As passionate lovers of good food, we’re always on the hunt for great London restaurants. So when we were invited over to try the newly-located London Stock in Mayfair, we jumped at the chance. Having been awarded 3 AA Rosettes, we were excited to indulge in contemporary European fine dining with a twist.

While this meal was complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

London Stock restaurant review

The vibe

On a chilly winter evening recently, we headed over to London Stock to sample their four-course tasting menu. Formerly located in Wandsworth, the new restaurant is the brainchild of Le Cordon Bleu-trained Assem Abdel Hady and Andres Bernal and when you step inside, you enter a dark and moody space with pops of brightly coloured art. The interior design is minimal with a wall of wine taking centre stage along with a full view of the chefs at work for your entertainment.

the team at London Stock
The team at London Stock

Led by Head Chef Sebastian Rast, the concept here is approachable, yet luxurious, fine dining, and this is exactly what awaits. The menu changes with the seasons, and the restaurant is striving towards a zero-waste kitchen, which is always good to hear.

The food and drinks

We were really enthused about trying this menu, and had even managed to keep our noses out of the website so that everything was a complete surprise. The dishes themselves are modern European in style and crafted from the very best local produce, and it’s got to be said that every single plate that we tasted was sublime.

The bread deserves its own review, frankly because it was heavenly. Imagine a croissant had a love child with a wholemeal muffin and you’ll start to get an idea of how it looked. The flaky deliciousness was served with a raisin and cabernet merlot butter, which only added to the flavour sensation with a touch of sweetness. When a restaurant takes this much pride in its bread, you know you’re on to a good thing, and we weren’t disappointed as we moved through the courses.

Smoked burrata at London Stock
The smoked burrata was pure decadence

We had a lovely amuse bouche of open ravioli with crab that was gone way too quickly before our cocktails arrived: Yuzu Martini for me and a Cherry Soda mocktail for my guest. The drinks were the perfect accompaniment for our first course and the mocktail selection was as delicious as the non-alcoholic selection which is always encouraging.

I opted for the smoked burrata which came with dark balsamic and pistachios and every single bite was divine. The richness of the balsamic and the way that the nuts had been chopped into perfectly sized pieces to give both texture and hints of flavour was delicious. My companion, a huge ceviche fan, opted for London Stock’s version of the dish, served with kumquats and yuzu, and proclaimed it the finest he’s ever eaten. I had to fight to get a taste, but I can confirm that it was absolutely on point.

Next up, I had a delicate courgette flower stuffed with tofu and lime and served in a lightly curried sauce. This was fantastic! I’m not sure what they did with that tofu but the flavour was off the charts. My guest had the native lobster with tom yum and bok choy, another standout dish which I only managed to snag a tiny morsel of.

For mains, I veered from the vegetarian in favour of the trout, which was a great decision as the fish was perfect. My dining companion loved his Suffolk lamb shoulder which was served with Mediterranean puree and black olives.

Finally, for dessert I opted for the Dulcey which came with a brownie bottom and caramel mousse. This dish was delicate and, though I’m not the biggest sweet tooth, it was one of the highlights of my meal. My guest’s Granny Smith mousse with buckwheat and walnuts apparently made him “fall in love with apples again” – enough said.

Final thoughts

The service throughout our meal was impeccable, blending jovial conversation with professional knowledge, and we clearly loved our food. I was super impressed by the chefs’ ability to make vegetables sing, a true art form. Vegetarians will love a visit here just as much as meat eaters, I promise.

Interior of London Stock restaurant
A minimal interior lets the food shine

We found the music a little impersonal. It felt a bit clubby for a Wednesday evening when we first arrived, but chilled out during the meal. It’s the kind of place that feels like it should be playing curated playlists with tracks that the team loves to complement the food, but maybe this soundtrack is their jam and we are just on different musical pages.

London Stock is open for lunch and dinner and offers a number of different menu options. The four-course menu we tried is priced at £60, making it a wonderfully affordable fine dining option in our eyes.

We’ll be back and we’ll be sure to order some of that bread to go. I’m still dreaming about it.

Find out more about London Stock

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