Latest opening: Mary’s
What: A high-end yet casual grill restaurant in Mayfair that incorporates a 10-seater burger counter and cocktail bar The Blind Pig. Close to Oxford Circus on Pollen Street, Mary’s main dining area offers an eclectic selection of small plates that are intended to be followed by larger cuts of meat while the walk-ins only burger counter offers just one option: a Cumbrian beef ‘dirty’ smash burger with deep fried pickles, chilli mayonnaise and streaky bacon, cheese and crispy onions (a fish burger option is available on Fridays).
Who: Mary’s is the latest in a succession of new launches from Jason Atherton and has taken over the space that was home to Pollen Street Social. Launched in 2011 shortly after the Sheffield-born chef parted ways with Gordon Ramsay, Pollen Street Social was Atherton’s flagship and was notable at the time for its more relaxed approach to fine dining. Following the pandemic, Atherton pushed to make the Michelin-starred restaurant more high-end and, by his own admission, alienated some of his regulars in the process. One of these was the eponymous Mary. “She was a professor from America who would always sit at the counter and have a Martini and a small steak,” he told Restaurant in July. “The Marys stopped coming when [Pollen Street Social] went more fine dining; it was no longer accessible. That always struck a chord with me.” The kitchen at Mary’s is being overseen by Alex Parker, whose CV includes Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Claude Bosi at Bibendum and latterly Atherton’s Social Eating House and City Social restaurants.
The food: While the format and - to be fair - the pricing is more accessible than Pollen Street Social the cooking remains high-end and exacting. Small plates include Orkney scallop with pickled melon and ajo blanco; Cornish Gurnard ceviche, lime leaf and prawn head emulsion; and a miniature take on Tournedos Rossini involving Cornish bluefin otoro tuna and lobster pepper sauce. Dishes are on the small side but are largely approachable in price starting at £10 and averaging out at about £15. The wood-fired grill section feels more casual and focuses on high-quality meat and fish that’s sometimes charged by weight. Options include Berkshire pork T-bone, cuttlefish, chorizo and cocoa bean; Cornish halibut on the bone with surf clam ‘pil pil’ at £16 per 100g; and grass-fed dry-aged tomahawk at £12 per 100g. Steaks are served with either chimichurri, Bordelaise, blue cheese or green peppercorn sauce while sides include Koffmann’s fries and bobby beans in a tomato fondue. There is also a prix fixe menu that’s available at lunch and between 5.30pm and 6.30pm that offers two courses for £29 and three courses for £35.
To drink: Mary’s wine list seeks to ‘bridge the gap between tradition and modernity’ and has a focus on female winemakers. Glasses of still wine start at a very reasonable £6.50. Very oddly, Mary’s also offers some of its by the glass wines by the pint. Much to our disappointment, the 568ml measure does not arrive in a pint glass. Available upstairs as well as at Mary’s downstairs The Blind Pig bar, Mary’s cocktails are all named after Greek gods and include the Hera (Belvedere Vodka, Ojo de Dios Café, Cadello88, vanilla, cold brew coffee, pistachio and coconut mousse); and the Athena (peanut butter-infused Angels Envy, Crème de Banana, Regal Rogue Bold Red and Chocolate Bitters).
The vibe: The space is still recognisable as Pollen Street Social having has rearranged rather than significantly overhauled. The tables remain extremely well spaced, for example, which is a little out of keeping with the new more casual format. Some new art work has been purchased and the lighting has been reconfigured to give the space more of a late-night feel. The front of the restaurant has been transformed into bar The Blind Pig, which was previously located at the now closed Social Eating House, where guests can have a drink and wait for a seat at the burger bar, which doesn't take reservations. Frankly, it’s like eating in a restaurant that is about to close, which is exactly the case. At the end of the year Mary’s will shut its doors for a full refit with the downstairs area becoming a smashed burger bar and speakeasy concept called Meat and Two Veg, which will serve a plant-based burger alongside the smashed burger.
And another thing: The eponymous Mary - a formidable character by all accounts - has apparently been in a few times and approves of what Atherton and team have done with the place. Parker says that he is more scared of her than any of the critics.
8-10 Pollen Street, London W1S 1NQ
www.maryslondon.co.uk
