34 Mayfair

34 Grosvenor Square London

There are some restaurants that you know are going to be good. One with lots of ‘people’ is generally a good clue. A person to open the door, a person to take your coat, a person to sit you down and one to serve you water and bread. Richard Caring’s 34 Mayfair has its personnel down to a tee: immaculately groomed, flawlessly presented and each completely au fait with their role – even if it is only to tweezer pieces of lime into your water glass. It’s exactly the kind of restaurant you’d expect in a Grosvenor Square postcode; the glassware is pristine, the cutlery reassuringly heavy, the tablecloth starched to within an inch of its fibres, all set to the mustardy sepia backdrop of individual table lamps. The cooking is equally well assured. In typical Caprice group style, the menu is long, taking in the full gamut of dishes from punchily priced Dover sole and Australian Wagyu, to the reasonable burger with creamy Barkham Blue, spatchcock chicken and spaghetti with meatballs. It’s a restaurant that knows what its clientele wants and serves them perfectly. MS.