Isabel Mayfair

Isabel Mayfair

Upmarket restaurant plating local & global fare, plus weekend brunch & a robust wine list. Nestled into an elegant pocket of central London, Isabel is a destination with a unique character that belies the more genteel nature of the area. Isabel’s signature style from lunch through until late night cocktails is complemented by an imaginative food and drink menu that derives from the essence and traditions of many Latin and Mediterranean cuisines.

The quintessential Isabel brunch is back on the menu for Sundays from 12noon – 4.30pm. This exquisite and elegant three course set menu, complete with a signature brunch cocktail, is accompanied by the vibrant live sounds of our band, Casa. Their sun-drenched, island vibes-interpretation of iconic and recognisable hits will evoke the dazzling ambience of Latin America and the glamorous Mediterranean.

No favela-chic exposed brickwork or steely industrial ducting here – this is a coiffed, gold-and-blue TAG Heuer of an all-day restaurant, part Robert Palmer video, part Luc Besson fantasy. All in all, one of the most beautiful restaurants in London. The bar is made of Macassar ebony, there’s Dublin-green brocade on the walls, and the loos are clad in leafy, chinoiserie drifts of de Gournay wallpaper. A small fleet of catwalk hostesses in sci-fi tulip dresses by Johanna Ortiz are poised to escort you slowly to your seat. Just make sure that seat is at the four-sided bar, all the better for people-watching, set under the soft glow of 300 brass lamps designed to flatter skin tones. Smart, small-plate grazing food all the way, mixing market-fresh vegetables and superfoods with the occasional gaucho influence (a pot of lightly spiced corn, for example) all artfully arranged at the bar or table to avoid sending your glass of Montrachet flying. Much of it is lactose, sugar and gluten-free – after a pizzette or two (tingling ‘nduja, prawn and chilli), a plate of pocket-square-thin jamon iberico and just-right quail eggs, you can munch on an array of salads (watercress, courgette, pea, mint and lemon) and ceviches – though carnivores should make sure to order the excellent beef short-rib ravioli with truffle. Pure theatre, with attentive Four Seasons-style service – this is Mayfair people-watching at its best and an all-day menu. An Annabel’s for the clean-eating generation? Rick Jordan