This is Mauro Colagreco's signature restaurant at the OWO
This is one of the new restaurants at The OWO right?
Yes and no. Technically this is one of three restaurants run by chef Mauro Cologreco at Raffles London at the OWO. All the other restaurants are outside the remit of the hotel and part of The OWO in general. Confused? So were we. It's a technical distinction because when you come to The OWO it all feels part of one very glamorous whole. Of the chef's three restaurants here, Mauro is the chef's signature restaurant.
Tell us more about Mauro...
If the name rings a bell it's because of the chef's multi-award-winning restaurant Mirazur. That not only topped the World's 50 Best list from 2019 to 2021 (due to the pandemic) but it also has three Michelin stars. In the South of France, his restaurant uses produce grown in its own garden, but here in London, the focus is on the whole of the British Isles. While Mauro himself is often in the restaurant - he had just left for Nice when we arrived - it's chef Leonel Aguirre who's running things day to day having worked at Mirazur before.
Where should we meet for a drink first?
Why not check out The Guards Bar which is just down the corridor from Mauro? Here they go big on the Singapore Sling (inspired by the original Raffles in Singapore where it was invented). There are three iterations of the sling itself and then a series of drinks inspired by key elements in the sling, each with an English and a global iteration.
This was from the Tropical option - the English iteration featured 15-year-old Glenfiddich, British salted butter, fig leaf, capreolus Perry Pear ECV and golden syrup (£25).
What's the space like?
This is a very comfortable room with space for 50 diners. It's very much an intimate experience, not quite as much as the 20-seat private space Mauro's Table next door but still very luxurious and pampered.
Does that mean expensive?
It certainly isn't an economy experience, but then you're paying for what you get in terms of excellence of produce and all the energies expended on transforming it to the dish in front of you. The entry route is via the Business Lunch menu which is £60. The three-course a la carte Discovery Menu is £110 and then there's the five-course Land & Sea tasting menu at £165. The latter is what we went for.
Here's what we had:
Radish - fermented radish with langoustine tartare and a sake kasu cream
Grilled local red oak lettuce with a vermouth and cockle sauce - we'd guessed, even before being told, that this was from urban farmers Crate to Plate who produce their lettuce in shipping containers in Kentish Town. That made this maybe the lowest food mile dish of the night.
Broccoli with coco beans and confit Scottish scallop
Radicchio with an almond puree and a grilled loin of venison
Plum - crispy ravioli shell with black lemon ice cream and yoghurt fontainebleau
At this point you'll notice that cards have started arriving at the table featuring beautiful illustrations of the hero ingredient in each of the dishes, along with information on its producer. They're a lovely memento of the meal.
An illustration for each of the dishes on the menu
Next up is the petit fours course which comes with another theatrical flourish, arriving at your table in a wooden chest that concertinas out to reveal teeny jellies, marshmallows and more.
The slick petit fours display at Mauro
What is there to drink?
In addition to perusing the wine list yourself, there are a number of wine-pairing options to choose from. The Exploration Route is inspired by historic British explorers (£125) or if you want to push the boat out go for the Leisure Route Wine Pairing covering some seriously prestigious wines (£500). But we were also pleased to see that there's a non-alcoholic pairing too at £60 which they say "highlights the menu’s exceptional fruits and vegetables".
If you love a bit of tableside theatre, do make sure to ask for some port from this crazy contraption.
Overall thoughts:
If you're thinking of checking out The OWO and want to go straight in at the fanciest option they have then Mauro is the place for you. Service is super slick with plenty of theatrical flourishes but also friendly enough to make a meal here tilt towards the informal side of fine dining.
More about Mauro at Raffles London at The OWO
Where is it? The OWO, 57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @raffleslondon.theowo
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Mauro at Raffles London. Prices correct at time of publication.
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