From Mayfair to Sussex
Saturday, August 16th , 2025
Gravetye Manor in Sussex is in a historic 16th-century building set in a thousand acres, with famous gardens and a dining room that is so light and airy that it almost feels as though you are eating in the garden. The new chef is a Roux Scholar and has raised the bar of the cooking here compared to my last visit. A complex garden salad using entirely ingredients grown in the gardens here was a particularly impressive dish.
Hakkasan Mayfair is a highly consistent restaurant, combining carefully cooked Chinese food with unusually slick service and a smart setting. It may not be the most authentic, cutting-edge Chinese food experience, but then that is not what it is aiming at. It does, however, produce a reliably enjoyable overall experience, which is why it always seems packed out.