FROM TAILOR TO BRITISH BRASSERIE | REVIEW: MADDOX TAVERN, MADDOX STREET
If you’re Christmas shopping on Bond Street and in need of a refuel, head to Maddox Tavern, a charming neighbourhood restaurant and bar serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner. Steeped in history, 47 Maddox Street was built in 1892 for the tailor William Cooling. Cooling Lawrence & Sons, a prestigious gentlemen's outfitters, once counted Winston Churchill amongst its discerning clientele.
Diners can gaze into original mirrors, darkened by the passage of time, as they tuck into a Cornish Cod; or disappear into an original fitting room clutching a Churchill Sour. Melissa and I recently stopped by Maddox Tavern after a Mayfair gallery spree, and we were instantly dazzled by the decorative ceiling, original mahogany cabinets and mezzanine floor.
The interior has been refurbished since Maddox Tavern arrived, with respects paid to the building’s tailoring heritage throughout. Private dining rooms are named Winston, Clementine, Frances and Randolph; perfect for intimate dinners with colleagues, family and friends. You really do feel as though are caught between two different eras at Maddox Tavern and it’s a wonderful feeling.
Head Chef, Jon Grimes, has been busy curating seasonal menus, elevating British classics whilst utilising fresh produce from British suppliers including Huntsham Court Farm, Cobble Lane Cured and Neal’s Yard Dairy. The glorious wine list is certainly worth exploring. Champagne lovers might opt for a glass of Pol Roger 'Sir Winston Churchill' 2013, created in homage to Sir Winston Churchill, who famously favoured a Champagne with '“robustness, a full-bodied character and relative maturity”.
Another favourite on the menu: Oysters with Shallot & Samphire Vinaigrette
Melissa and I order a series of small plates and two chilled glasses of a dangerously drinkable rosé (Honorio Rubio Tremendus 2020). We devour Scallops with samphire, cauliflower puree and squid ink crisps; Venison Carpaccio with pineapple chutney and toasted brioche; and Salmon Tartare with avocado, mango and music paper bread. I am particularly fond of the Dorstone Goats Cheese with grilled peach and air dried tomato; and Charcoaled Peppadews with smoked shallot mayonnaise. All of a sudden, sharing doesn’t seem so fun.
For dessert, we order a decadent Dark Chocolate Tart with burnt caramelised banana and honeycomb; and an English Bramley Apple Crumble with lemongrass custard, the perfect winter warmer. And what dessert is complete without a cocktail? A Café Martini and a Peanut Butter Old Fashioned are the perfect accompaniment, and we leave Maddox Tavern with a spring in our step, delighted to have uncovered yet another charming piece of Mayfair history. All in all, a marvellous Mayfair lunch.
Maddox Tavern, 47 Maddox St, London W1S 2PG
T: 020 3376 9922 | E: reservations@maddoxtavern.com
