34 Mayfair is a modern grill restaurant with a focus on meat, fish and seasonal ingredients. They recently launched a Bloody Mary cart and a standalone menu of five innovative and creative takes on the original cocktail – available every Saturdays and Sundays with brunch. Our contributor Adrienne Fung was there to try it out!
Nestled in the heart of Mayfair just off Grosvenor Square, the 34 Mayfair combines old world elegance with contemporary charm. The picturesque entrance, adorned with an overflowing display of florals, is every Instagrammer’s dream. We even witnessed a group of diners with a professional photographer in tow posing for an impromptu photoshoot.
If the entrance doesn’t lure you in, then perhaps the exciting cuisine will. Led by Head Chef Harvey Ayliffe, 34 Mayfair prides itself as a modern grill restaurant with a focus on carefully sourced meat and seasonal ingredients.
The centrepiece of the restaurant is the open kitchen complete with a bespoke charcoal parrilla grill imported from Argentina. They take their beef seriously and offer an impressive variety of cuts from A5 Japanese Wagyu to more local breeds.
As for brunch, the menu includes all the classics plus quite a few exciting and unusual dishes as well. Scrambled duck egg with prosciutto & summer truffle, buttermilk fried chicken waffles with maple-cured bacon, and huevos rancheros with fire-roasted tomato and avocado were just some of tempting dishes that caught our eye. Whether you lean more savoury or sweet, the menu has something for everyone.
First things first, we started brunch with their “34 Bloody Mary” made with Konik’s Tail vodka, fino sherry, and spicy tomato mix. The bartender wheeled the colourful Bloody Mary cart right to our table and prepared the drinks right beside us.
In addition to the entertainment factor, we had the added bonus of being able to customise our drinks and request them to be extra spicy. The end result was one of the best Bloody Mary I’ve had in London. It had the perfect balance of acid and spice and finally the right amount of heat I prefer.
After pouring over the menu, we finally decided to try the baked egg shakshuka with jumbo prawns, spinach and feta, the lobster & shrimp nasi goreng with fried egg & crispy shallots, and a butter leaf & avocado salad with gorgonzola and champagne dressing to share.
The shakshuka was excellent and our favourite dish of the day. The sauce was deliciously savoury, coating each piece of delicate prawn. The tender peppers gave the dish fresh bursts of sweetness while the crumbly feta added a salty punch to each bite.
The gorgeous butter leaf and avocado salad was also a hit and a far cry from your boring table salad. Smudges of creamy Gorgonzola cheese sandwiched between each layer carefully held the tower of bright green leaves together. The champagne dressing was bright and fresh, providing the perfect contrast to the buttery avocado and funky Gorgonzola.
We also enjoyed our last dish of lobster & shrimp nasi goring. Highlights of the dish include generous chunks of juicy lobster, crunchy rings of squid and soft parcels of egg omelette cut into squares. It’s certainly an unconventional dish I haven’t seen on any other brunch menus. Our only complaint was that it could have benefited from a bit more spice. Next time, we’ll ask for more of the spicy Sriracha style sauce that was drizzled on top.
We had a lovely brunch at 34 Mayfair and were impressed by both the ambiance as well as food. We loved all the colourful pillow accents, which gave the elegant interior space a breath of life. If you’re looking for an elegant brunch with a bit of personality and flare, 34 Mayfair ticks the box.
Disclaimer: Adrienne was a guest of the restaurant. All opinions are her own.
