Walking up the extravagant stone steps of the five-star hotel, which featured on the Five Star Kitchen: Britain's Next Great Chef, I pretended I was heading onto the TV show, ready to impress Michelin star chef Michel Roux Jr. But alas, I was here for a more leisurely and less humbling affair: to dine at Mimosa at The Langham in Marylebone, the brand-new eatery from French restaurant group Moma, which took over the space from Roux at the Landau.
Led down a bouncy, carpeted hallway lit up by cabinets of wine, I entered an incredibly picturesque dining room reminiscent of a Mediterranean villa. Designed by Dorothée Delaye, it featured marine woodwork, coral motifs and teal accents in the form of velvet sofas, mixed with speckled chairs; at its core stood a tall fig tree offering a glimpse of Southern France.
Make the mimosa this: retro decor and soft tones light up the dining room.
As soon as my dinner date arrived, our incredibly enthusiastic waiter brought us over two Cristalino margaritas (£18 each). Served with a crystalised rim in a tall glass, it went down smoothly with a tart, citrussy aftertaste. While smacking our lips, which lingered with Cointreau, we took in the set menu we’d been given to try that evening, made up of plates inspired by the French Riveria and the Italian coast.
To begin with, we were presented with the restaurant's signature dish: egg mimosa (£7) and poutargue, half of which were traditional and the other topped with dainty flakes of mullet roe paste. We cut through the thick, whipped filling of what were essentially deviled eggs and let the soft and savoury combination melt in our mouths. Creamy and sublime, it made for an elegant start to what was to follow: our four starters.
Out came plates of tomato tartare with pan de Cristal (£18), which glistened like raw meat under our 60s-style table lamp. I scooped some up onto a lightly toasted piece of bread and rolled my eyes back in awe when the saltiness mixed with the sweetness of the fruit’s flesh hit the back of my throat.
Take a chance on the South of France.
Without wanting to settle on a favourite too soon, I moved onto the warm provencal asparagus (£20), which was served alongside a pretty clay jug of lemon Hollandaise - a sauce I found so addictively light and citrussy, I could’ve ordered it as my next drink.
My dinner date had a personal aversion to caramelised onions so I took it upon myself to attempt the classic pissaladière (£22), garnished with Taggiasche olives and anchovies. The rich paste that covered crispy triangles of filo pastry married the briny flavour of the toppings perfectly, tasting far from the treacle tart it resembled aesthetically. We both agreed that the authentic salade Nicoise (£29.50) was a standout, vinegary and refreshing, acting as a vehicle for more runny, hot orange egg yolks.
Thankful that there were only two mains to devour, we tucked into yellowfin tuna steak (£44) drizzled in a cafe de Paris sauce, as well as veal meatballs (£20) with a sizzling Pomodoro sauce that had a river of cream herb pesto running throughout, bypassing little islands of mozzarella.
The Mimosa at The Langham restaurant menu is full of Riviera treats.
Layers of meaty tuna dissolved in my mouth followed by kicks of a peppered crust - we had it cooked medium rare, as recommended by the chef to fulfil its optimum tasty potential. It was a tender plate of food in contrast to its delectable companion, which tasted like an elevated pizza without the carbs.
What topped the entire evening off was the theatrical dessert of deconstructed tiramisu (£14), which was assembled table-side. Containing my saliva, I watched as our server drizzled layers of sponge in coffee and amaretto, before slathering it with mascarpone. My date preferred the l’ananas (£29), which was basically a hollowed-out pineapple filled with crème brûlée.
To say the night ended there would be a lie, as we were completely engrossed in the atmosphere, sharing stories with our waiter who was as eager to share his own, and exploring the breadth of the cocktail menu. We finished with a classic mimosa (£18 each) because I exclaimed "we can’t go to Mimosa and, like, not get one," and a Chandon garden spritz (£18 each). And just like that, it was time to go home.
The DesignMyNight Digest
The Mimosa at The Langham menu was divine and inspired; I enjoyed how there were authentically French dishes mixed with Italian delights (the tiramisu gets a shoutout again) in a setting that transported me across the globe to a seaside city for a few hours. I loved how personal everything felt, and how kind the staff were when we were the last people remaining in the restaurant.
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💰 The damage: Around £398.50 for two, excluding service charge. 📍 The location: 1c Portland Place, Regent Street, W1B 1JA. 👌 Perfect for: An impressive date. ⭐ Need to know: This is the restaurant's second outpost, the first opened in Paris in 2021 and has chef Jean-François Piège at its helm. |
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