Hush Mayfair presents Steak, Lobster and Whisky at Blades

Blades at Hush Mayfair

Lancashire Court, 8 Brook St,  London, W1S 1EY

I received an email a few weeks back asking if I would I like to review a new restaurant aimed at Dapper Chapper’s that specialises in Steak, Lobster and Whisky – obviously my answer was yes!

The venue is a new venture by the chaps behind Hush Mayfair. Hush, if you don’t know, have a few dining and cocktail bars across London but in an attempt to attract more Dapper Chapper’s, they have brought this new dining space to the Mayfair townhouse’s elegant Silver Room.  If you’ve been to the Hush Brasseries in Holborn and St Paul’s are brasserie’s be aware this is a totally different and original offering.

The restaurant extension is called Blades and is a project is put together by Jamie Barber and co-owned by Roger Moore (yes, THE Roger Moore) and Evgeny Lebedev (owner of the Evening Standard and the Independent), Quite a team, and obviously we were keen to see one of the spots where James Bond and pals have their dinner.

In fact, the name Blades references the private member’s club to which James Bond’s M belonged & the venue does have a James Bond feel to it, without coming across as tacky or too try-hard.

The décor is inspired by the Mayfair of a bygone era, going back to the 1960’s, when Mayfair was were any discerning bowler-hat clad Londonista wanted to spend their evenings. I think I’d have liked the 60’s in Mayfair. It’s also bedecked with iconic 1960’s photography, Blades’ walls showcase a candid selection of photographs from co-founder Geoffrey (“son of Sir Roger”) Moore’s personal collection, to peruse as you dine.

Reflecting the swinging Mayfair set’s particular taste, ardor for high cuisine and insistence on quality ingredients, Blades’ menu revolves around three key pillars; steak, lobster and craft whiskies. The menu includes things like a Whole Cornish Lobster either grilled, tempura or Thermidor, or pair a half lobster with Rib-Eye, Fillet or Sirloin. These can be paired with Blades’ own Bloody Mary Ketchup, or an array of sauces from Club Stilton Butter to Blades Blend Whisky Glaze.

Elsewhere, dishes are decadent and distinctly British, from Whisky-Cured Smoked Salmon to Stargazy Pie with Lobster and Rabbit. Desserts feature twists on British classics, such as Whisky and Brown Butter Brioche Pudding, whilst a “Scoop of Club Stilton with a Glass of Port” is recommended, in homage to M’s penchant for “the ripest spoonful he could gouge from the club Stilton” in The Man with the Golden Gun.

Whisky is prominent throughout the menu – fine with us.

I ordered:  Lobster Salad, horseradish potato, chives, crispy pancetta to start. Fillet (225g) Angus with Aspen Fries, parmesan & truffle oil & Honeycomb Ice Cream with hot chocolate sauce.

After dinner I was handed the impressive whisky menu. The options included a number of limited bottles of American, Japanese and Scottish handcrafted whiskies and Bourbons from “forgotten distilleries”. These can be sipped neat, sampled in a range of whisky “flight,” or enjoyed in a Blades Tipple, such as the Mr Kipling’s, with Apple Wood infused Rye Whisky, egg white and orange bitters, or the Bond Street Boulvardier, built with vanilla infused bourbon

Instead I opted for the signature cocktail The Bowler features Blades’s own bespoke blended whisky follower by a neat Lagulavin 16yr.

After dinner we retired to the cocktail bar. It has a slightly different feel, but still very nice. Hush bars are good post work options if you want to go somewhere a bit nicer than you’re local but the cocktails continued to flow and we weren’t in a hurry to leave.

The service is usually good when we review but on this occasion it was particularly good, the team serving us really pulled out all the stops to make sure we left happy.

Cost-wise, it’s fair. It’s not a cheap, but equally you won’t leave disappointed as there’s clearly been a lot of thought put into ensuring everything on the food and drinks menu is absolute quality. Blades definatley gets a thumbs up from the Dapper Chapper.

Hush is open for dining Monday – Saturday from 8am until 11pm; Saturday – Sunday from 12pm – 11pm. The Lounge Bar remains open until 12am. Visit http://www.hush.co.uk  & follow @hush_restaurant