Making up one of Britain’s biggest culinary success stories of the past decade, brothers and Michelin starred chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin join forces to create a modern take on classic British dishes at their restaurant, Galvin. Galvin at The Athenaeum sits in The Anthenaeum hotel in the heart of Mayfair, and marks a first for the brothers as they step back from their trademark French influenced dishes, instead deciding to champion homegrown British produce and support independent farmers across the UK.
Both brothers are Michelin-star recipients in their own right, and have worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Antony Worrall Thompson, Sir Terence Conran and Nico Ladenis. The restaurant itself is located off the new-look double-height lobby of the Athenaeum hotel, which is far from a traditional hotel lobby and provides guests with more of a retro lounge feel. Upon arrival, we walked through from the bar and were guided to our white marble table – a particularly millennial touch. Seating 94 guests, it’s a relaxed, comfortable space with an elaborate central chandelier, dark wood tables and a neat display of Galvin cookbooks.
After making ourselves comfortable and of course instagramming the beautiful bouquet arrangements in the centre of the restaurant, we were given a welcome glass of champagne to peruse the extensive menu with. After much deliberation, I settled on the Dedham vale beef steak tartare to start, which came beautifully seasoned with a raw yolk as the cherry on top, while my companion had the crab and lobster linguini as a small portion which was mouthwateringly delicious and served with the perfect amount of chilli in each mouthful.
After swiftly finishing our first glass of champagne, we were presented with two beautiful floral cocktails with a gin base to accompany our mains; I ordered the seared Dorset scallops which came with smoked jersey royals, asparagus (which was cooked to perfection) and a suitable amount of caviar for a subtle sea salt hint. My companion had the yellowfin tuna burger with Asian sesame slaw and avocado – a particularly modern dish compared to the rest. After a delicious main course, we had to have a 10 minute break to really appreciate the hearty, rich flavours and unfortunately decided against dessert, a choice I am definitely regretting now.
All in all, Galvin shines in its delivery of gourmet meals; the service was absolutely impeccable and we were incredibly comfortable within the restaurants surroundings. You may even want to indulge in booking a room upstairs at The Athenaeum afterwards, I assure you, you will definitely need to sleep off such a delicious meal.
Galvin at The Athenaeum, 116 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7BJ
T: +44 (0)20 7499 3464
