Latin American Feasts Inside A Luxe Mayfair Rainforest: Our Review Of Amazónico London

When you think of Mayfair, chances are the terms ‘deep pockets’ and ‘celebrity’ come to mind. But what if we told you that a fancy restaurant has launched an affordable set menu, within jungle-like interiors that’ll leave you craving more? Meet Amazónico London. 

C'mon, look how gorgeous the Amazonico London photos are.

DesignMyNight Review Of Amazónico London

As the name suggests, diners can expect to be transported to a lush rainforest, featuring green foliage hanging above and statement mirrors tricking you into thinking you're surrounded by trees. The glistening colours of the sunset were noted throughout, including yellow, orange and red, plus we loved the (very) impressive wave-like installation across the ceiling. Everything exuded class, including a coral sushi bar, domed glass terrariums, stylish rattan lamps and gold detailing.

Love cocktails? I jumped at the chance to try the TikTok-famous Peacock Spritz (£20); essentially an elevated (and delicious) take on the pornstar martini served in a bird-shaped vessel. Tropical fruits were mingled with Cîroc vodka, Aperol, and for that VIP edge, Champagne. My date was recommended the pretty pink Guaivo (£19), a zippy sweet sip blending gin, watermelon and muyu jasmine, with the cardamom providing a nice kick.

We were here to sample the new Amazónico menu, called Weekend Asado (a wallet-friendly £65 per person). This is a multi-course medley of signature dishes that are designed to be shared. Our gastronomic adventures started brilliantly with the Pão de Queijo; four mini globes of Brazilian cassava cheese bread that were crunchy yet bouncy, heady with parmesan. I could have eaten many, many more. The crispy plantain had a lovely salty sweetness that was ideal for dunking into the silky guacamole, which was created right at our table. 

The Amazonico London menu will make you feel like you’re on an exotic holiday.

As I’m a vegetarian, my date had the pleasure of delving into delicacies from the ocean. The Maki Especial, this week made with prawn, was a refreshing symphony of fiery wasabi, sticky soy and the familiar taste of the sea. He also tucked into the Aguachile; a Mexican-style stone bass ceviche that was mixed up by the waiter at our seats. The soft fish was a great match with the sharp jalapeño dressing, and the baby tomatoes provided an intense burst of sweetness.

I had the Ensalada Amazónica to myself and enjoyed every last mouthful. The mango was the juiciest I had ever tried, combined with spring onion for bite, smooth avocado, confit tomato and slightly sour kalamansi citrus. A big thumbs up. Now, time for the meats... and I hope you’ve made room for this Brazilian banquet. The crispy pork belly was my other half’s fave; seasoned perfectly, it just melted on your tongue. The coriander-marinated chicken was moist and fell off the bone, while his grilled lamb rump, smothered in vibrant red achiote sauce, was so succulent it glided like a knife through butter.

We adored seeing the team visit each group with a huge, juicy rump steak, skewered in place and carved right next to us, just like they do in Rio De Janeiro. This dish had wonderful smoky notes and was served rare. As for the sides? Alongside chimichurri and meaty gravy dipping sauces, prepare for BBQ’d sweetcorn basted in a delightfully nutty panca chilli butter. Also, our chargrilled broccoli and baby carrots had a nice sweetness from the panela (a South American whole cane sugar). If you thought the veggie had been forgotten about, don’t worry, as the Ensalada Mixta boasted cherry tomatoes, radish, mixed green leaves and big chunks of chilli in a gorgeous salty orange truffle dressing.

You'll totally feel like you've stepped into another world here. 

It should be rather obvious by now that Amazonico Mayfair is very generous with the lunch offering; we pretty much had an entire animal carcass left on the plate. But there’s always space for desserts, and boy, weren’t they fantastic? First up - the Brazilian truffles; a duo of rich chocolate and coconutty spheres, the latter reminding me of a fine dining Ferrero Raffaello. Our Jari, presented in a teardrop bowl, benefitted from a unique white pepper ganache, zingy citrus gel, bitter chocolate leaves and chamomile ice cream. Lastly, you’ll have seen the pineapples roasting by the open kitchen and these were sliced to make up the Piña Rostizada; a syrupy glazed corn cake that could be sickly but the coconut sorbet counteracts that perfectly.

To close the evening? The showstopping Jungle Bell Mojito (£27) was beautifully presented in a glass dome with dry ice; blending vodka, yuzu sake, lime, spiced mango syrup with, of course, mint. We were also recommended the popular Amazonegroni (£16), infused with pineapple overnight to create a distinctive take on the boozy fave. 

Amazónico London: Overall

Amazónico is not just a restaurant, it’s an immersive experience. Each course is displayed with flair and passion, including the ideal amount of theatre. Service was attentive but not too fussy, and the interiors were done so incredibly well that it never veered into gimmicky territory. I have to admit that although vegetarians were well looked after, the sensational ‘Brazilian Sunday roast’ AKA the Weekend Asado menu was very much a carnivore's paradise.     

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