If you don’t already know about this fine-dining restaurant featured in the MasterChef show, you most likely won’t find it from the street. This is however about to change soon with the hotel planning on opening a separate entrance to the (hidden)restaurant.
Situated just a two- minute walk from Green Park, Ormer opened its door last year at the same time as Flemings Mayfair relaunched after undergoing an extensive interior transformation.
Spearheaded by Chef Shaun Rankin, perhaps most famous for his restaurant Ormer in St Helier on the island of Jersey which currently has a Michelin star, Ormer Mayfair is impressive.
Situated in the basement of the hotel, the restaurant decor is dark, seductive and glamorous with art deco styled leather chairs, lamps and wooden panels.
The atmosphere is quiet, elegant, luxurious at the same time relaxed and non-pretentious. The tables are spread out with enough room between them for privacy and I can’t help but think this must be one of London’s best restaurants for a second or third date.
The menu consists of seasonal Jersey produce including fresh lobster, crab, oysters, hand-dived scallops, Jersey royals and hand-picked shoreline foraged herbs.
For starters, my dinner guest and I try the hand-dived scallops served with bbq leeks, sea herbs, lemon parsley vinaigrette (£16) and the popular lobster ravioli with crab and tomato bisque, shallot salad and coriander (£18). The scallops are cooked to perfection and the lemon and parsley sauce adds a fresh kick to the dish. The ravioli is simply gorgeous and it is not difficult to see why this is one of the most ordered dishes on the menu.
The ravioli is served with Chardonnay La Crema, Sonoma Coast 2014 which is rich and buttery. The scallops are paired with Albariño, Finca Arantei 2016 which is fruity and peachy.
For the main course, we have the Jersey lobster with avocado, garlic butter and dressed crab (£34) and the salt baked sea bass with parma ham, tomato salsa, black olive caramel, artichoke cappelletti and saffron (£32). The lobster is served separately with a fresh crab salad on the side which is one of the highlights of the entire evening (!). The sea bass comes out in the pastry which is then removed by the waiter and served on the plate. It is tasty and cooked well and works well with the saffron flavoured vegetables. Both main courses are paired with a light British Pinot Noir, “Foxhole vineyard”, Bolney Estate 2016.
For pudding, we decided to have apple crumble with white chocolate, caramel, vanilla ice cream (£9) and cherry soufflé with black forest gateau and cherry sorbet (£12). The apple crumble is served in a white chocolate sculpture resembling an apple and hot caramel sauce is poured over the dish when it arrives. It is heavenly.
The second pudding is a 3-in-1 with the cherry souffle on one side, the sorbet which is fresh and sweet in the middle and the rich black forest cake on the other side. All three ‘mini-desserts’ are delicious and a great dessert for the indecisive.
The service throughout the meal is excellent. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable with the Restaurant Manager talking us through the menu whilst the Sommelier presenting us with the wines for each course.
Tasty extra surprises were served between the main dishes including a small lobster samosa, a tiramisu mousse and chocolate pralines. This added a really nice touch to the dining experience.
Manetta’s Bar
Next to the restaurant guests will find Manetta’s Bar, a glamorous area for pre-dinner drinks (or late night cocktails). Here in the separate room, the furniture is draped in plush velvet to recreate the glamour of the 30s. It feels like a mix between a gentleman’s club and feminine and stylish bar. The Negroni is a 10/10 and the ‘Old Fashioned’ as strong and punchy as you would expect. Again, this is the perfect date-night hangout with dimmed light, seductive interior design and an intimate vibe.
The Ormer Mayfair
7-12 Half Moon Street, Mayfair London W1J 7BH
+44 (0) 20 7499 0000
https://www.flemings-mayfair.co.uk/fine-dining-london/ormer-mayfair-restaurant
