Mayfair’s Petrichor

The perils of being an excellent restaurant inside a hotel are numerous. Whilst a top-end hotel in Mayfair is expected to have first-class facilities, such as a gym, business centre and bar, the restaurant is not going to be much in the way of a draw. This is particularly true in Mayfair where you are surrounded by les grandes etoiles of the London culinary scene. The only people frequenting a hotel restaurant are those too worn out to tread the 200, 300 metres outside and tend to be too exhausted from jet lag and the exertions of travelling to appreciate what is put in front of them.

The benefits of eating in a hotel restaurant are many; there is always likely to be a free table, the lack of activity means that you’re not having to wait an age for the food and the price is often very reasonable due to being supplemented by the cost of a room.

The Petrichor restaurant in Mayfair’s Cavendish hotel is a prime example of the experience on offer. I visited with the place barely a fifth full and had one of the most relaxed experiences whilst dining out in London. The food was expertly crafted too, with the starter of Trio of quail being particularly noteworthy. The trinity was made up of a pan-fried breast and egg, along with a confit leg croquette, which was accompanied by a carrot and orange puree with green peas and baby spinach. It was all very nimbly put together and very enjoyable.

The main course of Irish beef sirloin steak straight from the grill met every criteria I have for steak. It had a sophisticated, mature texture with a complex and fulsome flavour. The dessert was an intelligent variant on the old staple of Baked Alaska. This was the Orange and Vanilla Alaska that was composed of vanilla ice cream, vanilla sponge, meringue peak, orange sauce and crystallised mint. This was an exquisite concoction and made for a triumphant end to a well measured and very satisfying meal.

The overall price of the meal was surprisingly reasonable given the quality of the food and the location. Maybe next time you’re in Mayfair and the thought of having to shell out hundreds for a decent meal is giving you palpitations, why not drop into a hotel restaurant such as Petrichor?

Petrichor at the Cavendish Hotel
81 Jermyn Street
Mayfair
SW1Y 6JF