Galvin at The Athenaeum

Making up one of  Britain’s biggest culinary success stories of the past decade, brothers and Michelin starred chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin join forces to create a modern take on classic British dishes at their restaurant, Galvin. Galvin at The Athenaeum sits in The Anthenaeum hotel in the heart of Mayfair, and marks a first for the brothers as they step back from their trademark French influenced dishes, instead deciding to champion homegrown British produce and support independent farmers across the UK.

Both brothers are Michelin-star recipients in their own right, and have worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Antony Worrall Thompson, Sir Terence Conran and Nico Ladenis. The restaurant itself is located off the new-look double-height lobby of the Athenaeum hotel, which is far from a traditional hotel lobby and provides guests with more of a retro lounge feel. Upon arrival, we walked through from the bar and were guided to our white marble table – a particularly millennial touch. Seating 94 guests, it’s a relaxed, comfortable space with an elaborate central chandelier, dark wood tables and a neat display of Galvin cookbooks.

After making ourselves comfortable and of course instagramming the beautiful bouquet arrangements in the centre of the restaurant, we were given a welcome glass of champagne to peruse the extensive menu with. After much deliberation, I settled on the Dedham vale beef steak tartare to start, which came beautifully seasoned with a raw yolk as the cherry on top, while my companion had the crab and lobster linguini as a small portion which was mouthwateringly delicious and served with the perfect amount of chilli in each mouthful.