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We reveal the culinary hidden secrets of Bruton Place
Recently, we published an article on Heddon Street. This tiny little street off Regent Street would be largely undiscovered by most visitors to London; actually, since our little piece and judging by the feedback, the secret is well and truly out, so it is time to reveal another of Mayfair’s secrets, Bruton Place located in the heart of Mayfair.
This delightful little road is home to nine places to eat and drink, and as you can probably tell, I love it.
Bruton Place has it all: fine dining restaurants, including one with a Michelin star, a pub dating back to, which also has a steak restaurant recently listed as one of the world’s best steak restaurants, a cafe, a delicatessen, a bakery, a seafood restaurant, and a Gorgonzola bar. So, there is plenty to keep any self-respecting foodie happy.
Bruton Place is located off Berkeley Square, less than a 10-minute walk from Green Park. It feels that it should be pedestrianised, but it’s not. The only traffic you will find is delivery vans and builders’ lorries. There always seems to be renovation work taking place in the little road.
So, let me give you the lowdown on what to expect when you visit Bruton Place. The oldest restaurant and pub is a good starting point.
1 The Guinea Grill
The Guinea Grill is the elder statesman of the restaurants we are going to highlight today. It dates back to 1675 and was a traditional London pub until the fifties. Post-war, they decided to add a steak restaurant to the pub to cater to the many Americans living in London at the time.
It has been a pub and restaurant ever since, enjoying many accolades over the years and as previously mentioned now finds itself in the top 100 steak restaurants in the world. Recently, they took over the property next door and extended the restaurant area, which was much needed. You can read my full review of the Guinea Grill and discover why it has legendary status as a restaurant.
A quick word about the pub: if you are looking for a traditional English pub, this is for you, I should mention that the Guinness they serve is excellent and keeps me coming back. Also, the pub serves great food, and the pies are highly recommended.
30 Bruton Place, London W1J 6NL
2 UMU
This incredible Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant may appear to be an architect’s office from the outside, but once you enter, you’ll be treated to some of the best Japanese cuisine in London. The restaurant draws deep inspiration from the traditions and refined cuisine of Kyoto, where they honour and celebrate the philosophy of kaiseki. Additionally, you’ll find a delightful blend of local UK ingredients, as the talented kitchen team sources many of their ingredients here in the UK.
14-16 Bruton Place, London W1J 6LX
3 The Cocochine
Business partner Tim Jefferies and head chef Larry Jayasekara have encapsulated fine dining and art when creating the recently opened Cocochine. Set in a stunning four-storey mews house, the restaurant has been sympathetically restored to create an amazing main dining room with a separate chef’s counter and private dining.
Interestingly, Chef Larry does not limit the menu to one cuisine but is happy to let the produce dictate each dish. He is quoted as saying the quality of the ingredients is of prime importance. However, it’s clear that diners are in for a treat with such a talented head chef.
It will be interesting to see how this restaurant evolves, but I, for one, have high hopes The Cocochine will be a rising star in London’s restaurant scene, it already is attracting significant media attention, so it might well be worth getting in early.
27 Bruton Place, London W1J 6NQ
4 Bellamy’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar
Bellamy’s is steeped in tradition. The restaurant specialises in classic fish dishes; the wine list is unashamedly French. This popular restaurant has a lovely, relaxed feel and can feel like it is a club without any membership fees. There is a Table D’Hote menu which offers two courses for £30.00
The Oyster Bar, open from 12 to 4 p.m., offers a shellfish selection and is famed for its open sandwiches.
18 Bruton Place, London W1J 6LY
5 The Rex Deli
The Rex Deli is located in a converted stable and has been beautifully renovated, making this the most enjoyable space in which to enjoy its deli offerings. I should say this is the sister project to The Cocochine, headed up by the same team, so you can expect food of the highest quality and diligently following Chef Larry’s passion for excellent produce cooked with passion. Having recently enjoyed breakfast at Rex Deli, I can vouch for the quality of the food, I’m not going to go into great detail, but suffice it to say the dishes I had were exceptional. Also I should mention Rex Deli has a range of freshly prepared restaurant quality ready meals to take away and cook at home, a great way to treat the family with a special dinner.
38 Bruton Place, London W1J 6NX
6 Tosi Gorgonzola Bar
The diversity within the restaurants in Bruton Place is highlighted by Tosi Restaurant, which celebrates Gorgonzola and Italian wines. Tosi is a cheese wine bar owned by Tosi Family, gorgonzola’s producers from Northern Italy.
Quite correctly, the menu pays homage to Gorgonzola on its own or with a glorious range of Italian-cured meats.
A lovely bar to spend a few hours with friends.
38 Bruton Place London W1J 6NX
7 LALI cafe
Lali is all about European Cafe style with added glamour. The menu focuses on healthy eating choices but an added touch of glamour. Omelette with truffle and lobster roll are examples of the frivolous side to LALI’s menu, but add to that healthy salads, Poke bowl and bagels there is plenty to please all tastes for lunch or breakfast.
You can indulge in cakes, bakes, and ice cream if you prefer something sweet.
On the drinks side of the menu, there is a full range of teas, coffee speciality drinks, and juices. If you fancy something a little stronger, you can imbibe a glass of bubbles or a cocktail. As you have probably guessed, this is no ordinary cafe but one that fits nicely with the Bruton Place culinary scene.
33A Bruton Pl, London W1J 6NP
8 Entree Artisan Bakery and deli
Entree is an Artisan bakery with its heart and soul in Tbilisi. In fact, they have over 20 branches in Tbilisi and Baku, so authenticity is guaranteed in this branch in Bruton Place.
So what does Entree have to offer, to be honest its like most other backeries and cafe’s,serving coffees and teas, sandwiches and pastries, but add Georgian pies and cakes and you have it. This is a lovely place to enjoy a coffee and a bite to each, the food is freshley made and appetising.
35 Bruton Place, London W1J 6NS
9 Maksu Store & Cafe
Contemporary womenswear designers have opened their flagship store in Bruton Street, and to finish our tour of Bruton Place and continue the theme of unusual culinary options, the exclusive designers have added a Cafe to the store, which has an entrance on Bruton Place, hence its inclusion in our list. If you are looking for a new outfit or browsing, you can pop into the cafe and relax with a coffee and a treat. No doubt the coffee will be a lot cheaper than designer outfits.
That’s it for now; however, with the amount of building work going on, I will be adding new additions to the restaurant scene in Bruton Place very soon.
