Mere

So Monica Galetti seems to have branched away from the Roux team and launched her first solo restaurant. The former master chef judge has payed homage to her heritage with some 'kiwi' inspired dishes amongst a menu that has a modern European feel. The menu reflects the small intimate restaurant in the heart of the very charming Fitzrovia, one of my favourite corners of the west end of London. Four men dining together it felt like the right thing to do, to order five starters and five entrée leaving both vegetarian courses alone. My favourite starter being the mushroom and marmite butter tortellini, I know what they say you either love it or hate it. This wasn't quite as extreme on the palate, actually with the butter it was creamy and almost cheesy. Very well executed dish and yes In this capacity. Marmite? Love it. Scallops and bacon crumb perfectly accompanied by asparagus and spring vegetables, I found well balanced between the fresh palate cleansing vegetables and the sweet scallop with a uplifting hit of salty bacon. However I found the octopus 'a la piancha' a little polite on the palate although beautifully cooked. The main courses soon followed as did my level of excitement. 'Have the squab' says the waitress. Apparently a crowd pleaser, well I'm not surprised. An incredible depth of flavour and perfectly seared meat absolutely melted in my mouth, with subtle spicy notes from the 'ras el hanout' which is a North African equivalent of Garam masala. A close second to the 'dish of the evening crown' was the poached and crispy lobster claw, served with a creamy potato purée hispi cabbage and an incredible bisque sauce. The contrasting textures and flavours bounced around in your mouth. An outstanding dish. The same couldn't be said with the sea bream however, I just found the whole dish pretty beige and I'm not sure the yellow and green courgettes celebrating a wonderful piece of fish, it may be preferential but it did not work for me. A desert I was much looking forward to was the 'banana and coconut cream pie with roasted banana and rum caramel' It was a nice way to finish although i felt the coconut was a little lost and overpowered by the banana. I may have been super critical with some of my comments, because I felt some of the food was excellent all be it some things I didn't quite agree with. That being said the decor was excellent. A real neighbourhood feel, modern contemporary but not so grandeur that your surrounded by business suits and high heel flaunting fashion models. You know the sort of 'hot spot' in London where it's all about the night out, not the food, well not in Mere. The vibe is more welcoming and the main objective to please, is the food. Actually I'm willing to bet my shirt that this will be on the list of newly starred restaurants in the 2018 Michelin guide. So get in there when you can and beat the cues.

With love 

The food scene


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