Hedgehogs, Worcestershire Bronze Turkey with all the trimmings, and his showstopping Jammy Dodger Trifle. The £65 per person feasting menu (for parties of six or more) includes smoked salmon tartare, sage stuffing brioche, and that magnificent trifle, with add-ons like caviar hash browns available. Smaller parties can order à la carte without pre-ordering.

The India Collection

The India Collection's trio—Amaya, Chutney Mary and Veeraswamy—are serving festive cheer this Christmas and New Year. Christmas Day brings special set menus at £120pp across all three, with Veeraswamy featuring live music at lunch. Boxing Day sees brunch menus (2 courses £45/£42, 3 courses £52/£48), whilst New Year's Eve brings à la carte dining with a £90 minimum spend and complimentary Champagne at midnight.

Brother Marcus

Brother Marcus brings East-Mediterranean warmth with two sharing menus from 18th November to 31st December across all seven sites. The standard menu (£49pp) features roasted beetroot houmous, crispy aubergine skewers, and slow-roasted shoulder of lamb with black lime and pomegranate. The premium menu (£59pp) includes smoked aubergine baba ghanoush, whole roasted plaice with smoked mussels, and slow-roasted beef short ribs. Drinks packages range from £180-£299, with exclusive Planteray Rum festive cocktails.

Fazenda Bishopsgate

Celebrate Christmas Pampas-style at Fazenda with their festive Churrasco experience. Passadores carve premium grilled meats tableside—from Picanha to Cordeiro—with access to the abundant Market Table. Three tiers: Gold (£66 lunch/£78 evening), Platinum (£73/£85), and Indulgent (£96/£107) with a 21-day dry-aged Tomahawk for tables of four or more.

Elystan Street

Phil Howard's Michelin-starred Chelsea restaurant offers a festive lunch menu (£55pp) featuring halibut and crab fish cake and Christmas pudding with brandy custard. The 'Six of the Best' tasting menu (£140pp) includes strozzapretti with black truffles, whilst New Year's Eve (£150pp) brings aged beef tartare and fallow deer. Closed 24th-26th December.

Wiltons

One of London's most historic restaurants launches its Christmas menu from 28th November, with classic British seasonal dishes including Wiltons' renowned turkey carved tableside. The carving trolley is available Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:30pm, whilst Tuesday and Thursday feature their roast three birds.

Kitchen W8

Kitchen W8's Michelin-starred festive set lunch menu (£49.50pp) runs 1-23 December with dishes including wild duck and goose en croûte and pot roast partridge. The New Year's Eve menu (£115pp) features scorched Cornish mackerel with smoked eel and aged Dexter beef. Closed 24th-26th December.

Franco's

Franco's celebrates with two elegant festive menus (£90 and £120) from 1st December. The menus showcase Italian craftsmanship with Burrata and Poached Pear, Monkfish Ossobuco with Saffron Risotto, and Nougat Semifreddo with Hot Chocolate Sauce.

Ukai

Finally, something different—how about a Japanese Christmas lunch? Celebrate Christmas Day at Ukai, the Portobello Road Japanese hotspot. The exclusive festive menu (£60pp, minimum two guests) starts with Truffle Edamame and Salmon Tataki, followed by the chef's choice of sashimi, nigiri and maki. Mains include Flat Iron Steak with rosti potato and Teriyaki-glazed Salmon, finishing with Chocolate Fondant and Raspberry ice cream.

Next Month

Well, I did say I'm not going to do any restaurant reviews in December, but what foodie could resist an offer to visit Ukai near Notting Hill? It looks amazing.

It's Christmas Quiz time! Our foodie quiz will arrive in your inbox on 19th December. Similar to last year, I'm calling this year's quiz "The Foodie Festive Fifty" with food and drink questions for all the family. So if you know anybody who'd like to receive the quiz, ask them to sign up here

The final newsletter of the year will follow hot on the heels of the quiz on 22nd December.

Have fun if you're going to any pre-Christmas parties, and we'll catch up just before Christmas.

Thanks as always for reading.

Best,

Martin (The Mayfair Foodie)

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