Dover Street Restaurant & Bar, Mayfair, Restaurant Review

By Nancy Alsop on September 1st 2011

Finding myself, one particularly inclement August night, in need of refreshment gastronomic, alcoholic and musical as the only possible antidote to the climatic misery, my brain began to whirr and eventually alighted ingeniously upon the Dover Street Restaurant; after all, there can be few more convivial places in London than the Mayfair nightspot which features one of the city’s most famous jazz bars. A huge range of acts play here on a nightly basis, ranging from the up-and-coming to the odd established superstar. The only consistent thing that you’re guaranteed is an excellent evening.

The night I went, I was the guest of the ebullient Larry Pryce, the establishment’s ‘entertainment director’. At his suggestion, I kicked off proceedings with an impeccable Pink Lady cocktail, while my boyfriend was nearly floored by an expertly prepared Tanqueray Martini – all of which, as it turns out, was merely a precursor to the main attraction, the menu, which offered a splendid selection of treats that didn’t try and reinvent the wheel, but instead concentrated on making the straightforward taste very, very good. Mozzarella and tomato salad was beautifully simple but delicious, as were lightly seared scallops with a champagne sauce. On Larry’s recommendation, my boyfriend had the fillet steak, which was pronounced ‘the best in London’, and he saw no reason to disagree with such a verdict. I, meanwhile, sampled the roast best end of lamb with aubergine caviar and was exceptionally pleased that I did. All this was washed down with excellent Chablis and Malbec, and then a cheese course put paid to any lingering remnants of my appetite.

Any three courses on the a la carte menu are only £29.95 from Monday to Thursday, which, readers, I’m sure you’ll agree is pretty much a bargain for a memorable repast, especially with jazz thrown in. Is it any wonder then that Larry and his team have been nominated for two London Lifestyle Awards (in the bar and live music categories)? No, is the simple answer, and given that there’s now a reward scheme for customers to earn points as they spend (with new card holders being gifted £50 worth of points), you’d be mad not to add this place your list of most cherished haunts. (Nancy Alsop) 

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