Corrigan’s Mayfair

'One of those old-school places where everything is just done right; a proper treat,’ was one reader’s verdict on Richard Corrigan’s ‘brilliant’ Mayfair flagship. Culinary aspirations are sky-high but the kitchen keeps its feet firmly on the earth, offering everything from a classic opener such as roast veal sweetbread with langoustine, peas and soda bread crumb to a pie of poulet de bresse chicken, morels and artichokes that has been deemed ‘historically good’. Furred and feathered game is always a feature in season, while Irish beef is a solid mainstay throughout the year. Influences from the chef’s native Ireland are melded with foraged foods and tip-top supplies from artisan producers, while a sense of clubby nostalgia permeates the place, ‘complemented by staff who clearly like to see guests having a good time.’ Lunch and dinner ‘du jour’ menus are devoid of any sense of corner-cutting, especially when the finish line is reached via a spring fruit salad or Eve’s pudding with apple and rhubarb. The wine list is vast and authoritative, opening with a changing seasonal selection and including a classy by-the-glass selection.