Rock oysters at Noble Rot

ON a sultry summer’s evening, you can’t beat the atmosphere of Shepherd Market. The buzz rippling along this narrow street in Mayfair can feel distinctly exotic – more like a jaunt abroad than a bus ride into central London. On the steps of a barber’s shop, a busker squeezes tunes from an accordion. Dozens of busy tables, crammed tight together, fan down the street.

At one restaurant, waiters carry platters of sizzling Sultani Kebabs; at another, diners twist tight coils of prawn linguine.

Shepherd Market has an ancient history and was the epicentre of the original May Fair, a debauched five-day celebration which began in the early 18th century.

Noble Rot have just opened their third restaurant on this thoroughfare, taking a site on the corner of Trebeck Street.

For more than three decades, this building was home to a French bistro called Le Boudin Blanc. Old customers still wander in, looking faintly bemused. Fortunately, the new owners can easily fulfil any requests for a glass of French wine.

Noble Rot has carved a reputation for offering a huge range of wines and a classy food menu that they describe as “Franglais” – a winning mix of modern British and classic French.

Their first site in Lamb’s Conduit Street is still going strong; the second in Soho inhabits the once-abandoned site of the Gay Hussar.

You don’t need to be a wine snob to enjoy a meal at Noble Rot. Glasses start at £5; they do small 75ml tasters of many vintages from £3.

But if you want a serious treat, their special wine menu – chalked up on the blackboard each day – offers open bottles of vintages that ooze age and class.

My friend treated me to dinner, starting with rock oysters served with a dash of a tomato vinaigrette. A plate of mushroom fritters was good value at £9: deep-fried oyster mushrooms that you dip in a tartare-style sauce finished with a swirl of vibrant green herb oil and chopped chives.

There are handful of large main courses. A dish of Middle White pork with braised beans and apricot, perhaps, or a whole Dover sole with crab butter. But for me Noble Rot is the kind of restaurant where it’s best to graze on an array of the smaller plates.

We adored a dish of stuffed squid served with a thick chorizo sauce and ate the last of this season’s asparagus, buried under a flurry of parmesan with a twist of preserved lemon.

Top marks for a well-made custard tart, too, with an impeccable thin and crisp pastry and a dusting of nutmeg.

The original May Fair was closed down due to acts of lewd and raucous behaviour. This modern incarnation of Shepherd Market feels far more well-behaved. But it’s still a good bet for a memorable night out.

Noble Rot Mayfair
5 Trebeck Street, W1J 7LT
0207 101 6770
@noblerotmayfair
mayfair@noblerot.co.uk
www.noblerot.co.uk