Brasserie Chavot

Food was ok and so was the service. But the price was so high that I just can’t give them more than 3stars. We were 2 people and paid 150£ for lunch… just not worth it!
At the end of the day it’s all about bang for the £ for me…

Excellent meal, our first in London. Wonderful atmosphere and delicious food.

Possibly the best ceviche and venison I’ve ever had. Perfect execution. Fairly new to the London Mayfair area… So I’d eat here while you can still get in.

Newly opened in Mayfair later last year it’s already been on the Bloomberg Business week top 2013 restaurants list and just this week in the NYT. We went in December and had a lovely dinner with four colleagues. they make great hendrix martinis, the pommel frittes, steaks, short ribs and other dishes fantastic. It’s a great brasserie with a slightly more upscale experience and décor and is terrific for a business lunch or dinner or a place to enjoy without breaking the bank when hanging out in Mayfair. We’ve tried Habiscus nearby and love it and Brasserie Chavot is more casual. Service was great, no pretention or airs. Would go back for sure.

C’est bon!
I called last-​minute yesterday for a booking at 7:30. The girl was a bit standoffish, but warmed up when I tried (really hard) to be nice. Got the booking. Refreshing for London!
Arrived bang on time. Had my coat taken straight away in the very toasty vestibule. Seated with a drink in less than five minutes. It gave me time to admire the room, while I waited for my dining companion. The ceilings are high; the tile floor and red walls grand; and the ambiance jovial. Mayfair ladies wandered in with the day’s shopping bags and men in suits bantered over scotch and sodas.
The food is as traditional French brasserie as the décor. We ordered the chicken liver parfait and steak tartare to start. Both were very good, but not the best we’ve ever eaten. I especially enjoyed how perfectly toasted the accompanying bread was – it really is the little things that make me happy!
The cote du porc was glazed in honey and dijon and grilled beautifully, a side of frites a crisp and salty foil to the sweet and sourness of the pork. I also really appreciated that choucroute makes an appearance on the regular menu. It could have used a touch more acidity and a bit more cabbage. Otherwise, it was the soothing warmer I needed for a chilly evening.
We shared the vanilla crème brûlée and sipped champagne – as one does at a brasserie in Mayfair. I did notice that service began to slip up as the restaurant became fuller, and I wonder a bit why our appetizers were served on pieces of wood, while the mains were served on normal plates, but these are minor faults. I would definitely say this is a big win for the Mayfair dining scene.

You know when life kinda suck for a wee bit and suddenly it’s all awesome again? The search for the sweet 500^th spot on my Unilocal reviews was exactly that. For months there are no awesomeness that came my way in London and suddenly, last week, I found 2 things that made London the awesome place that it is.
Brasserie Chavot is Eric Chavot’s eponymous venture in the Westbury hotel after leaving his post at the Capital (sad face). And boy did it not disappoint. Well… they didn’t offer me the best macerated cherries in the world here, and the sink in the loo sucked but you know, life can be perfected and it’s only been opened for about a month. Oh and the fact it charged for filtered water AND bread AND service charge really did pi**ed me off, but you know, let’s focus on the positive and important thing:
THE FOOD WAS SOOOOOOOOO GOOOD.
Snail bourguignon– I don’t really know what a bourguignon is but apparently it is snails and meatballs in red sauce underneath a fluffy pile of french mash. A bit heavy and not recommended for summer, but would be perfect for a cold wintery night.
Pâté– BEST pâté EVER. It was delicious, perfectly seasoned with (for some reason, how?!) a tiny bit of bite to it. Served with figgy chutney. Oh god, I wished I could swim in it.
Both starters were pretty hefty, so unless you are a big eater, I’d suggest spring for another starter…
Steak Tartar– It tasted perfect. And this is from a person who doesn’t like mustard and hate capers. How I managed to like it you ask? I don’t know, please ask the chef.
Fried Soft Shell Crab– Usually I am preettty skeptical of eating tempura in a non Japanese restaurant, but this was light and fluffy– may be a tad over salted and the aioli was quite salty so generally, less salt please. IT CAME WITH A FINGER BOWL. ASIAN PERSON HEAVEN.
Dessert (to share)
World’s biggest Rum Baba– It was delicious, but about 5 times the size of any Rum Baba I’ve ever eaten. We only managed ½ between the 2 of us.
Oh another thing that annoyed me: Highly specialised servers. Our runner couldn’t even go and get the bill for us. He had to ask a waitress to come and speak to us to get the bill. Over fussy.
But you know what, I really liked it. And they were really accommodating when my dad demanded not just a corner table, but one where you didn’t sit opposite each other and they didn’t bat an eyelid. And anywhere where I can take him back without them spitting food in my plate is gold to me.

OK Heard great things about this place. I don’t usually like restaurants connected to hotels. But this is different, really different. They should lose the Brasserie part in the name as it is pure French dining at it’s finest.
The staff are so friendly and make you very welcome. even though we were an hour early from our reservation spot.
The food. Starters of Scallop Ceviche and Snail Bourguignon were perfection. Especially the Potato spuma covering the snails, devine.
Main courses of Venison and Rib eye cooked with great skill and really tender. Deliciously moreish.
All washed down with a distinctive oraganoc red from Rousillion. Carbone 14.
We shared a dessert «floating island» whipped egg whites, light as a feather surrounded by a creamy caramel sauce. The name doesn’t do this any justice. It really was staggeringly brilliant.
It really is one of the best new places in London. Chapeau to the chef and the team there.