Review: Pescatori Mayfair

I am very rarely a fan of a brightly lit restaurant. However there was something reassuringly warming about the glow from Pescatori on Dover Street as we stepped away from the dark rainy evening outside.

We were welcomed by reassuringly Italian waitresses and seated at a cheery little table complete with vine tomatoes to taste while we perused the menu. We settled on the fresh crab salad and the goat’s cheese and chicory to start. The crab was plentiful and very fresh (as one would expect in a seafood restaurant). The goat’s cheese, chicory and walnut salad was delicious and just the right amount for a starter – although I could have eaten plenty more of it! I went for the salmon for main course (I’m a little bit of an amateur when it comes to fish so I play it safe for the most part) while he chose the wild sea bass. Both were delicious – as was the spinach accompaniment. We washed it all down with a bottle of Soave Classico, a decent mid-price bottle which complimented the food.

We rounded off the meal with a cheeseboard – these can be hit-and-miss – especially when you don’t have the opportunity to pick the cheeses yourself. Served with a tiny bowl of walnuts, honey and some crackers, these were a lovely way to end and perfect sharing food for a date (an easy point of discussion when your date’s conversational skills are otherwise lacking).

The bill was reasonable and the buzz of the restaurant combined with good food would entice me to return. The lack of personality in terms of the decor and ambiance is the only factor which lets down this otherwise very competent Italian – a safe bet on an otherwise risky Dover Street.

Evening cocktails with Phileas Fogg

As the descent into the dark afternoons of the winter months begins, spending time indoors getting that warm glow only a good gin cocktail can give seems like an excellent way to spend a Saturday. Which is exactly why I took myself off to try out Mr Fogg's, the latest offering from the chaps behind Battersea favourite Bunga Bunga and Thatcher-themed Maggie's.

Arriving at 5pm, the bar was almost empty, which suited well as we had made the faux pas of not making a reservation. The doorman rang the buzzer to allow us entry and we were greeted by a gaggle of uniformed young men ushering us inside. The owners really have gone to town with the adventurer-theme and it certainly makes an impression. On walking in, it feels like you are stepping into a Disney-fied colonial drawing room, complete with pith helmets, game skulls, old trunks and antique flags. Every corner is festooned with all manner of explorer’s trinket - I defy anyone not to be won over by the sheer attention to detail in this bar. The cocktails are pricey but delicious - they don't scrimp on the alcohol and when served up in old fashioned cut glass they seem worth every penny. The staff are helpful and happy to tailor cocktails for your taste buds although the huge menu should cover even the pickiest drinker.

I'm a sucker for a themed bar, and all the better if the loo can carry on the story in style. Every aspect, from the vintage toilet roll holders to the audio reading of "Around the World in Eighty Days" was as it should be.

We spent hours getting to know the cocktail menu in this wonderful, if slightly peculiar place. I will certainly be back - post-payday it must be said - but perhaps not every week. A fantastical trip into Victorian eccentricity and definitely one for the tourist looking for a slice of London at its oddest.