It’s not everyday you get to eat like a queen, or better yet, like Queen Victoria herself, but at this new Mayfair establishment, you quite literally can. Francatelli, the new restaurant serving up a rather luxurious British comfort food menu at St. James’s Hotel & Club is named after Queen Victoria’s Head Chef, Charles Francatelli. 24-year-holding Michelin star chef William Drabble (who previously worked at Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant Aubergine), took inspiration from Francatelli’s (one of Drabble’s culinary idols) 1846 cookbook when creating the menu. Francatelli’s influence can be seen particularly in the dishes: scotch broth, endive braised in chicken stock and roasted skate wing.
The History
Situated in the decadent Mayfair hotel, you know this restaurant is going to be fancy. This spot was set up to emulate the original hotel & gentlemen’s club; created in 1857 at a different London location, which saw the likes of Winston Churchill, Henry James and Ian Fleming through its doors.
Entry is undoubtedly swanky and fittingly royal: you are greeted by the immaculate staff on entry, and taken through to the restaurant passing marble floors, dark wood and colourful abstract art, lit up by hanging glass light features. The restaurant is however, not super flashy, tucked away at the back of the building giving the space a hidden and intimate feel.
The Food
The food at this place is somehow a mixture of luxurious and comforting, traditionally British and unique, while persistently hearty. We started with hot and crispy artichoke beignets, with a lightly spiced honey and mustard dip, some bread and butter, before diving into some Scottish scallops, adorned with salty fingers, white asparagus and swimming in a light lemon sauce, alongside red mullet with yellow courgette and wild garlic. The hot beignets and red mullet were particular highlights, the tasty garlic sauce pairing nicely with the crunchy courgette and meaty fish.
For mains, we had the eponymous St. James ham, apparently cooked in traditional Francatelli style; glazed in thick and creamy Madeira and foie gras sauce, and griddled fillet of bream with basil mash and roasted red peppers. The ham was incredibly tender, slipping apart easily, and the sweet sauce complimented the rich saltiness of the meat nicely. The bream’s eye-catching colours of bright red and green matched the strong basil and sweet pepper taste.
To finish, we tried the special dessert of the day; rum baba, which was soft, citrusy and delightfully boozy, with a dollop of sweet creme anglaise on top. To drink, we enjoyed a light and refreshing Puglian chardonnay.
The mains start at a not unreasonable £26, with sides and starters from £4.50, so as we say, you can quite literally eat like a queen without breaking the bank. All things considered, Francatelli is a perfect setting for a luxurious and old school British dining experience.
Find Francatelli at 7-8 Park Place, St. James’s, SW1A 1LS (nearest station is Green Park).