A little slice of Mediterranean chic in the heart of Mayfair
Well, here’s a thing: we are well into June, and the sun has decided to make an appearance for the first time this summer.To celebrate such a momentous occasion, I’m lunching at Jeru London on Berkeley Street. To prove that Brits are never happy with the weather, I bemoan that tube trains are the most unpleasant place to be on a hot day. Luckily, Jeru is only 5 minutes from Green Park station, so we made our way with a short walk along Piccadilly and then into Berkeley Street. The traffic in this part of Mayfair is so busy, and the pavements are packed full of people, but we are at Jeru in no time. It’s my first visit to the restaurant, although I passed it many times. To get to the restaurant, you must walk through the bakery with counter seating, which doubles as an evening wine bar.
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The bakery was full of people buying lunch; on the menu were sourdough sandwiches, pides, and wraps. As you walk through there, the reception for the restaurant
Within minutes, we were seated at our table, and all the hustle and bustle of the journey was washed away with a lovely glass of bubbles. The dining area is a relaxing place to be in, with an open kitchen with counter dining and tables on the opposite wall. The restaurant is a long, thin space. As it turns out, Jeru is a tardis, much bigger than appearances outside would have you believe, set over three floors.
The basement and top floor are home to three private dining rooms, all different in style but each a lovely space. According to the restaurant’s team, the private rooms are in great demand and, I’m not surprised, each is a different size so can cater to small celebrations to big wedding parties.
Jeru describes itself as a Mediterranean restaurant, but at the risk of being overly precise, I would describe it as Eastern Mediterranean; if you go, feel free to label the cuisine yourself. Truthfully, labels matter very little as long as the food is good.
Let’s get on with the important part and talk about our lunch.
Starters
First up, we were served with the signature wood-fired potato bread served with truffled honey & chickpea Miso butter. According to our waiter, Scott, this dish finds itself on most tables in the restaurant. I know why, and I will never visit Jeru without ordering this dish; the inclusion of potato might suggest this was a heavy bread, but it is far from it. It was as light as a feather, and the butter and honey worked so well that we could just have eaten this and be very happy. However, the bread was joined by Black chickpea hummus with foraged mushrooms and herb sauce, and finally, a dish of thin slices of Angus beef with an ezme salad and salsa.
These three dishes typify Eastern Mediterranean eating, all three bursting with flavour without leaving you with “I’m full already” feeling.
Mid-Course
Another restaurant favourite, one that my pre-meal research had identified, ok I can almost see your raised eyes, me and research in the same sentence. Trust me, I did read previous reviews saying that the Halloumi doughnuts were divine, and I totally concur. Alongside was a crudo of Tuna served with fennel salsa and whipped avocado. The freshness of the crudo balanced our Halloumi doughnuts, however, the doughnuts were also light in texture.
Mains
After a break, we shared a main of charcoal-grilled Turbot fillet served with mini roast potatoes and roasted aubergine with a spiced lentil ragu. Jeru has a fully stocked fish counter from which to choose the day’s selection.
Turbot is one of my favourite fish, and the fish was cooked perfectly. Add to that the perfect roasties and the spiced aubergine, and we had a perfect main course.
Dessert
Again, it was time to share, and although the signature dessert is a Baklava, as advised, we decided to go for a salted caramel mille-feuille. Scott, our waiter, who had been excellent in terms of service and knowledge of all the dishes throughout our meal, thought the mille-faille would be lighter; Scott was right again.
This was a slight twist on the French classic. Instead of pastry, the mille-feuille had a sesame seed biscuit, which I enjoyed and gave the dish a savoury note. It was served with ice cream and strawberries, which brought freshness to the dish.
Jeru has many strings to its bow, with a restaurant, bakery, wine bar, and three private dining rooms. Maybe the restaurant’s challenge is visibility; from the outside, Jeru might appear to be only a bakery. However, having said that, when we visited, there was a good crowd in the restaurant, and judging by our lunch experience, it is not surprising that it is so popular.
Jeru
11 Berkeley St, Mayfair, London W1J 8DS
Private dining and events events@jeru.co.uk
