Ormer Mayfair by Sofian review: a tasting menu worth overstaying for

One look at Sofian Msetfi’s resumé should be enough to convince anyone that, sooner or later, he was destined to open a serious restaurant of his own.

That restaurant is Ormer Mayfair by Sofian. It’s Msetfi’s heritage and culinary experiences distilled into four exceptional tasting menus. And that’s exactly what I did for three hours across multiple courses – taste, taste and keep tasting, until they more or less had to drag me out.

Why come here?

Anything from a chef with Msetfi’s experience is worth keenly following. Born in England to Moroccan and Irish parents, at least two of his previous posts have been at highly divergent multi-Michelin starred restaurants propping up my bucket list seemingly forever.

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Time with Tom Kerridge at The Hand and Flowers and then Daniel Clifford at Cambridge’s Midsummer House has made Msetfi a perfectionist who’s loyal to British produce. That comes together at Ormer Mayfair, where he deftly infuses diverse global flavours, including those of his heritage, using mostly local ingredients. It’s Modern British, for those who like neat categories for their cuisines, but with a particular emphasis on each word.

The vibe

Ormer is the signature restaurant of Flemings hotel, which is on the irresistibly named Half Moon Street in Mayfair. I didn’t stay, but like most high-end boutique hotels in London, I got the impression it prides itself on being a bit different. Because it’s in Mayfair, where luxury is implied, it could qualify as “eccentric”.

Downstairs from the lobby lies the restaurant. I couldn’t honestly say Ormer looks eccentric or even unique. But I’m pleased it doesn’t. This kind of richly lacquered, oak-and-gold interior is a familiar theme at high-end restaurants in this postcode, but there’s a reason for that: it sets a timelessly classy tone in which to dine, and that’s how Ormer’s food deserves to be eaten.

Covers are limited to 30 a night so the welcoming staff have ample time to devote, even if that leaves the ambience a touch vacant. You’ll be led to the bathroom if you ask where it is and probably get lost on the way out, ending up at the lavish adjoining cocktail bar, Manetta’s. It’s that rarest of things in London: a well-kept secret, but that’s not why you’re there.

The food and wines

There’s nothing à la carte at Ormer, but there’s an eight-course tasting menu for carnivores, pescatarians, vegetarians and vegans, so everyone’s covered. Even so, to make guests commit to the expensive formalities of a set menu is a bold move for any chef without a cult-like reverence.

That said, my pescatarian menu had many ideas I’d order on pure instinct if given the choice. Like mackerel, one of Britain’s finest native ingredients, which came cured and in a sesame, kombu and spiced nage sauce of cheek-tingling umami intensity.

But we started in southern Italy with a radiant broth of Sicilian tomato, peas and broad beans with a volume of flavour beyond what should be possible from a liquid so crystalline. The merest hint of vanilla soothed any unwelcome acidity. Then a huge roast Orkney scallop with a fascinating lemon, coriander, lobster and tapioca sabayon, an idea sourced in Scotland with coastal Irish soul.

Ormer’s black treacle soda bread was a more rustic Gaelic flourish. Its aroma and textures aroused the senses like warm toast on a weekend morning, and ended on notes of clove and liquorice. I requested more but this may have been tactical. If you choose the signature wine pairing, like I did, each course will be partnered with elegant, delicious and sometimes exotic whites, reds and rosés from Alsace, Chile, Hungary, Spain to name just a few. That’s eight glasses of fine wine, all of which I wanted to remember with the clarity of that earlier Sicilian broth.

Ormer’s menu isn’t especially daring, but it’s not without surprises. A hint of zingy lemongrass where you least expect it, or, crumbs of frozen red pepper with its Lancashire strawberry sorbet pre-dessert. They all work without being too clever. The biggest surprise, however, was that my braised west coast turbot was overcooked. I’m the forgiving type, especially when execution was otherwise flawless, but others may be less-so for £115 a head.

A dessert like Ormer’s caramalia and malt “gateaux” could forgive most sins, in or outside a restaurant. A gold-flecked teardrop of chocolate ganache that looked like art, smelled like mum’s brownies and tasted like bittersweet cocoa and salted butter. All was right in the world, at least between the first and the last spoonful.

The verdict

At the time of writing, Ormer Mayfair by Sofian has collected four AA rosettes, which means far more than any recommendation I could give. But from someone not unfamiliar with the pitfalls of ambitious tasting menus, I can say Ormer avoids them all. Flavours are coherent, every idea has purpose and you’re made to feel as special as Msetfi treats his ingredients. I hope this explains – and mitigates – why I may have overstayed my welcome there.

Dominic Kocur was a guest at Ormer Mayfair by Sofian. Tasting menus start from £115 per person. Flemings Mayfair, 7-12 Half Moon Street, London, W1J 7BH; flemings-mayfair.co.uk

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