Hakkasan — Restaurant in London

Hakkasan Mayfair has long held a reputation for its exquisite modern Cantonese cuisine and opulent ambiance. However, their recent New Lunar Year dinner experience truly elevated this reputation, offering a symphony of flavors, impeccable service, and a celebratory atmosphere that left a lasting impression.

From the moment I stepped into the dimly lit, yet undeniably glamorous dining room, I was transported to a world of refined elegance. The restaurant's signature dark wood and intricate latticework created an intimate and sophisticated setting, perfect for a special occasion. The festive decorations, subtly woven into the existing décor, added a touch of celebratory cheer without being overwhelming.

The New Lunar Year menu was a culinary masterpiece, a testament to Hakkasan's commitment to using the finest ingredients and innovative techniques. Each dish was a work of art, both visually stunning and bursting with flavor. The standout dishes included:

The Prosperity Toss Salad: A vibrant and refreshing start to the meal, with colorful vegetables, delicate slivers of fish, and a tangy dressing that symbolized good fortune for the year ahead.

The Golden Fortune Dumplings: Exquisitely crafted dumplings filled with succulent seafood and adorned with edible gold leaf, a symbol of wealth and prosperity.

The Longevity Noodles: A seemingly simple dish of noodles, but elevated to new heights with its rich broth and perfectly cooked strands, representing a long and healthy life.

The Sweet Harmony Dessert: A delicate and beautifully presented dessert that combined traditional Chinese flavors with a modern twist, a sweet ending to a memorable meal.

Beyond the exceptional food, the service at Hakkasan Mayfair was truly outstanding. The staff were attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about ensuring a memorable dining experience. They were happy to explain the significance of each dish and offer recommendations on wine pairings, making the entire meal feel personalized and special.

The overall experience at Hakkasan Mayfair during their New Lunar Year celebration was nothing short of exceptional. It was a perfect blend of exquisite cuisine, impeccable service, and a vibrant atmosphere, creating a truly unforgettable dining experience. Whether you're looking to celebrate a special occasion or simply indulge in some of the finest Cantonese cuisine in London, Hakkasan Mayfair is a must-visit.

Exceptional New Lunar Year menu: A culinary journey through symbolic dishes representing prosperity, longevity, and good fortune.

Impeccable service: Attentive, knowledgeable, and passionate staff who go above and beyond to ensure a memorable experience.

Opulent ambiance: A sophisticated and glamorous setting perfect for special occasions. Extensive wine list: Expertly curated selection of wines to complement the cuisine.

Overall rating: 6 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Highly recommended for those seeking a truly special dining experience, especially during...

Quite simply exceptional. From start to finish, Hakkasan Mayfair delivered an experience that goes beyond just a meal. It’s dining at its finest. From the moment we were seated, the service was flawless. Our first server gave us a detailed breakdown of the menus, and throughout the evening, the attention to detail was impeccable with small touches like water being topped up unprompted, or servers offering advice on dishes, it made the experience feel special.

We began with the Vegan Dim Sum platter (two sets of four, including Golden Squash & Lily Bulb, Black Pepper Shui Mai, Sugar Snap & Edamame, and Wild Mushroom with Black Truffle bean curd wrap). Every bite was distinct, flavour packed, and beautifully crafted and a perfect way to start. Alongside these, we ordered two small bites: the Morel Mushroom & Vegetable Spring Rolls which were steaming hot and bursting with flavour and the Crispy Silken Tofu. The tofu in particular stood out with the Szechuan pepper, fried garlic, and soy floss giving it a bold, almost Cajun-like kick that paired perfectly with its soft, silky centre.

We accompanied our selection with the Non-Alcoholic cocktail of the "Kowloon Cooler" and all I can say is Wow! "strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, lychee, apple, cranberry and lemonade" go into what I can only describe as a flavour sensation that you just have to try!

For mains, I chose the Sweet & Sour Dingley Dell Pork with pomegranate and pineapple. This was perfectly cooked, juicy, and balanced without being overly crispy or cloying. My partner went for the Homemade Egg Tofu & Aubergine Claypot, which was equally well received. Portion sizes were larger than expected, leaving us pleasantly surprised. To share, we had a bowl of Hakka Noodles, which were excellent, with standout shimeji mushrooms adding depth.

We finished by sharing the Jivara Bomb (think a luxurious giant Ferrero Rocher with a hazelnut praline centre and rich, indulgent chocolate sauce). It was a decadent, perfect end to the meal. Again, the attention to detail shone, as when we asked to share, they brought out two seperate plates and cutlery, and then the dessert seperately.

The atmosphere is stunning! Heading downstairs, you’re met with a dark, intimate space, warmly lit with overhead lighting and a subtle, inviting fragrance. It’s clear that great care has gone into the decor and ambience. Over the evening, 5–6 different staff members interacted with us, each one professional, attentive, and genuinely polished and a true credit to Hakkasan.

Yes, this is a more premium dining experience (easily around £100 a head), but for the outstanding service, quality of ingredients, and overall experience, it’s worth every penny. I wouldn’t hesitate to come back....

This was mine and my dates second visit to Hakkasan. We initially visited the Hanway place branch that is now permanently shut down. On first glance this Mayfair Hakka seemed similar to the other branch, decor wise. Dark, and cozy, practically throbbing from the buzz of the people present. The restaurant was tightly packed out but the attentive waiters didn’t hesitate to greet and seat us in a polite and prompt manner.

Online we saw an affordable ‘taster menu’ for £29 pp. To our dismay, this wasn’t available upon our visit. The choices were between set menus, or a la carte. The cheapest set menu starting at £80 pp and going up to £160 pp. We decided to order individual dishes from the ‘a la Carte’ menu.

We ordered soft shell crab and crispy squid as our starters and followed that with beef filet in Merlot and roast chicken in satay sauce with egg and spring onion fried rice.

The presentation was exquisite, with the super tender beef chunks served on a crispy bed of noodles, shaped like a bowl. The chicken was also elegantly roasted and presented.

Flavor wise I’d say I loved how tender and unique the beef dish was. The presentation really elevated the dish for me. However flavor wise, I don’t think it knocked the socks off my feet! It seemed to lack salt or even any kind of Asian flair? The chicken satay was definitely my favorite dish. The chicken was tender and the skin glazed and roasted. The sauce was typically satay-like and delightfully sweet and salty. Delicious. 12/10.

The squid starter was crispy and topped with garlic and spring onion. However whilst optically pleasing and nicely crunchy, it lacked salt in my humble opinion!

The soft shall crab starter, on the other hand…? Both my date and I HATED it! It tasted NOTHING like soft shell crab,- it was so super crispy, we were wondering if the chef perhaps over cooked it? What’s worse is that the dish tasted like pork scratchings(?) …we were wondering if the soft shell crab was perhaps cooked in pork lard? The soft shell crab was also topped with some mysterious shavings that added absolutely nothing to the over all flavor (???) …Confused to say the least!

In conclusion: Out of the four dishes, I’d say only one was truly Asian- tasting and impressed us. The rest, while optically pleasing and tasty, remained extremely under salted, under flavored and under whelming! I feel like the cheap restaurants in china town serve better, more wholesome and traditional dishes!

Over all rating: 8/10, as the ambience and intimate, elegant setting really elevates the 6/10 food to an 8/10...