Hatchett’s, Mayfair – tried and tasted

A classic revisited in Mayfair, with a basement you’ll want to hole up in
Basement retreat: Hide in a world of grilled meat and wine in the Hatchett's cellar
Ben Norum12 December 2017

Old meets new at this recently-opened restaurant and bar in Shepherd’s Market, which is run by Duncan Watson-Steward who also owns The Star gastropub in Highgate.

Though an entirely new launch, it takes inspiration from a historic venue which made a name for itself nearby — Hatchett’s Hotel and White Horse Cellar on Piccadilly.

The cellar bar was a popular meeting point during the 19th Century and gets a mention in Dickens' Pickwick Papers as well as other works of the time, and was more recently a hip hangout during the ‘60s and ‘70s when The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Shirley Bassey were among those who frequented it.

Satson-Steward has enlisted Andrew Evans to lead the kitchen for the launch of his new version. He was previously head chef at Camden’s Colonel Fawcett gastropub and has also worked with Mark Hix, Angela Hartnett, Ferus Henderson, Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing among others.

Classic: The ground floor bar area at Hatchett's

Style and surrounds

A bar scattered with well-spaced, white-clothed tables occupies the ground floor, serving half a dozen original cocktails alongside the classics, a few beers and wines. With a marble-look stone floor, predominantly bare walls and low-hanging exposed bulbs, it’s minimalist — almost industrial — but with a touch of Mayfair glamour.

The same is true of downstairs — by the far the strong point of this restaurant and bar pairing — where most of the eating takes place. It feels untouched by time, with deep red walls, exposed brickwork and stray wine racks being so resolutely uncontemporary that they are almost novel, as if a recreation of the Pickwick years.

It certainly isn’t hard to imagine Dickens — a man known to like a drink or three — leaving the day behind for a long, wine-fueled lunch in this subterranean spot, and the team will be hoping modern-day Mayfair workers are similarly inclined.

On the menu

Much like the restaurant itself, classic meets contemporary on the Hatchett’s menu, where hefty grilled meats rub shoulders with simply cooked fish and an assortment of classics that pull together British and European flavours.

Med in Mayfair: Courgette flower with ricotta and grilled white peach

From the starters, scorched mackerel really shines. The oily meat of a grilled fillet — with charred, blackened skin — is paired with a mackerel tartare and a sharp apple and fennel purée for refreshing contrast. Another dish of grilled courgette flower, lightly battered and filled with lemony ricotta served with grilled white peach slices is joyously sunshine-filled — who says you can’t find a piece of the Med in a Mayfair basement?

Steak: Lavished in bone marrow gravy

From the grill, it’s all about gutsy red meat and equally robust red wine. Opt for a rump of lamb served with purple sprouting broccoli and an intensely anchovy-flavoured gentlemen’s relish, or a ribeye with bubbling, blistering fat lavished in bone marrow gravy and served with a hefty side of Lyonnaise potatoes.

Presentation leans towards the classic — perhaps even dated — but, you know what, there’s a charm to that. Even the butter-in-foil set-up feels acceptable in this place.

Something sweet

A dark chocolate marquis, with a rich, deep crimson cherry glaze, a milk chocolate mousse and a cherry sorbet makes an indulgent end to any meal, while a creamy elderflower cheesecake with tart gooseberries is pleasingly homely.

The best food in London

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Liquid libations

The Hatchett Job cocktail mixes Hennessy cognac, Somerset cider brandy and vermouth to create a punchy take on a Manhattan, while the White Horse Fashioned, a house twist on an Old Fashioned made using their own bitters, is particularly light and easy-drinking for its kind. The bar knows well what it’s doing.

The wine list extends to numerous pages and wills expense account drinkers to keep turning, though covers all bases admirably at the more accessible end.

Hatchett’s: The Lowdown

Final flavour: A venue with a modern mindset but which isn’t afraid to hark to the past, especially when it comes to good old-fashioned hospitality. The basement feels as much like a refuge as it does a restaurant — one that comes with good food and great wine.

Follow Ben Norum on Twitter @BenNorum

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