If you’re suffering from decision fatigue – that draining sensation where even the simplest choices feel overly taxing – I suggest you visit Ormer Mayfair by Sofian. Tucked downstairs in the upscale Flemings Mayfair hotel, this petite and discreetly glam restaurant presents only one decision: do you want the six-course tasting menu (£85) or the eight (£100)?
My take: It’s good enough to go for the full eight. Reimagined in 2021 with hot-young-chef-du-jour Sofian Msetfi at the helm, Ormer offers a true-to-form tasting menu of expertly portioned dishes that are only a few mouthfuls each. You will leave full, but not overstuffed—provided you have the willpower to stop yourself from polishing off the oven-fresh bread. (No easy feat with that biscuity soda bread, fashioned like a canelé and slathered with Bordier butter from Normandy.)
Detailed dishes are swapped out every few weeks. On an autumnal visit, I was dazzled with seasonal, British ingredients like Bramley apples, red cabbage and Orkney scallops—plus plenty of picks from both Europe and further afield (see: the extra virgin olive oil served foamed and then frozen atop a passionfruit dessert infused with pine). Menu staples are the potentially polarising (but playfully jiggly) Ibérico ham jelly, presented warm and freestanding with cubes of the aforementioned apples, tangy piped dollops of creamed parmesan and peppery nasturtiums leaves; and the instantly loveable Cornish mackerel, served cured, topped with crispy threads of kombu kelp and bathing in a light, bright Asian-leaning broth.
Materialising on the pristine white tablecloth at the meal’s midpoint, the glazed chicken wings knock this restaurant up to five stars (as does the elegant and balletic service). Shiny and sticky with maple syrup and served off the bone with a palette-refreshing snap of celery and full-strength Roquefort, the expert dish is like a winking nod to American-style wings (that sports bar staple) – but poshed up with pear, walnut, and fine china, of course. There’s a harmonising thread of mouth-tingling, balancing vinegar throughout the meal, that carries through into one of the two dessert courses. The gold-leafed, Valrhona chocolate-lined malt gateaux, served with toasted barley ice cream and a much-needed acid hit of honey vinegar, makes for a pitch-perfect, cohesive conclusion. Let me make the decision for you: go immediately.
The vibe A sophisticated tasting-menu-only hotel haunt for serious foodies.
The food Modern, marvellous dishes of perfect proportions that shift with the seasons.
The drink An exciting, around-the-world wine pairing showcases off-the-radar regions and biodynamic natural wines.
Time Out tip Between the pre-dinner amuse-bouches and post-dinner petits fours (both served in trios), you will not leave hungry, but try a save some space for the Paxton & Whitfield cheese trolley.