Mountain on Beak Street London is one of those places that comes with a lot of expectation before you even walk through the door.
With a MICHELIN star and a place on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants extended list (at No. 74 spot), it has become one of the most talked-about tables in London.
Chef Tomos Parry’s cooking is built around fire, smoke and strong produce, with influences from Spain, Wales and Britain.
The restaurant has an open kitchen, plenty of space by Soho standards, and a low-lit, busy atmosphere that feels stylish without being overdone.
The menu changes all the time, but the structure is quite easy to follow.
Smaller plates on the day when I visited included Raw Sobrassada with Honey (£6.50 each), Grilled Sobrassada (£12), Oyster with Apple (£5.80 each), Fresh Cheese & Anchovy (£8 each), and Smoked Sardines with Citrus (£12.50).
I had the Walnut Bread with Winter Tomatoes (£8.50 each), which was one of the first things to arrive, though I wondered why I was expecting a small loaf.
Thick toasted bread came topped with soft slices of tomato, chopped herbs and a slick of olive oil.
Earthy and buttery, the Wild Mushrooms (£19) was another dish I liked more than I expected.
A glossy egg yolk sat in the middle, and once mixed through it gave the mushrooms a silkier finish.
Larger plates featured Tripe (£18), Gurnard with Fennel & Citrus (£16), Roasted Shellfish Soup (£22), Braised Radicchio with Chestnut (£23), Squid with Black Pudding & Roasted Red Peppers (£25), and Beef Sweetbreads & Calçots (£28.50).
The Spider Crab / Chanterelle, Spenwood & Black Truffle Omelette (£19.50 / £27) looked beautiful when it landed, folded neatly and brushed with herbs.
The texture was very soft, almost loose in the centre, and it definitely had that rich, indulgent feel. I could appreciate the technique, though this was one of those dishes I admired more than actually loved.
The Beef Shortrib (£38) was cooked well, pink in the middle and full of flavour, but it also summed up my feelings about the meal as a whole.
There was nothing wrong with it, and in fact it was very good, but I kept waiting for a moment that really justified all the praise Mountain gets. That moment never quite came.
I can see why people rate Mountain highly. At the same time, maybe because of the awards and the attention, I was expecting more.
While it was a good meal with flashes of brilliance, I did not leave thinking I had just eaten at one of the best 100 restaurants in the world.
Mountain
16-18 Beak Street, London W1F 9RD, United Kingdom
Opening Hours: 12pm – 3pm, 5pm – 10:30pm (Mon – Thu), 12pm – 3:30pm, 5pm – 10:30pm (Fri – Sat), 12pm – 3:30pm, 5pm – 9pm (Sun)
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