A Visit to The May Fair Hotel, London

After many years of finishing second to Knightsbridge, Mayfair is now reported to have the most expensive real estate in the English capital. The affluent area is right in the heart of London, in the West End, near to the east side of Hyde Park. The shops of Oxford Street and Regent Street, the theatres of the West End and Leicester Square, and the bright lights of Piccadilly Circus are all not far away. The Queen herself is pretty close, too, or at least her house is; Buckingham Palace is just a short walk away, through Green Park.

Mayfair has some of the city’s most exclusive hotels, designer boutiques, bars and restaurants. The name’s synonymous with London, as, in my mind, is The May Fair hotel. The 5-star hotel has quite a history, having opened in 1927, with the British Queen and King attending. But that doesn’t mean the hotel is stuck in the past.

Stepping past the butlers at the doorway into The May Fair Hotel, you’re greeted by a big, shiny, modern lobby, with a marble floor and columns. Feline figurines, golden statues of farmers pulling oxen, and tall red vases give a flavor of Asia. That’s the result of a $150 million renovation of the 404-room hotel that was completed back in 2006. The lobby’s quite lively too, with people coming and going, from tourists to business meetings.

King Superior Room

Check-in is speedy and soon we’re up in our room. Walls in the room are painted in a kind of elephant grey, with framed illustrations of what look to be Asian emperors on the walls, with a plush red armchair, more bright red chairs next to a glass coffee table and floral red curtains giving a good splash of color. Each accommodation in the hotel is individually decorated in luxurious style. Our room is remarkably spacious and comfortable -- large enough for a little stroll around, plenty of room to stretch out and relax in, with a massive bed at one end and a big TV, though we didn’t find much time to switch it on with so much to do in the city just beyond the hotel entrance. The bathroom is bright and large, with a bathtub and walk-in shower, twin sinks, a trouser, and dark tiling on the floor. With property prices being what they are, it’s difficult to guess what this amount of space to roam around in costs. What strikes me most, though, is how incredibly quiet and peaceful, the room is too; hard to believe that one of the world’s busiest capitals is just outside.

Settled in, we go down to the hotel’s May Fair Bar and take a seat by the window, watching black cabs passing and London commuters on their way home. Gently clubby music plays. Welcoming waitresses are happy to make suggestions from the cocktail menu, which is handy, as there are plenty to choose from and they all look good. While my girlfriend goes for The Signature, a refreshing Tanqueray 10 gin with dry vermouth, celery bitters, lemon and grapefruit oils, I take on The Establishment, a warming Hennessy cognac with aperitif wine, cherry liqueur, orange oil and bitters.



An easy place to relax, we order again, my drinking partner this time going for a Pomegranate Fizz (Pomegranate liqueur, Belvedere vodka, elderflower…), while the Fire and Gold appeals to me, the mix of Maker’s Mark bourbon, homemade ginger syrup, rhubarb cordial, muddled orange and lemon, served in a copper-coloured cup with lots of ice and a sprig of mint. These are delicious cocktails with quality ingredients, refreshing, layered with surprising flavours. If only every night could start this way.

We make our way across the lobby and into The May Fair Kitchen, where the music is a little lighter and quieter, and an incredibly friendly waitress talks us through the menu of Italian and Spanish small plates designed for sharing. They’re not all that small though (no complaint here), but each one is delicious.

Italian chef Alessandro Stefoni’s food is lively and fun, sophisticated, but not pretentious, and packed full of flavour. After olives, the first dish, Jamón Ibérico de Bellota with piquillo pepper, arrives, which is a firm favourite with my girlfriend, thin slices of tasty ham on bruschetta. I go more for the seafood, including soft, crispy calamari with chilli lemon mayo and Gambas al pil pil, sizzling hot plump shrimp in a garlicky creamy white wine sauce, as recommended by the waitress. After seared tuna with caponata, a gnocchi and spinach gorgonzola, and an even more creamy Burrata Pugliese salad with baby basil and San Marzano tomatoes, we’re pretty full, but we push ourselves, as the food tastes so good, to share a wild mushroom risotto with truffle oil and Parmesan shavings. If you were at a party, this is the kind of food you’d want to be eating. On a month long trip around the UK, I had several memorable meals, including tasting menus from Michelin-starred chefs. But this was probably the pick of the bunch.



Breakfast next morning is back in The May Fair Kitchen. The buffet selection is large and satisfying, with everything from yogurts and juices to omelettes and crushed avocado, while waiters are quick to bring tea, coffee and any menu orders.

Well-fuelled, and with a tube station just down the street, we spend a day exploring London’s icons, walking along the Thames, past the London Eye, checking out the Warhols and more at the Tate Modern gallery, getting up close to whales and dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum. We see guards marching out front at Buckingham Palace, boats passing under London Bridge, and finish the evening with more cocktails at the Sky Garden, the 34^th floor bar having a great view of the river and the Tower of London.

After another great night’s sleep, we’re on our way, but there’s every chance we’ll be back, not least for the gambas al pil pil, the seared tuna and to reunite myself with The Establishment.



Address: The May Fair Hotel, Stratton Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 8LT Tel : +44 (0)207 769 8200
Website: https://www.themayfairhotel.co.uk/
Reservation/Booking Number: +44 (0)20 7769 8200

Prices start from: King Superior for double occupancy, £299 per room per night including English breakfast.

May Fair Kitchen dinner from: On average from £70 per person based on 4 plates and a bottle of wine