The main table upstairs at Amethyst - it's quite the striking affair.
What can you tell us about Amethyst?
It comes from Carlo Scotto who was last seen getting raves for his (now closed) Marylebone restaurant Xier. There, the main restaurant revolved around a tasting menu and managed to win over critics who had started to shy away from those longer-style affairs, like Grace Dent who said "It’s a lot like how I hope heaven will be".
Now he's moved on to Amethyst which feels like a much more bespoke setting for him. Here it's once again all centred around a single tasting menu but also set in an extremely striking room - dominated by a central shared table that faces the kitchen. It really adds a theatrical element to the whole affair and there's nothing quite like it in Mayfair.
Where it is?
You'll find it on Sackville Street, where they've created a new space for it (it seems to have been a tailors before). It's equidistant from Picadilly Circus and Green Park and just around the corner from the Royal Academy. It's rather hard to miss (we managed to walk past it twice) so if you're coming from Piccadilly, it's a couple of buildings down Sackville Street on the right.
So - how does the seating work around that huge table?
If you look at the picture above, you'll see that the table can be laid out in a number of different ways, allowing groups of up to four (the jagged nature of the table actually makes it easier for groups than sitting in a row would). It both allows for a semi-communal setting as you're all on the same table, but as groups are set apart there's an element of privacy too. It's a lovely set-up and the whole thing really does feel like a proper night out. Going out out, if you will.
This is The Wine Cellar downstairs. Not in action yet, you will eventually be able to get a six-course lunch menu down here.
So what's on the menu?
It's a twelve-course menu (with an optional cheese course in there too). Three of those were delivered together though, so it's spread across nine servings. It's all paced out very well - neither rushed nor an onslaught of food. That's a tricky pace to manage, but Scotto achieved it at Xier and he's done the same thing here.
Scotto describes the food here as "influenced by the simplicity and elegance of Nordic and Japanese cuisine, with French and Arabic influences" so there's quite a broad feel to the menu, which is very much in its favour.
Here's a taster of what was on offer when we visited (the menu does change regularly, but a few classics stay on):
Things kick off with a few snacks to get you going - each with a huge amount of care put into them. These are (clockwise from bottom right) an oyster served with tomato fermented sake, wasabi caviar and coriander oil; Briouat (Morrocan pastry) with almond, nettle and Baharat honey; Liquorice croquette with tarragon, parmesan cheese.
Scallops with caviar, galangal and matsutake
This is one of the dishes that was a hit at Xier - Foie gras with rose petal salmon, yuzu and Piedmont hazelnuts
The Gyoza contains Nasu nibitashi (Japanese braised eggplant) and is cooked with myoga tea (Japanese Ginger) and sake (which you can drink from the bowl after).
Really reading the brief here with the blacked of black cods, in a pitch-black dish for good measure. This came with burnt hay, caramelised miso and Naganegi dashi.
It all finished with the signature dish, that shares the name with the restaurant - the Amethyst Geode. It's a white chocolate dessert on a feuilletine base served with praline - quite a stunningly good finish.
What about vegetarians?
There is a vegetarian tasting menu too so while you'll see the odd dish cross over onto both menus, the black cod is replaced with aubergine while cauliflower takes the place of a beef dish. Much of the other ingredients remain the same, so you'll get a similar approach whether going for the vegetarian menu or not.
And how about drink?
Wine is a big thing here, as you might imagine and, when it opens, the downstairs Wine Cellar will be a destination for oenophiles. If you don't want to work your way through the wine list you can opt for Head Sommelier Filippo Carnevale's (who was with Scotto at Xier) classic (£135) or prestige (£285) wine pairing.
Carlo Scotto in action
Overall thoughts
We were won over by Carlo Scotto's cooking at Xier and continue to be impressed by it at Amethyst. It's a truly amazing looking room and it feels like his cooking has stepped up a gear to make the most of it. There really is nothing else like it in Mayfair right now - so it comes strongly recommended as a special night out.
More about Amethyst
Where is it? 6 Sackville Street, Mayfair, London W1S 3DD
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @amethystdining.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Amethyst. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
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