Park Chinois
17 Berkeley Street
Mayfair
London W1J 8EA
Nearest Tube: Swiss Cottage
4.3 Yummy Stars
Price £££ £10 - £95 (Peking duck £98+); mains from £36-£79 (at time of writing)
Grilled Black Cod in XO sauce at Park Chinois
Buzz Factor 4.8/5 stars
Food 4.7/5 stars
Value for money 3.5/5 stars
Alan Yau, the creative maverick behind Wagamama, Yauatcha, Hakkasan, Busaba Eathai (all sold) and Duck & Rice (in a gastropub setting) has introduced yet another dining concept in the shape of Park Chinois. This time is in the playground of Mayfair.
You are greeted by a doorman, opening the imposing double doors into the welcoming reception area with a roaring fire in an enormous black fireplace. Then we entered the theatrical dining area on the ground floor with no windows in sight. Instead, the walls were adorned with endless swaths of ruby red velvet “curtains” and white voiles all in swags against the black marbled floor with massive ornate gold columns. You have a sense of being in a theatre of sorts with tables on the sides on a raised platform, with the centre stage at the far end of the long room. The décor is supposed to be a mélange of French classicism and Asian decorative arts from the 18th century. The lamps had stunning depictions of Chinese persons from a bygone era. A huge amount of thought had obviously gone into the design of this place. The toilets were worth a visit too – with gold taps in the shape of swans’ heads hovering over porcelain bowls. While I wouldn’t have my living room (or toilet) looking like that, I do applaud its boldness and originality. Loud but sophisticated.
It was a Saturday night and the place was buzzing with mostly middle-aged customers and so many staff. Service was efficient. With service charge at 15%, you would expect it to be nothing less. Music from a live band and a singer started shortly after 8 pm. Tables were on a strict 2-hour turnaround.
And the food was impressive too. The sharpness of the green papaya salad went perfectly with the lightly battered salt and pepper squid. The duck in the spring rolls was full of flavour and so moist. The Jasmine tea smoked Chilean Wagyu beef and the rib-eye beef were seriously tender. The Chilli Sichuan chicken came covered with a mountain of whole chillis (yes, it was pretty spicy). The grilled XO black cod just fell apart, with a slight kick from the XO sauce, taking it to another level. The portion could have been a bit bigger though, given the hefty price tag of £49.00. The only disappointment was the chicken in ginger dressing. That day, they were offering Poulet de Bresse, the chicken of all chicken, at £35 but it was rather dry and did not match the depth of flavour of the other dishes.
With a refurbishment spend rumoured to be round £16 million, the menu prices were seriously steep. The wine list was extensive with the cheapest bottle round £60 rising to 4-figure sums. Entertainment cover charge was £10 per person.
Was it worth it? Yes, for the extraordinary experience and the food was generally of a very high standard. Would I go again? Without a doubt – if someone else is paying….
