Tag Archives: Mayfair

Aurelia, London

by Qin Xie | 1 Comment

Published on Bon Vivant on 15th March 2013:

Just a stone’s throw from the Royal Academy is Aurelia London, a Mediterranean restaurant nestled in the heart of Mayfair.

The restaurant is named after Via Aurelia, the historic route which spanned across the Mediterranean, from Rome down to Santiago de Compostela. The food pays homage to the same landmass, where rabbit and swordfish appear alongside plenty of olives, garlic and anchovies.

Everything is light, delicate and calling for glorious sunshine and ice cold rosé.

You can go as formal or informal as you like and sharing is definitely encouraged – this is no stuffy Mayfair restaurant.

A selection of breads and the house olive oil begins our lunch at Aurelia London. The peppery notes in the oil did well to indicate that it was an extra-virgin olive oil of sound quality – a good start.

Crisp, thin slices of octopus rostie, sprinkled with a light dusting of chives, soon arrived atop boiled new potatoes, skins still on. The hint of heat in the mild Galician flavours were offset by the cool tuna carpaccio which served as the other starter.

The carpaccio, doused in a slightly sweet sauce, rested on top of a finely shredded bed of salad was topped with yet more chives.

The food at Aurelia London was rustic but good; rather like the restaurant’s interiors which were lined with little portraits and vintage photographs, all reminiscent of little bistros in the Côte d’Azur. It has just the right amount of kitsch to put you right at ease.

For mains, monkfish a la Provençal offered an interesting contrast against the pappardelle with rabbit ragu. Tomatoes, olives and plenty of parsley made a delicious sauce, well matched to the relative firmness of the monkfish. The rabbit ragu, with a shaving of creamy cheese, was more reserved in flavour but well placed for the wintry London weather.

After two well-portioned but light courses, there was still plenty of room for dessert. Carefully arranged red wine poached pear with ice cream and warm chocolate fondant with orange compote provided the answer.

The menu at Aurelia London, filled with Mediterranean flavours, managed to be both wintry and light. All was washed down with fresh mint tea and all just over an hour.

It’s not committed to a single cuisine but with so many restaurants specialising in smaller and smaller niches, Aurelia London is probably one of the few places that’s still focusing on a wide region and doing it well.

It’s obvious really; if they’re packed on a Monday lunchtime, they must be doing something right.

Ten facts about Bo London

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on Life in Luxury on 10th February 2013:

  1. Bo London is the first restaurant outside of Hong Kong for Alvin Leung, the chef/patron of the two Michelin starred Bo Innovation.
  2. The Mill Street site, based in the heart of Mayfair, reportedly costed Leung £1m to lease and fit.
  3. Wood reclaimed from renovations of the Bo London site has been fitted to one of the two semi-private dining rooms. The wood is protected behind glass made to the same shade as Leung’s glasses.
  4. Instead of an image of Alvin Leung, like outside Bo Innovation, Bo London has one of Leung’s hand holding his custom made knife.
  5. There are two kitchens. A classic Western-style one, including a pastry section, and a Chinese one with woks and steamers.
  6. There are two views into the kitchens – from the pass upstairs or the viewing window at the pastry section downstairs.
  7. For lunch, there is a selection of dim sums as well as the newly introduced ten course “Chefs” tasting menu. For dinner, there is only the 12-course “Ode to Great Britain” (comprised mostly of reinterpretations of British food) or the 14-course “Chefs” tasting menu (includes select dishes from Bo Innovation).
  8. The most famous dish on/off the menu is “sex on the beach”, Leung’s creation to raise money for AIDS charities.
  9. Abby’s sauce is made according to a recipe created by Leung’s wife.
  10. Those interested in trying the Chinese spirit baijiu will find a premium selection of three at the bar. As well as of course in the dessert by the same name.

42Raw, Mayfair

by Qin Xie | 1 Comment

Published in Scout London Magazine November 26 – December 02 2012 Issue number 18:

London’s restaurant scene isn’t short of Scandinavian influence, and this is another concept to hail from Copenhagen. Recently opened as a café/restaurant at the Royal Academy, the idea is that everything it serves is either raw or “cooked” to below 42ºC. The menu is filled with healthy lunch options (it’s only open to 6pm) that are boxed up and ready to be taken away. Raw noodles of carrot and courgette are served in a sauce made of curry, chilli, ginger and coconut oil, while the “lasagne” is made up of courgette slices, tomato sauce, nut pestos and baby spinach. A Thai soup is unique on the menu for being both hot and delicious, but the rest, unfortunately, leaves us cold. Still, if you’re in a rush, their selection of healthy juices will certainly give you a boost.