20 Berkeley has recently opened its doors in Mayfair and presents a unique experience of British food and heritage. The restaurant is set in a remarkable building that recreates a traditional country manor house in the heart of London, and offers an elegant sanctuary with the feel of a private home, tucked away by a corner of Berkeley Square.
The new venture, the latest from Creative Restaurant Group, gets its name from its location – 20 Berkeley Street – and pays homage to Mayfair’s history. The area takes its name from the annual May Fair that took place from the 16th century in what is now nearby Shepherd Market, but was in those days marshland and open fields. This place was the heart of the farming trade, where shepherds would drive their livestock in from the countryside for sale to the London market.
20 Berkeley continues the historical connection with British farming, and celebrates the most exceptional produce available from in and around the British Isles. Executive chef Ben Orpwood has 20 years’ experience in the industry, and has nurtured close relationships with some of the most progressive suppliers in the country. Each of his dishes has been created with meticulously sourced ingredients and showcase the craft and love that goes into cultivating outstanding produce. Exquisite seafood is brought in from the day boats of Cornwall, fragrant saffron proudly presented from Saffron Walden in Essex, and grass-grazed beef from the hills of Cumbria.
Orpwood comments, ‘Here in the UK, we have the best asparagus, the best lobster and the best scallops in the world. 20 Berkeley will be an ode to the farmers and suppliers who have made this project possible.’
The à la carte menu changes with the seasons and reads like a mouthwatering map of Britain. You may whet your appetite with London honey glazed dinner rolls and Marmite butter and half a dozen Dorset snails; try the grilled Scottish lobster tail with carrots and sea buckthorn hot sauce, or the Shropshire Iberico pork with pickled walnut ketchup and bitter leaves.
20 Berkeley presents this array of extraordinary food in surroundings that enhance an appreciation of British heritage and craftsmanship. The space has been designed by interior architects Pirajean Lees, and takes guests on a journey through a series of beautiful rooms where natural materials and luxurious textiles in a palette of warm tones have set an inviting scene. Every detail has been carefully considered and all the furnishings custom made by skilled artisans; exquisite stained glass was crafted in London, while a tile-maker in Derbyshire hand-pressed fossils and ammonite into each tile. Bespoke wallpaper and carpeting have been created for the space by Pierre Frey.
The drawing room on the ground floor is decorated in the style of a comfortable Victorian parlour, and there is also an Orangery with floor-to-ceiling windows, which provides an airy and tranquil place in which to relax and enjoy the ambiance. The Arts & Crafts-inspired staircase, handmade from English oak, descends to a private dining room and an intimate cocktail bar, the Nipperkin Bar.
‘The space has the feeling of walking into a manor house,’ says Alex D’Aguiar, managing director of Creative Restaurant Group, ‘and it felt fitting that, given this restaurant will be a celebration of British produce, that the atmosphere would capture the feeling of being in a home, and that the British Isles would serve as our back garden.’
